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Key people at Cyphr.
Based in San Francisco, California, Cyphr is a solo-GP venture capital firm and technology developer that invests early-stage capital into startups navigating heavily regulated industries while also operating an artificial intelligence platform for small business lending. The venture capital arm targets seed and Series A funding rounds across financial technology, cybersecurity, deep tech, cloud infrastructure, and enterprise applications. As an institutional investor, the firm provides regulatory expertise and writes initial checks ranging from $100,000 to $10 million to help founders overcome barriers in compliance-heavy sectors. Operating a dual business model, the organization's distinct artificial intelligence lending platform focuses specifically on SMB capital readiness. This software entity recently raised $1 million in venture funding and was selected as a Top 20 finalist in the TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 Startup Battlefield. Cyphr was founded by Minal Hasan.
Cyphr is a Kansas City-based fintech startup founded in 2022 that builds an AI platform for lenders, community development financial institutions (CDFIs), and governments to streamline capital deployment, underwriting, and technical assistance for small businesses, especially underserved and minority-owned ones[1][2][4]. Its flagship product, Cyphr Forge, uses a specialized language model for cash flow analysis, verification, document processing, and de-biased lending decisions, turning raw financial data into actionable intelligence to assess repayment ability without traditional biases[1][2][4]. Serving community banks, credit unions, alternative lenders, and ecosystem builders, Cyphr solves inefficiencies in loan automation and financial inclusion by enabling readiness checks, automated loan packets, grant intake, and impact reporting in minutes[1][2][4]. With $220K raised, incubator backing from LaunchKC and Pipeline Entrepreneurs, and awards like KC Chamber’s Emerging Business of the Year, it has grown from 3 to 16 employees since its summer 2024 launch, showing strong early momentum[1][2].
Cyphr was co-founded in 2022 by Jannae Gammage (CEO), who identified gaps in lending support for Kansas City's zero-to-phase-one startups, particularly minority small business owners facing limited post-early-stage resources[1][2]. Originally named Foresight and headquartered at 720 Main Street in Kansas City, Missouri, the idea emerged from Gammage's observation that traditional lending overlooked cash flow realities and perpetuated biases, prompting an AI-driven solution for financial inclusion[1][2]. Early traction came via mentorship from LaunchKC (providing customers and funding) and Pipeline Entrepreneurs (refining the concept), leading to its rebrand, official summer 2024 launch, rapid team expansion, and accolades like the Keystone Innovation District’s Scale Up Award[2].
Cyphr rides the AI-driven fintech wave transforming digital lending, part of a 2,380-company sector automating underwriting and funding amid rising demand for inclusive capital access[1]. Timing aligns with post-2022 economic recovery, where small businesses—especially minority-led—face funding gaps; market forces like regulatory pushes for financial inclusion and AI adoption favor its de-biased models over legacy systems[2][3]. By powering CDFIs, governments, and banks, Cyphr influences the ecosystem as an "intelligence layer" for the real economy, fostering growth in underserved areas and enabling hubs like capital access centers, much like Mastercard-highlighted fintechs addressing global disparities[3][4].
Cyphr is poised for scale through expanded partnerships, staff growth, and potential exits, as Gammage eyes national rollout amid AI lending trends[2]. Rising demand for de-biased automation, regulatory tailwinds for inclusion, and integrations with grant programs will shape its path, potentially amplifying Kansas City's fintech hub status. As an early mover in cash flow AI, its influence could evolve from regional trailblazer to national standard-setter, delivering funding where traditional models fall short—turning underserved hustle into scalable economic impact.
Key people at Cyphr.
