# SPARK

> SPARK is a cloud origination system built specifically for SBA and small business lending, with E-Tran submission, SBA form generation and SOP-driven eligibility checklists inside the platform, and named bank customers including The Bancorp and Bank of Idaho. It publishes no program list and no price, says it has no built-in servicing and does not mention 1502, so it suits a dedicated SBA desk that will service loans elsewhere.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Company | Ignify Technologies, Inc. |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Minneapolis, MN |
| Website | https://lendwithspark.com/for-sba-lenders/ |
| Category | SBA-specialist origination |
| Best for | Lenders that want an origination system built around the SBA file rather than a commercial LOS with an SBA module |
| Primary market | Banks, credit unions, CDFIs and Lender Service Providers doing SBA and small business lending; named clients include The Bancorp, Bank of Idaho, American Bank & Trust and NDC's Grow America Fund |
| Deployment | Cloud |
| Pricing model | Quote only |

## Overview

SPARK is a cloud loan origination system built by Ignify Technologies, Inc., which describes itself as the only loan origination technology company operating as a Public Benefit Corporation. Its own timeline puts the founding at 2008, when two IT people with SBA connections set out to build lending software, and its company page reports over $8 billion in funded loans and a team of more than twenty. The SBA lenders page makes four concrete claims: E-Tran integration built into the platform so the lender submits to SBA without leaving it, generation of all required SBA application and closing forms, SOP rules pre-built into the SBA features, and real-time eligibility checklists of the items needed for closing. Named lenders on that page are The Bancorp, Bank of Idaho and NDC's Grow America Fund; CCG Catalyst's July 2026 sector spotlight adds American Bank & Trust and reports a four-week onboarding capability. During the pandemic the platform originated over $4 billion in PPP loans, which is the volume test most SBA systems never faced. Two gaps belong in any evaluation. The SBA page names no program: it does not say 7(a), Express or 504, and CCG Catalyst is the source for the description of SPARK as a platform that digitizes 7(a) origination end to end. And its SBA page answers the servicing question directly: SPARK has no built-in servicing, and for servicing it points to other options, with NLS among the built-in integrations it lists beside DocuSign, FICO Liquid Credit, LaserPro and TEA; 1502 reporting is not mentioned, so a lender should expect the loan to leave SPARK at closing. The same page describes an equity tracking portal where the business owner submits proof of each injection and the closer approves it, and states SOC 2 Type II compliance. Arcadea Group, a Toronto software investor, bought SPARK from Community Reinvestment Fund, USA in June 2023, per IBS Intelligence and Cherry Tree & Associates, which advised on the sale and gives Minneapolis as the headquarters; the company publishes no street address, and its site has no contact page, only a demo request and a support form.

## Capabilities

- E-Tran integration inside the platform
- SBA application and closing form generation
- SOP rules pre-built into the SBA workflow
- real-time eligibility checklists
- borrower-facing application portal
- equity tracking portal for proof of injection

## Features

- E-Tran integration inside the platform, so the guaranty request goes to SBA without re-keying
- All required SBA application and closing forms generated from the file
- SOP rules pre-built into the SBA workflow, with real-time eligibility checklists
- Borrower-facing application portal for document collection
- Four-week onboarding capability per CCG Catalyst

## Integrations

- SBA E-Tran
- DocuSign
- FICO Liquid Credit
- LaserPro
- TEA
- NLS
- APIs (vendor-stated)

## Segments served

- community-banks
- credit-unions
- cdfis
- lender-service-providers

## Ideal customer

| Dimension | Fit |
| --- | --- |
| Institution size | Community banks, credit unions, CDFIs and LSPs of any size running a dedicated SBA desk |
| Volume | From a first-year SBA program to high-volume 7(a) shops |
| Best when | SBA is its own department and the team wants a system whose defaults are the SBA's |

## Strengths

- Built for the SBA file specifically, with E-Tran, SBA forms and SOP checklists as the product rather than as a module
- Named bank lenders on its own page, plus a fourth in a named trade publication, which most vendors in this category cannot show
- Volume-tested in public: over $4 billion in PPP loans originated through the platform
- Operated by Ignify Technologies, a Public Benefit Corporation with a stated mission in small business lending, and owned by Arcadea Group since June 2023

## Limitations

- The SBA page names no program. Whether 504 or CAPLines are handled is not published, and 7(a) coverage rests on a third-party description
- No built-in servicing, by its own FAQ, and no mention of 1502 reporting; the loan leaves at closing
- No spreading, global cash flow or credit memo capability is documented, so the analysis still happens in another tool
- No street address, no founding year beyond a 2008 timeline entry, no price, and no contact page beyond a demo request and a support form

## Where it ranks

| Guide | Rank | Award |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SBA Lending Software Ranked for 7(a) and 504 Lenders (https://sbalendingsoftware.com) | #1 | Best SBA-native origination system |
| Best SBA Lending Software for Community Banks (https://sbalendingsoftware.com/best/sba-lending-software-for-community-banks) | #1 | Best for a dedicated SBA desk |
| Best SBA Lending Software for Credit Unions (https://sbalendingsoftware.com/best/sba-lending-software-for-credit-unions) | #2 | Best SBA-native origination for a credit union |
| Best SBA Loan Underwriting Software (https://sbalendingsoftware.com/best/sba-loan-underwriting-software) | #2 | Best eligibility discipline in an origination system |

## Head-to-head

- [SPARK vs Lenders Cooperative](https://sbalendingsoftware.com/compare/spark-vs-lenders-cooperative)

## Common questions

### Does SPARK handle 504 loans?

Its SBA page does not say. It names no program at all, and the only third-party description, from CCG Catalyst in July 2026, calls it a 7(a) origination platform. Ask the vendor directly and get the answer in writing.

### Does SPARK do 1502 reporting?

No. Its SBA page says SPARK has no built-in servicing and points to other options for it, and 1502 reporting is not mentioned. Treat it as an origination system that hands the loan off at closing.

**Sources checked:** October 1, 2026

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**Source:** https://sbalendingsoftware.com/platforms/spark · **Markdown:** https://sbalendingsoftware.com/platforms/spark.md · **Agent index:** https://sbalendingsoftware.com/llms.txt

SBA Lending Software. Software research for 7(a) and 504 lenders. Product names and trademarks are the property of their owners. Rankings are editorial opinion; the facts printed with them are sourced. Nothing here is legal, regulatory or credit advice, and none of it substitutes for the current SOP.