Profiles · Principals
- Type
- Person
- Role
- Executive
- Programs
- PPP
- Updated
The profile
The founder of Funding Circle, the UK-listed marketplace lender that became an SBA-accredited PPP lender in the US.
Identity and role
Samir Desai CBE — co-founder and former CEO of Funding Circle Holdings plc (London-listed; its CEO during the 2020 PPP period), the small-business marketplace lender. Its US arm, Funding Circle US (led day-to-day by managing director Bernardo Martinez), became a PPP lender.
Biography / career arc
Co-founded Funding Circle in the UK and led it through its 2018 London listing (see the Funding Circle profile); later stepped down as CEO and founded the payments startup Super Payments (LinkedIn, self-reported; we do not have a copy of the TechCrunch piece).
Pandemic-relief / PPP-EIDL role
Funding Circle's "Update on Government Schemes" reported its US PPP approvals and originations to mid-2020. Desai was group CEO; the US role belonged to Bernardo Martinez, a March 2020 coalition-letter signatory.
Funding Circle also participated in U.K. pandemic-credit schemes (CBILS), discussed by Desai in the half-year 2020 results presentation (we have a copy of the transcript).
Their own relief
The relevant government-support record is lender participation and SBA accreditation, not direct borrower relief.
Legal status / controversies
No PPP-fraud finding or enforcement action against Funding Circle, its US arm, or Desai identified in the public record.
Where they are now (2025–2026)
Founder/CEO of Super Payments; former CEO of Funding Circle.
Sources held in this archive
Original source documents and archived captures
- Funding Circle, "Update on Government Schemes" PPP accreditation; $800M approved / $300M originated by June 30, 2020
- Funding Circle half-year 2020 transcript, Samir Desai comments on PPP/CBILS
- LinkedIn profile, Samir Desai
Sources
- Funding Circle, "Update on Government Schemes" (PPP accreditation; $800M approved / $300M originated by June 30, 2020): Funding Circle, "Update on Government Schemes" PPP accreditation; $800M approved / $300M originated by June 30, 2020 (original: corporate.fundingcircle.com · stored capture)
- Funding Circle half-year 2020 transcript, Samir Desai comments on PPP/CBILS: First Half 2020 Results Presentation Transcript — Funding Circle (original: corporate.fundingcircle.com · stored capture)
- TechCrunch, Funding Circle co-founder unveils Super Payments with $27M from Accel and others (Aug. 17, 2022): Samir Desai unveils Super Payments fintech with $27M investment (original: techcrunch.com · stored capture)
- LinkedIn profile, Samir Desai: LinkedIn profile, Samir Desai (original: uk.linkedin.com) (self-reported profile; LinkedIn pages cannot be mirrored into the archive)
- Cross-reference: Bernardo Martinez