NatWest and Validis automate borrower data for invoice finance

NatWest has partnered with Validis to automate the collection and standardisation of borrower financial data within its invoice finance business.

The partnership allows NatWest’s Invoice Finance team to access structured accounting data directly from borrowers’ accounting systems during onboarding. Businesses authorise access through Validis, removing the need to manually compile spreadsheets, accounting exports and PDF financial statements.

Validis connects to major accounting platforms including QuickBooks, Sage, Xero, Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite and FreeAgent. The platform standardises financial information before delivering it into NatWest’s lending workflows.

The move highlights a broader shift underway in commercial lending as banks seek more efficient ways to collect and assess borrower information. Invoice finance providers have traditionally relied on manually supplied financial data during onboarding and credit assessment, creating delays and inconsistencies that can slow funding decisions.

Direct access to structured accounting data gives lenders a clearer picture of turnover, trading performance and debtor quality earlier in the lending process. It can also reduce administrative burden for businesses seeking working capital facilities.

The development reflects growing demand across commercial finance for system-to-system data flows rather than document-based processes. Financial institutions are increasingly looking to improve onboarding speed while maintaining credit discipline and regulatory oversight.

For borrowers, the benefit is a simpler application process and potentially faster access to funding. For lenders, the technology offers cleaner data and greater consistency when assessing new relationships.

The partnership also demonstrates how invoice finance providers are investing in infrastructure designed to improve operational efficiency rather than fundamentally changing the underlying product.