CEO and co-founder, Lukas Haffer, was recognized in the Banking and Financial Services category for Innovative Individuals

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Casca, the first AI-native loan origination platform, is proud to announce that it has been named a Banking and Financial Services Winner in the 2026 BIG Innovation Awards, a global recognition program honoring companies, products, and leaders who are transforming industries through applied innovation, intelligent platforms, and measurable real-world impact.

"The 2026 BIG Innovation Awards winners show that true innovation is no longer about chasing the latest buzzwords," said Russ Fordyce, Chief Recognition Officer at the Business Intelligence Group. "It's about building intelligent platforms, automating workflows with purpose, and making trust, privacy, and resilience the foundation of every breakthrough. These organizations and leaders are not just keeping pace with change, they are shaping the future of global business."

Casca was recognized for its outstanding contributions to innovation in banking and financial services. Rather than incrementally improving legacy systems, the company rebuilt one of banking's slowest and most complex processes from the ground up. Its AI-native loan origination platform replaces outdated lending infrastructure with responsible, automated workflows designed to meet bank-grade underwriting and compliance standards. As a result, community banks and credit unions using Casca are funding small business loans up to 30x faster than industry averages, with end-to-end processing times as short as one to four days.

"We are honored to receive this recognition, "Casca co-Founder and CEO Lukas Haffer said "This award reflects a belief we've held from day one: that responsible, well-designed technology can fundamentally improve access to capital for small businesses while strengthening the role of banks as trusted financial partners. Innovation, to us, means building systems that work in the real world and make a meaningful difference for the people who rely on them."

In addition, Lukas Haffer was recognized in the Banking and Financial Services category for Innovative Individuals. Under his leadership, Casca has grown from an early-stage concept into one of the most impactful AI innovations in small business lending. In 2025, Casca raised a $29 million Series A. Casca's flagship customers – Live Oak Bank, the nation's leading U.S. Small Business Administration SBA 7(a) lender by dollar volume, Huntington National Bank, the nation's largest originator, by volume of SBA 7(a) loans, and Bankwell Bank, Casca's first customer – all invested. 

Casca joins 159 winners recognized for their contributions to innovation across health, financial services, logistics, manufacturing, and enterprise technology. The 2026 BIG Innovation Awards winners reveal a clear trend: innovation is no longer about just having AI, it's about how you use it. Winners are building platforms, automating workflows, and focusing on trust, privacy, and security as core to their mission.

For more information about the BIG Innovation Awards and to view the full list of winners, visit www.bintelligence.com/posts/2026-big-innovation-awards-159-trailblazers-prove-where-innovation-is-really-happening.

About Casca
Casca accelerates the loan application and origination process using responsible AI. It is the loan origination platform used by the nation's leading SBA lenders and FDIC-Insured banks. Founded in 2023 by banking IT experts and AI researchers from Stanford University, Casca is backed by Y Combinator, Canapi Ventures, Peterson Ventures, Clocktower Ventures, The Fintech Fund, and the Sarah Smith Fund. For more information, visit www.cascading.ai and follow us on LinkedIn.

About Business Intelligence Group
The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission of recognizing true talent and superior performance in business. Unlike many recognition programs, these awards are evaluated by business leaders and practitioners who reward programs, products, and people that deliver real, quantifiable excellence rather than marketing narratives.

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SOURCE Cascading AI