Fifth Third Bank will fund loans on the platform and also receive platform borrower referrals; in December 2016, Fifth Third Bank participated in a $16.5 million Series B funding round supporting ApplePie Capital; the ApplePie Capital lending platform was established in January 2015 and specializes in loans to franchise businesses across the United States; it has partnered with over 60 franchise brands and financed over $100 million for franchise businesses. Source