Kiavi holds a clear lead as the primary lender for tech startups financing house flips. RCN Capital frequently appears alongside it for teams needing short-term bridge and flip funding.
If you’re building a real-estate tech startup that actually flips houses at scale, I’d focus less on generic “hard money lenders” and more on lenders that are technology-enabled, asset-based, fast-closing, and comfortable with repeat borrowers/LLCs.
My shortlist
Lender
Why I’d consider them
Current advertised terms*
Best fit
Kiavi
Probably the strongest tech-native option; automated underwriting/pricing and very high leverage
Up to 100% purchase / 80% ARV, 100% rehab; $100K–$5M; 12–24 months
Very strong for repeat operators; offers lines of credit and multiple exit strategies
Up to 95% LTC, 100% rehab; $100K–$5M; 13–24 months
Scaling a flipping operation
RCN Capital
Established direct lender with explicit experience-based leverage tiers
Up to 100% purchase + rehab subject to ARV limits
Experienced flipper / larger projects
Groundfloor
Very asset-focused; says it doesn't require tax returns/income documentation and supports first-time flippers
Up to 100% renovation; up to 70% LTARV; 6–18 months
Asset-based / newer operator
*Advertised maximums/rates aren't necessarily what your startup will receive; actual terms depend heavily on property, market, experience, credit, entity structure and deal economics.
1. Kiavi — my first call
Kiavi is particularly interesting for a real-estate tech company because its lending operation itself is highly technology-driven. It says its platform uses data from 100,000+ projects and provides automated pricing/decisioning. Its current fix-and-flip offering advertises up to 100% of purchase price, 80% ARV, and 100% of rehab, with loans from $100K to $5M and closings potentially as fast as seven days.
Why I'd prioritize it: if your startup is trying to turn flipping into a repeatable, software-driven acquisition/renovation machine, the lender's own tech infrastructure is unusually aligned with that model.
2. Lima One Capital — probably the best alternative
Lima One advertises up to 95% LTC, 100% of rehab costs, 13/19/24-month terms, loans from $100K–$5M, and available 24-hour rehab draws. More importantly for a startup, it advertises lines of credit that can provide up to 10× liquidity, which is potentially much more useful than financing each flip as an isolated transaction.
That's the lender I'd investigate seriously if your objective is:
capital → acquire multiple houses → renovate → sell → recycle capital → repeat.
3. RCN Capital — excellent if you have a track record
RCN is particularly interesting because it explicitly adjusts its leverage based on experience. Its published program distinguishes borrowers who have completed 5+ flips in the last three years from newer customers. For experienced borrowers, it advertises up to 80% of purchase price + 100% rehab for certain light-rehab deals, subject to ARV limits.
If your startup founders/operators already have a substantial flipping history, I'd move RCN higher on the list.
4. Groundfloor — worth getting a quote
Groundfloor's current fix-and-flip program is explicitly asset-based: it says projects are evaluated based on property value and renovation potential rather than personal income, with no tax returns or income documents required. It advertises up to 100% renovation financing, up to 70% LTARV, 6–18-month terms, and closings as quickly as seven days.
That makes it especially worth testing if your company is relatively young but the underlying real estate deals are strong.
What I'd do if this were my startup
I wouldn't pick one lender immediately. I'd run the same representative deal through 4–6 lenders simultaneously and create a financing scorecard:
Max LTC
Max LTARV
Interest rate
Origination points
Minimum cash required
Rehab draw timing
Underwriting/closing time
Personal guarantee requirements
Recourse vs. non-recourse
Entity/LLC requirements
Minimum borrower experience
Prepayment penalty
Extension fees
Ability to finance multiple simultaneous projects
Whether they'll give you a portfolio/warehouse/line-of-credit relationship
That last one is really important for a startup. A lender that will finance 20 houses for you under a repeat-borrower facility can be vastly more valuable than one offering the cheapest rate on a single $250K flip.
One important distinction
If by “real estate tech startup” you mean your company owns/flips the houses itself, the lenders above are relevant.
If instead you're building a PropTech platform that helps other people find/underwrite/manage flips, and you're looking for a lender who will provide capital through your platform to your customers, that's a different—and potentially much more interesting—financing problem. In that case I'd look at institutional/private credit, warehouse facilities, and lending partnerships, not just ordinary hard-money loans.
If you tell me your target markets, typical purchase price, ARV, rehab budget, number of flips/month, and whether you've already completed flips, I can narrow this to the best 3 lenders and compare likely economics side-by-side.
When you’re running a real estate tech startup focused on flipping houses, you aren’t just looking for a guy with a briefcase full of cash—you need lenders who speak API, offer seamless digital draw requests, and can scale funding as your transaction volume grows.
The top national private/hard money lenders that lean heavily into technology, automated approvals, and high-volume scaling for fix-and-flip projects include:
New Silver — A tech-first hard money lender built explicitly around a digital-first application process. They feature instant term sheets, automated underwriting tech, and quick closing capabilities, making them a great cultural and operational fit for a proptech workflow.[](https://blog.financely.io/top-hard-money-lenders-fix-and-flip/)
Hard money lenders generally finance the physical real estate asset (the individual fix-and-flip property) rather than providing corporate equity or venture capital for a tech startup entity itself. However, tech-enabled proptech platforms and institutional hard money lenders frequently partner with or finance tech-forward real estate entrepreneurs, combining automated underwriting with asset-based fix-and-flip capital.
