Education financing startup Lorien Finance has secured $2.25 million in Pre-Series A funding led by FlatIronX, a New York-based early-stage VC firm investing in fintech solutions with ties to India. 

Additional investors include Seedstars International Ventures (SIV), Ahimsa Capital, Bhavesh Gupta (Ex-Paytm President and COO), Ashneer Grover (ex-BharatPe MD), Play Holdings, and Silver Ridge Accelerator.

Lorien Finance will use the fresh funding to expand its reach to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India, where access to financing remains limited. The company will also strengthen its AI-driven risk assessment technology, enabling faster underwriting decisions and more personalized financing solutions for students and lenders.

The startup said it is also hiring across key functions "to support its rapid expansion and invites top talent to join its mission of transforming global education financing."

With global education financing expected to surpass $500 billion by 2029, affordability remains a major barrier for students in emerging markets. "For too long, financial constraints have determined who gets access to quality education, leaving millions of talented students in emerging economies behind," said Nikhil Mudgal, founder and CEO of Lorien Finance. 

"We are changing this by making financing more inclusive and data-driven. This investment will help us push the boundaries of innovation, offering personalized funding solutions while empowering lenders to make confident, real-time decisions."

Headquartered in the US and India, Lorien Finance is a cross-border fintech platform dedicated to providing education loans and financial services to students pursuing studies abroad. Founded in 2022, Lorien Finance claims that it has already connected students to a $3 billion+ lending pool from more than international lenders, including US education lender Sallie Mae. This allows students to access interest rates as low as 3.49%. 

Since inception, over 1,000 Indian students have applied for funding through Lorien Finance.