Inclined Technologies

Inclined Technologies, based in Sausalito, California, operates a technology platform that connects whole life insurance policyowners with financial institutions to access policy cash value more efficiently. Its flagship product, the Inclined Line of Credit (iLOC), digitizes traditional lending processes against policy cash value, aiming to enable policyowners to realize significantly more value during their lifetime. The company raised $15 million in Series A funding in September 2022, and its platform currently manages several million dollars in loans. Inclined Technologies has partnered with Mechanics Bank, which holds $20 billion in assets under management, to facilitate these lending services. HSCM Ventures, led by Vikas Singhal, was a key investor in their Series A round. Inclined Technologies was founded in 2020 by Graham Gerlach, Joshua Wyss, and Mark Shaw, with Shaw previously holding roles at Strava and Guidewire.

High-Level Overview

Inclined Technologies is a San Francisco-based fintech company founded in 2020 that builds a digital platform to unlock the cash value in whole life insurance policies through its flagship product, the Inclined Line of Credit (iLOC).[1][2][3][6] It serves policyowners and financial advisors by offering a fully automated, digital process to secure a revolving line of credit collateralized by policy cash value, solving the problem of cumbersome, manual borrowing that traditionally takes weeks.[1][2][6] The platform provides competitive rates without fees, completes approvals in under 15 minutes, and has the lowest minimum cash value requirement on the market, enabling access for previously underserved users in the $5tn whole life insurance market and $1.1tn in invested policies.[1][2][6]

In August 2025, Inclined closed an $8m Series B funding round led by HSCM Ventures, with participation from Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures and others, valuing it above its prior $16.5m Series A from 2022 and signaling strong growth momentum with thousands of active advisors and plans for product expansion, carrier partnerships, and team growth.[1][3]

Origin Story

Inclined Technologies was founded in 2020 by CEO Joshua Wyss, CTO Mark Shaw, and Graham Gerlach, addressing the inefficient process of accessing liquidity from whole life insurance cash value.[1][2][3] The idea emerged from recognizing how policyowners and advisors struggled with outdated, paper-based lending against policies, prompting the team to build proprietary technology for a streamlined marketplace connecting policyowners with financial institutions.[1][2][6] Early traction came from automating the end-to-end experience, leading to rapid adoption; by 2025, it had secured Series B funding post its 2022 Series A, with leadership expanded to include Chief Capital Officer Amir Friedman, COO Graham Keggi, Chief Compliance Officer Richard Lewis, and VP of Sales Monica Kerber.[1][2][3]

Core Differentiators

• Fully Digital and Automated Process: Replaces cumbersome traditional borrowing with a 15-minute online approval, no fees, and competitive rates via a proprietary marketplace.[1][2][6]
• Lowest Market Barriers: Minimum cash value requirement opens access to underserved policyowners, broadening reach in the whole life sector.[2][6]
• Advisor and Policyowner Focus: Enables advisors to offer iLOC easily through a portal, while policyowners apply directly with agent details; supports major carriers like Northwestern Mutual.[1][6]
• Superior User Experience: Emphasizes simplicity, transparency, and speed, backed by a gritty, collaborative culture ranked #3 Best Place to Work in Fintech (2024).[2]
• Competitive Edge in Rates and Efficiency: Maximizes value through institutional connections, fostering better liquidity options than legacy methods.[1][2]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Inclined rides the InsurTech wave modernizing the $5tn whole life insurance market, where digital tools address legacy inefficiencies in accessing $1.1tn in policy cash value.[1][2] Timing aligns with rising demand for intuitive financial products amid economic pressures for liquidity, amplified by investor interest—evidenced by its oversubscribed Series B from strategic players like Northwestern Mutual.[1] Market forces favoring Inclined include fintech adoption by advisors, carrier partnerships, and a shift toward user-friendly platforms that optimize insurance as living assets rather than just death benefits.[1][2][6] It influences the ecosystem by empowering advisors nationwide, driving competition in policy lending, and setting standards for speed and accessibility in InsurTech.[1]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Inclined is poised to scale its iLOC platform with $8m in fresh capital fueling product features, team expansion, and partnerships like Northwestern Mutual, targeting deeper penetration in whole life advising.[1][2] Trends like AI-driven personalization in finance and regulatory support for embedded lending will shape its path, potentially expanding to other insurance products or adjacent liquidity tools.[1][4] Its influence may evolve from niche disruptor to category leader, as growing advisor adoption unlocks more of the $1.1tn market—reinforcing its mission to deliver maximum value from whole life investments through technology.[1][2]