SFNet’s Reimagined: AI & Automation in Secured Finance is a new, one-day conference designed to explore how technologies are transforming asset-based lending and factoring today—and what comes next.  Keynote Speaker, Nick Pericle, a technology expert and the founder of Tenexity, will have a hands-on demonstration using tools and AI prompts to help business leaders grasp and come away with real world solutions that can immediately be implemented to improve their company workflow.

Artificial intelligence and automation are no longer theoretical concepts in secured finance—they are actively reshaping how lenders operate, assess risk, and serve borrowers. On June 2, 2026, secured finance professionals will gather in New York City for SFNet’s Reimagined: AI & Automation in Secured Finance, a new, one-day conference designed to explore how these technologies are transforming asset-based lending and factoring today—and what comes next. 

Built for lenders, fintech innovators, and technology leaders, SFNet’s Reimagined: AI & Automation in Secured Finance conference moves beyond high-level trends to deliver practical, real-world applications of AI. Attendees will gain insights into how emerging tools are improving operational efficiency, strengthening portfolio performance, minimizing credit risk and fraud, and enabling faster, more informed decision-making across the credit lifecycle. 

The program features expert panels and interactive sessions focused on some of the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing the industry.  Networking is woven throughout the day, with structured breaks, interactive discussions, and a closing reception designed to foster meaningful connections with peers and solution providers navigating similar digital transformations. Whether attendees are in the early stages of adopting AI or actively scaling automation across their organizations, the event offers an opportunity to exchange insights with industry leaders tackling the same challenges. 

As competitive pressures intensify and expectations around speed, transparency, and risk management continue to rise, the ability to leverage AI effectively may determine which firms lead the next era of secured finance. SFNet’s Reimagined: AI & Automation in Secured Finance will equip attendees with the knowledge, tools, and perspectives needed to stay ahead of the curve—and to reimagine what’s possible in a rapidly evolving industry. 

The Embedded Monitoring in ABL & Factoring panel will kick off the Conference and will take a look at how the industry is moving toward daily, API-driven asset monitoring, enabling secured finance teams to ingest real-time data directly from client bank accounts, e-commerce platforms, logistics systems, and AR/AP systems.  Panelists will include Alejandro Hernandez, chief technology officer, SLR Digital Finance and Albert Spada, executive vice president and head of Business Capital, M&T Bank.

“Broadly speaking, I view embedded monitoring as a win-win for both lenders and borrowers,” Hernandez said. “For lenders, the shift toward API-driven data access provides transparency and confidence in the collateral. From the borrower’s perspective, as monitoring becomes more dynamic and data-driven, it opens the door for more responsive and flexible access to capital. Borrowers can leverage receivables or revenue closer to the point at which it is generated, rather than waiting for traditional invoice cycles.”

The Fraud & Credit Risk Resilience panel will provide actionable insights for ABL lenders and factors on fortifying fraud controls in an increasingly digital landscape. Drawing from real-world cases like First Brands and recent market trends, the discussion will cover evolving fraud tactics including fake entities, fabricated collateral, and circular payments. Panelists will also share key takeaways from SFNet’s Fraud Task Force Report, "Systemic Resilience in Secured Finance."

“The industry as a whole is facing something of a brain drain, said Bower. A lot of experienced individuals who have operated in a heightened credit risk environment (downturns, etc.) and have firsthand exposure to frauds are no longer in the industry. Embracing tech solutions to help control credit risk is a must have. AI is reducing friction barriers to data exchange. We have practical examples of being able to read in aging files or contract information in unstructured messy formats and quickly standardizing them into structured data that lenders can manage. This is fast moving and getting over the barriers of older systems. Increasingly, lenders don’t need to be thinking about changing their entire ecosystem of applications, modern tech with AI enablement can plug in and provide a much quicker ROI. Vendors and buyers need to change their mindset to embrace this.”

The conference will include dynamic Vendor Showcases. The first will feature technology and service providers whose solutions directly support a particular focus on embedded monitoring, fraud and credit risk management and will immediately follow the Fraud & Credit Risk panel. 

The Lunch and Keynote Speaker, sponsored by Xen, will be Nick Pericle, a technology expert and the founder of Tenexity, a firm dedicated to guiding industrial organizations through the Intelligence Age. Nick will have a hands-on demonstration using tools and Ai prompts to help business leaders grasp and come away with real world solutions that can immediately be implement to improve their company workflow.

Following lunch, attendees will see how leading lenders are using advanced data infrastructure, AI, and real-time monitoring to minimize surprises and enhance portfolio performance with the Executive-Level Strategy for ABLs and Factors: Data-Driven Decision Making for Portfolio Health panel, sponsored by RelPro. The panel will provide practical insights on transitioning from periodic reviews to continuous, automated oversight, featuring predictive analytics, instant alerts, daily reporting, and fraud detection. Panelists will share their own tech-implementation process, and fraud red flags.

Bill Elliott, president, Accounts Receivable Financing Group, First Business Bank, will moderate and panelists will include Raul Esqueda, president, 1st Commercial Credit, LLC and Lin Chua, CFOO & head of Capital Markets, Internex Capital.

“Borrowers today expect faster approvals, real-time visibility, seamless integrations with platforms like QuickBooks, and immediate access to working capital driving demand for API connectivity and automated invoice submission,” explained Esqueda. “At the same time, AI is helping fintechs process and fund up to 12,000 applicants a day, capturing what would traditionally be ABL and factoring clients by removing friction at the front end. It is not just improving underwriting, it’s controlling origination and whoever controls origination controls the relationship. For ABL and factoring companies, the opportunity is to leverage AI to pre-screen opportunities, identify the right clients for receivable-based financing, and engage faster because AI isn’t replacing traditional lending, it’s reshaping who gets to the client first.”

In the Innovation hat Integrates with Legacy Systems panel, panelists will explore how asset-based lenders and factors can modernize operations without undertaking a full system replacement. Practical approaches for introducing modern technology into legacy core platforms, separate tools for borrowing base certificates, field exams, credit files, and monitoring, as well as manual, email-driven workflows will be discussed.

Errin Glasgow, president, Cascade Credit Services, LLC, will serve as moderator. Panelists will include Mark Gorman, SVP, EDI Coordinator, Rosenthal Capital Group; Jeff Carlson, co-founder, QBIX Analytics & Loanwatch; Billy Quinn, managing director, CODIX; and Alexander Kayfetz-Gaum, managing director, XEN.

“This panel looks to bring together real, on‑the‑ground perspectives from across the industry, which is critical right now as institutions adapt to increased scrutiny, evolving regulations, and operational complexity,” said Glasgow.

The second Vendor Showcase/Breakout Session will follow, highlighting vendors that help lenders and factors modernize how they monitor collateral, manage cash, detect early warning signals, and improve decision-making through real-time data, automation, and AI-enabled analytics.

Whether you are evaluating new technologies or refining existing strategies, this conference explores how AI and automation can deliver measurable impact across your organization and help turn innovation into execution. Registration is open -- be part of the conversation shaping the future of secured finance.