Seminars The role of Fintech in small business lending: evidence from France

This paper investigates the role of FinTech lending in credit markets for small-to-medium size firms (SMEs). Using administrative data from France, we document three main findings. First, we find that SMEs borrowing from FinTech platforms are of similar age and size to SMEs borrowing only from banks; they have less cash and tangible assets, but innovate and invest more. Second, FinTech credit and bank credit serve as complements for firms. Following a FinTech loan grant, firms experience an increase in long-term loans extended by both relationship and new banks. This pattern holds after we control for credit demand. We present evidence on a novel channel: FinTech platforms help relax small firms’ collateral constraints by offering unsecured medium-term loans, which are commonly used for investments in tangible assets. Last, we find that the credit expansion brought about by Fintech platforms have an adverse impact on the probability of bankruptcies at the extensive margin, but spurs growth in firm size, sales and employment at the intensive margin. These results suggest that FinTech lending may allow SMEs to pursue risky but innovative projects.

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Seminars The role of Fintech in small business lending: evidence from France
  • Published on 12/17/2021
  • 36 pages
  • EN
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Updated on: 12/17/2021 11:03