Pasadena Private Lending Surpasses $500 Million in Total Loans, Marking a New Era of Growth and National Expansion

Despite Headwinds Across the Private Credit Sector, PPL's Disciplined Underwriting Model and Accelerating Origination Volume Drive a Historic Milestone Eight Years in the Making

PASADENA, Calif., June 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Pasadena Private Lending, Inc. ("PPL"), a leading direct private lender focused on entrepreneur-owned and lower middle-market businesses nationwide, today announced it has surpassed $500 million in total loans since its founding in 2018 — a milestone that reflects the firm's expanding national footprint, accelerating origination pace, and the enduring demand for flexible, relationship-driven private credit.

The achievement represents significant momentum in PPL's growth trajectory. The firm crossed $300 million in total loans closed in June 2025, surpassed $386 million by year-end, and has now reached the half-billion mark — adding well over $100 million in new loans within the first half of 2026 alone. PPL has now served over 80 borrowers across more than 40 industries and 20 states, with an average loan size of $4.5 million and time to close of 10 business days.

The milestone comes at a moment of heightened scrutiny in the broader private credit industry, where concerns about underwriting discipline, leverage, and portfolio quality have prompted growing debate. PPL has maintained a zero-loss experience since inception, a track record the firm attributes to its proprietary Owner-Guaranteed Business Loan structure — a model pioneered by PPL that evaluates repayment capacity across multiple dimensions including future cash flows, working capital assets, real estate, and personal guarantor wealth rather than relying on a single credit lens.

"Reaching $500 million is a meaningful moment for everyone at PPL, but it's not a finish line — it's confirmation that what we're building is working," said Iain Whyte, Founder and CEO of Pasadena Private Lending. "We started PPL to solve a real problem: successful entrepreneurs and business owners who couldn't get the flexible capital they deserved from traditional banks. That problem hasn't gone away — if anything, it's grown more acute. Every dollar of that $500 million went to a business owner who had a plan, had skin in the game, and needed a partner, not just a lender."

PPL's growth has been supported by a series of landmark capital raises and institutional partnerships, including a $50 million institutional round in early 2025, a new credit facility from KeyBank that expanded the firm's capital base to over $350 million, and a $105 million strategic capital partnership with Eagle Point Credit Management announced in January 2026. The appointment of Dr. Glenn Freed as Chief Financial Officer in June 2026 further strengthened the leadership team as the firm pursues its national expansion strategy.

"The private credit market has faced real questions this year about whether some participants can sustain performance through a full credit cycle," said Michael McAdams, President of Pasadena Private Lending. "PPL was built from the beginning for exactly this kind of environment. We don't chase deal volume at the expense of credit quality. Our borrowers are operating businesses with real assets, real guarantors, and real accountability. That profile holds up. And the demand from entrepreneurs who need a creative, honest lending partner has never been stronger — which is why our pipeline and origination pace have both accelerated through 2026."

Central to PPL's consistent performance is its disciplined, owner-centric credit framework. Unlike lenders that focus on a single source of repayment, PPL's approach evaluates a business across multiple financial dimensions, enabling the firm to say yes in situations where traditional institutions cannot — and to do so with confidence in long-term credit outcomes.

"We've maintained a zero-loss record not by avoiding complexity, but by understanding it deeply," said Jason Shlecter, Director of Credit at Pasadena Private Lending. "Every deal we underwrite is evaluated for multiple sources of repayment — cash flow, collateral, guarantor strength, and the character of the borrower. At $500 million in loans, that model has been tested across industries, economic cycles, and market disruptions. It works because it was designed to reflect how successful entrepreneurs actually build and protect wealth, not how bank credit committees prefer to see it on paper."

Looking ahead, PPL remains committed to its national expansion strategy, deepening relationships with deal brokers, regional banks, accounting firms, law firms, and wealth advisors across the country. The firm continues to target loans of $2 million to $25 million for acquisitions, refinancings, growth capital, and general corporate purposes, and has set an ambition to maintain the accelerating pace of originations that brought it to this milestone.

About Pasadena Private Lending
Pasadena Private Lending, Inc. ("PPL") provides senior secured loans ranging from $2 million to $25 million to successful entrepreneurs and business owners nationwide. Founded in 2018, PPL pioneered the Owner-Guaranteed Business Loan, enabling it to evaluate multiple sources of repayment across traditional bank underwriting silos including future cash flows, working capital assets, real estate, and personal or family wealth. With a team of experienced former bankers, PPL delivers creative, flexible, and reliable lending solutions to businesses across a wide range of industries. Guided by disciplined underwriting and a client-first philosophy, PPL has maintained a zero-loss record since inception. PPL is a member of the Pasadena Private Financial Group of companies.

Additional information is available at www.pasadenaprivatelending.com.

Media & Investor Inquiries:
Pasadena Private Financial Group
626.993.9350
[email protected]
www.pasadenaprivatelending.com

SOURCE Pasadena Private Financial Group