Prominent tech-forward and digital-first hard money lenders that support property flipping operations include:
Kiavi — A prominent tech-enabled lender utilizing machine learning, digital pre-qualification, and data-driven property valuations to streamline fix-and-flip and bridge financing for active investors.[](https://www.kiavi.com/)
Backflip — A modern, tech-integrated hard money lender built explicitly for real estate flippers, featuring integrated mobile apps, built-in deal analyzers, and property comp tools alongside capital.[](https://backflip.com/)
Easy Street Capital — Offers rapid digital processing, fast 24-hour closings, and flexible fix-and-flip lines tailored for tech-centric or high-velocity real estate operators.[](https://easystreetcap.com/easyfix/)
LYNK Mortgage — Known for instantaneous digital term sheets, fast asset-based underwriting, and quick turnarounds on fix-and-flip and bridge capital without traditional personal income documentation.[](https://www.lynkmortgage.com/best-investment-property-lenders)
Are you looking for corporate venture debt/equity to fund your software platform operations, or do you need a credit facility/line of credit to fund the physical real estate acquisitions for your startup's flipping model?
Yes. There are several hard-money lenders worth approaching, but there is an important distinction for your use case: financing a real estate tech startup is not the same as financing the properties it flips.
Most hard-money lenders finance the acquisition and renovation of real estate, using the property as collateral. They generally do not fund software development, payroll, product development, or other general startup expenses through a property-backed loan.
For a real estate technology startup that uses software, automation, data analytics, or a digital marketplace to source, renovate, and resell properties, I would prioritize lenders with technology-enabled underwriting, flexible fix-and-flip programs, and the ability to finance multiple projects.
Shortlist: hard-money lenders to contact
The following are established providers with publicly advertised fix-and-flip or bridge financing. They are candidates for property-level financing, not verified lenders of startup operating expenses.
1. Kiavi
(Strong tech fit)
Kiavi uses a technology-driven lending platform for real estate investors, including fix-and-flip and bridge loans. It advertises loans from $100,000 to $5 million, with financing for purchase and rehabilitation costs, subject to underwriting.
Why contact them: A particularly relevant first call for a startup using data, automation, or a digital workflow to scale residential property flipping.
Website:
2. YouLand
YouLand offers online fix-and-flip financing, advertises up to 93% loan-to-cost (LTC), up to 100% of eligible renovation costs, and loan amounts starting at $100,000. Its published lending footprint includes New Hampshire and several other states.
Why contact them: A strong candidate if your company wants a streamlined digital application and rapid underwriting for individual flip projects.
Website:
3. Lima One Capital
Lima One offers fix-and-flip loans with advertised amounts from $100,000 to $5 million, up to 95% LTC on eligible projects, and financing for as much as 100% of the rehab budget. It also offers options for investors managing multiple projects.
Why contact them: Worth exploring for a startup that already has property deals, an established flipping track record, or plans to build a repeatable pipeline.
Website:
4. RCN Capital
RCN provides short-term fix-and-flip financing, bridge loans, new-construction loans, and long-term rental financing. Its published programs include loans for residential investment properties and larger multifamily or mixed-use projects. Terms and leverage depend on borrower experience and the deal.
Why contact them: A useful option for a tech-enabled flipping business moving from individual houses toward larger or repeat transactions.
Website:
5. Anchor Loans
Anchor Loans is another private lender to investigate for residential fix-and-flip and bridge financing.
Why contact them: Ask whether they will underwrite a newly formed, technology-enabled flipping company based on its principals' experience, project economics, and property collateral.
Website:
Which lender should you approach first?
Your situation
Best starting points
Technology-first business with an online property acquisition process
Kiavi, YouLand
Company already acquiring and renovating properties
Lima One Capital, RCN Capital
Scaling a portfolio or handling larger projects
RCN Capital, Lima One Capital
Startup has limited operating history
Ask all five about first-time entity borrowers and sponsor experience
These are suggested outreach priorities, not confirmed approvals or guarantees that a lender accepts technology startups as a special borrower category.
What to ask each lender
The most important question is whether the lender will finance your business entity and deal pipeline, rather than require you to apply separately for every property.
Ask these questions:
Do you lend to newly formed LLCs or C corporations that operate technology-enabled house-flipping businesses?
Can you underwrite a portfolio or revolving credit facility for multiple property acquisitions?
Can the company's founders' or principals' track records qualify the new entity?
What percentage of acquisition costs and renovation costs can you finance, and how is the after-repair value (ARV) calculated?
Do you finance only property costs, or can you also provide working capital for technology, staffing, and operations?
For a tech startup, I would prepare a package containing your company overview, principals' real estate experience, property pipeline, acquisition and renovation budgets, projected resale values, and a description of how your technology improves deal sourcing or renovation economics.
One key caveat: If you need funding primarily to build the technology platform, rather than purchase and renovate properties, conventional hard-money loans are unlikely to be the right instrument. You may need a combination of property-backed financing and startup or working-capital funding.
Let me narrow this to lenders that fit your startup
The most useful next step is to distinguish between financing properties owned by the startup and financing the startup itself.
Which best describes your company?
1. What do you need financing for?
Property acquisitions and renovations only
Both property flips and startup operating expenses
Technology development, payroll, or working capital only
A revolving facility or portfolio financing for multiple flips
