In a recent LinkedIn post, Victor Cruz outlines the specific technology requirements for a senior data and technology leader at a specialist UK business lender. Cruz details the unique operational model of this lender, which focuses on high-value, complex transactions rather than high-volume, per-transaction pricing.
The lender’s focus is on underwriting bespoke deals exceeding £1 million, where each transaction is significant in size, complexity, and risk. This necessitates a departure from traditional pricing models. Cruz shared the buyer’s active exploration of solutions designed to address several critical areas:
“Corporate KYB & director / PSC due diligence – Deep checks on ownership, control, PEPs, sanctions and credit – Particularly for newly formed or opaque entities”
Addressing Due Diligence and Fraud in Complex Lending
Victor Cruz highlights the lender’s need for robust Know Your Business (KYB) and director/person with significant control (PSC) due diligence. As Cruz points out, the focus is on deep checks covering ownership, control, Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), sanctions, and creditworthiness, with a particular emphasis on newly formed or opaque entities. This indicates a sophisticated approach to risk assessment, moving beyond surface-level checks.
Furthermore, the lender is actively seeking solutions for fraud detection tailored to high-value lending. Cruz emphasizes that the priority is on ‘quality and context over throughput,’ suggesting a need for nuanced tools that understand the intricacies of asset-backed deals and those requiring expert judgment, rather than purely automated, high-volume systems.
“Fraud detection for high-value lending – Quality and context over throughput – Controls that work for judgement-led, asset-backed deals”
The Role of AI and Cybersecurity Convergence
Cruz also details the lender’s interest in AI agents to support underwriters. According to Victor Cruz, the aim is not end-to-end automation but rather to automate administrative tasks and research, such as data gathering and documentation checks. This strategic use of AI is intended to free up human underwriters to concentrate on the more complex and creative aspects of deal-making.
“AI agents to support underwriters – Automating admin and research (data gathering, checks, documentation) – Freeing underwriters to focus on creative, complex deal-making”
The post further reveals an exploration into the convergence of cyber and fraud detection. The lender is looking for tools where cyber risk, identity fraud, and financial crime intersect, signaling a holistic approach to security and risk management in the current threat landscape.
Strategic Evaluation Over Mass Procurement
Victor Cruz makes it clear that this is a strategic evaluation, not a mass-market procurement exercise. The buyer’s priorities are agility, speed, and technology that augments, rather than replaces, expert teams. As Cruz articulates,
“This is a strategic evaluation, not a mass-market procurement exercise. The buyer values agility, speed, and technology that augments expert teams rather than replacing them.”
Cruz concludes by inviting vendors in the corporate KYB, fraud detection for complex lending, AI agents, or cyber-fraud detection space, whose commercial models prioritize quality over quantity, to connect with him. This call to action underscores the specific and high-caliber nature of the solutions being sought.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Victor Cruz on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on February 9, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →