Beacon Bank, a $24 billion regional bank formed through the 2025 merger of Berkshire Hills Bancorp and Brookline Bancorp, is expanding its long-standing relationship with Baker Hill, a provider of financial technology solutions for loan origination, risk management and analytics, by implementing enhancements through the UN/FY lending platform to further modernize its small business and SBA lending experiences.
“As customer expectations continue to evolve, we are focused on delivering banking experiences that are simple, accessible and available when and where our clients want to engage with us,” Scott Gillanders, credit director for government guaranteed lending of Beacon Bank, said. “By enhancing our digital capabilities across both small business and SBA lending, we are creating a more seamless experience for borrowers, while continuing to provide the expertise and personal service that businesses rely on to access capital and grow.”
Through enhanced digital capabilities, Beacon Bank and Baker Hill are working to streamline how borrowers engage with the bank, helping business owners access financing more efficiently while maintaining the guidance and support needed throughout the lending process.
“This is a defining moment for Baker Hill,” Andy Ivankovich, chairman and CEO of Baker Hill, said. “In a time of rapid change and innovation, we’re proud to bring powerful capabilities to SBA lending — where banks can meet borrower expectations without sacrificing efficiency or profitability. We’re enabling institutions to streamline operations, lower origination costs and deliver a modern lending experience that drives real growth in their communities.”
The enhancements are designed to support a more connected and flexible customer experience, allowing borrowers to begin, continue and complete lending interactions through digital channels while remaining connected to Beacon Bank’s lending teams. The application experience will also incorporate ASK BKR, Baker Hill’s AI-enabled tools that leverage document classification and automated spreading capabilities to help streamline credit analysis and accelerate the lending process.
As part of the partnership, Baker Hill will continue expanding digital SBA capabilities in upcoming product increments to support the evolving needs of sophisticated commercial lending organizations.
“We’re proud to partner with Beacon Bank and what this represents for small businesses nationwide,” Ivankovich said. “Digital transformation in SBA lending is no longer on the horizon; it’s here. Together with the Beacon team, Baker Hill is committed to leading this next chapter.”
