SpareBank 1 Østlandet

SpareBank 1 Østlandet, one of Norway's largest banks with over 433,000 customers, has integrated Froda's automated lending platform directly into its digital customer journey.

SpareBank 1 Østlandet chooses embedded lending over building it

One of Norway's largest banks with over 433,000 customers, has integrated Froda's automated lending platform directly into its digital customer journey — giving small businesses access to financing without ever leaving the bank's own flow.

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The challenge

High operational costs have long made small-ticket lending unprofitable for traditional banks. The result is a €400 billion financing gap across Europe, where thousands of small businesses are turned away — not for lack of creditworthiness, but because the economics don't add up. SpareBank 1 Østlandet wanted to change this without building a lending infrastructure from scratch.

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The solution

Through Froda Embedded, the bank now offers SME financing as a natural part of its existing digital experience. There are no redirects or manual steps — just a seamless flow for the business owner. Data-driven credit assessment handles underwriting automatically, and approved loans are disbursed instantly via Visa Direct, with repayments automated through the card infrastructure.

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The outcome

SpareBank 1 Østlandet can now serve small businesses that were previously too costly to handle — without building or maintaining its own lending stack. The partnership is one of the first in Europe where a traditional bank has integrated fintech-powered SME lending directly into its digital offering. 180 years of banking trust, combined with Froda's automation, opens up a segment that has long been out of reach.