Embedded finance has steadily grown to become an integral part of financing in the UK. It includes the embedding of financial services like banking, lending, insurance, payments and even investments. While each segment has its own unique value proposition, embedded lending has created the most impact in the UK.  

Embedded credit was estimated at $7.76 billion in 2024, and is projected to grow to $18.92 billion by 2029 with an annual growth of 19.5%. With embedded lending on the rise, banks, lenders, and brokers are constantly looking for ways to scale operations, enhance profit, and improve market share. The concept of lending as a service has become increasingly popular, as it allows both financial and non-financial businesses to offer lending services by leveraging technology. 

That’s where Pulse’s Unified Lending Interface (ULI) helps bridge the gap. Built for scale, speed, and regulatory compliance, Pulse ULI empowers banks, lenders, and brokers to embed and automate lending workflows through a single intuitive interface. This blog explores how UK-based stakeholders can leverage Pulse ULI to access and offer Lending-as-a-Service (LaaS), thus gaining a strategic and operational advantage. 

Unique Solutions Within Pulse ULI 

Pulse ULI functions as a modular, interoperable layer, with easy API integration and several powerful solutions, which include:

• Pulse’s Loan Origination System (LOS), which helps digitise and automate the loan application process, reducing it to under 3 minutes, complete with AML and KYC. 
• Automated Underwriting with Einstein aiDeal, Pulse’s signature underwriting engine, capable of processing thousands of applications simultaneously, and auto-decisioning 95% deals in under 45 seconds, with customisable criteria, forms a critical part of the LOS.  
• Loan Management System (LMS), which comes into play post-disbursement and helps with repayment tracking, delays, and defaults. 
• Regulatory compliance modules: KYC/AML, credit bureaus, Companies House, and open banking data integrations 

Pulse ULI is built for volume, scalability, and efficiency, enabling users and stakeholders to make quick credit decisions, automate processes, boost volumes and increase profit margins by offering lending as a service without investing in AI, ML, and the massive infrastructure required. Instead, they can simply plug and play to leverage functionality.  

Why the UK Market Needs Lending-as-a-Service 

Several market forces make the UK uniquely receptive to Lending-as-a-Service:

Regulatory Environment
The FCA’s Consumer Duty, open banking rules, and responsible lending expectations are driving banks and lenders to improve transparency, affordability assessments, and turnaround times. Pulse ULI embeds these compliance features into its processes, thus reducing the compliance burden on users or stakeholders.

Fast Access to SME Lending
There’s still a massive SME funding gap in the UK. Traditional banks often rely on manual assessments or outdated data. Brokers and platforms are looking for faster ways to offer relevant financing options. Pulse ULI can help reduce the gap since it can automate and streamline the entire loan journey. Faster loan applications and underwriting mean quicker access to funds, while automation promotes inclusion of thin-file businesses that lack traditional credit history. Thus, Pulse ULI can help ease access to funds, automate the entire loan cycle and help serve neglected businesses that lack traditional credit history.

Operational Efficiency
Legacy tech and siloed systems make scaling expensive and cumbersome. Pulse ULI allows lenders to originate, underwrite, and manage loans without increasing operational headcount, thus reducing cost and improving speed and accuracy. To learn more about Pulse ULI and how it can help you scale, grow and offer lending as a service, contact us today. 

Use Cases: Banks, Lenders, and Brokers 

Banks

Pain Points: 

• Outdated origination systems 
• Slow manual underwriting 
• High compliance costs 

How Pulse ULI Helps: 

• Automates loan journeys from application to disbursement, digitising and reducing application time to under 3 minutes 
• Helps automate and expedite underwriting with Einstein aiDeal, with auto decisioning in less than 45 seconds. 

Brokers and Introducers 

Pain Points: 

• Complex, time-consuming application workflows 
• Limited lender integrations 
• Low application-to-approval conversion 

How ULI Helps: 

• Brokers can leverage Pulse ULI to send a single application to multiple lenders simultaneously 
• Improves customer journey and conversion rates 

Built for Scale: Why ULI Delivers 

Pulse ULI is built to help scale Lending-as-a-Service: 

• Einstein aiDeal: Signature underwriting engine that auto-decisions 95% of deals in less than 45 seconds. 
• Plug-and-play APIs: Minimal development time with fast integration 
• Real-time data sources: These include Companies House, credit bureaus, open banking, and AML tools 
• Regulatory compliance: Features built to meet FCA, GDPR, and Consumer Duty in the UK. 
• High-performance architecture: Capable of processing thousands of loan applications simultaneously. 

Regulatory Compliance: A UK-Focused Approach 

Any embedded lending or Lending-as-a-Service implementation must align with UK regulatory requirements: 

• FCA Authorisation: Ensure you hold relevant permissions for consumer or commercial lending 
• Consumer Duty: Offers must be clear, fair, and appropriate for the customer’s situation 
• Open Banking and GDPR: Consent must be explicit; data must be stored and processed securely 
• AI Transparency: Ensure explainability of automated credit decisions 
• AML/KYC Checks: Must be robust, automated, and auditable 

Strategic Benefits for Each Stakeholder 

Banks: Faster lending, lower cost, increased reach, improved compliance 
Lenders: More efficient origination, better use of real-time data, improved ROI 
Brokers: Higher conversion, better client experience, broader product access   

Conclusion 

Lending-as-a-Service is not a passing trend. It’s a fundamental shift in how credit is perceived and delivered. Whether you’re a bank digitising a legacy process, a lender seeking scalable origination, or a broker wanting faster conversions, Pulse ULI offers the infrastructure to get you there.

By combining automation, embedded data, regulatory compliance, and scalability, Pulse ULI enables UK institutions to meet today’s challenges and embrace tomorrow’s opportunities within embedded lending and lending as a service.