Leading Companies to Watch 2026
The construction lending industry is undergoing a quiet revolution. What was once a maze of paperwork, delays, and uncertainty is rapidly becoming faster, clearer, and more reliable. At the forefront of this shift stands CoFi (Construction Finance Corporation), a company that has transformed the often frustrating world of draws and financing into a streamlined, transparent process that builders can trust.
CoFi was born from the real-world struggles of builders who knew the pain firsthand. Managing job sites, coordinating teams, and keeping subcontractors happy while wrestling with slow, manual lending processes proved exhausting. Relationships suffered and precious time slipped away. Determined to find a better way, the founders built a platform that reimagines construction finance from the ground up.
Today, CoFi delivers on-demand financing and digital draw processing that makes lending predictable, safe, and remarkably fast. Builders can now focus on what they do best: creating structures that matter, while lenders gain powerful tools for monitoring loans, ensuring compliance, and making smarter decisions through insightful analytics. The platform blends advanced automation with human expertise, preserving the personal connections that matter most in this industry.
Guided by visionary leaders Cam Harris, Co-Founder and CEO, and Mike Lacey, Co-Founder and COO, along with a strong set of values centered on excellence, transparency, and genuine partnership, CoFi continues to lead with purpose.
CIO Bulletin had the distinct privilege of interviewing Cam Harris, Co-Founder and CEO, and Mike Lacey, Co-Founder and COO of CoFi. The two leaders shared powerful insights into what sets CoFi apart as a leader in construction finance. They explained how their platform is transforming the industry by empowering builders to create thriving communities, while equipping lenders with the clarity and confidence to make better-informed decisions.
Built from the Ground Up: The Story Behind CoFi
Every company has an origin story, but CoFi’s began long before it became a technology platform. It started on construction sites, in family businesses, and through years of navigating an industry where financing often slowed progress instead of supporting it. For Founders Cam Harris and Mike Lacey, the idea for CoFi grew from lived experience, a journey that continues to shape the company's vision today.
Looking back, Cam Harris, Co-Founder and CEO, explains,
“CoFi was founded from firsthand experience working in the construction industry. Both Mike and I grew up around construction. My grandfather owned a plumbing business, my father worked in commercial construction, and my parents were involved in small fix-and-flip projects and real estate developments. Mike and I both studied construction management, and after school, our careers took different paths within the industry. Mike built and operated a homebuilding company for over a decade, while I transitioned from commercial construction into real estate investment and development.”
Those individual paths exposed both Founders to the same challenge from the builder's perspective, a process that lacked visibility and often created unnecessary delays.
As Cam recalls, “Through those experiences, we saw the challenges of construction finance from the builder’s perspective. There was often limited visibility into the lending process, fragmented communication among stakeholders, slow draw-down of funds, and very little transparency about where a project stood. For builders, those delays have real consequences. Projects slow down, subcontractors wait longer to get paid, and momentum is lost.”
Rather than accepting those frustrations as part of the business, the Founders began questioning whether construction finance could work differently.
Cam says, “Our businesses were built around the contractors, trades, suppliers, and partners we worked with every day. We wanted a financing experience that helped projects move forward instead of creating friction. From initial underwriting and loan closing to draw processing and payoff, we believed the process could be more transparent, more predictable, and far more efficient.”
That belief soon evolved into a larger mission, one that continues to guide every solution CoFi develops.
“That vision continues to shape CoFi today. Construction finance is fundamentally different from traditional mortgage lending. There is more complexity, more stakeholders, and more risk to manage throughout the life of a project. Our mission is to bring greater clarity, safety, and efficiency to that process while helping builders and lenders achieve better outcomes. Everything we build is centered around making construction finance more predictable, more transparent, and ultimately more supportive of the people actually building projects,” Cam explains.
For Mike Lacey, Co-Founder and COO, the motivation was equally personal, rooted in the everyday realities of running a homebuilding business and waiting for payments that kept projects moving.
“CoFi was inspired by the real pain that exists for all stakeholders involved in money transfer and lending in construction. For me personally, I hated how long it took to get money from a bank to my company and, in turn, to the subcontractor. The countless calls asking, 'Where’s my check?' and the absolute waste of time hunting for answers and pushing developers and banks to make the payment. There is real emotion and real pain in the industry that motivated the creation of CoFi.”
Those shared experiences became more than the inspiration behind a company, they became the foundation for a platform built to remove friction, improve transparency, and help construction finance keep pace with the people building the future.
Building Beyond Products: A Platform Designed for Progress
Every construction project follows a blueprint, but successful execution depends on much more than a plan. It requires great coordination, timely funding, clear communication, and confidence that every stakeholder is working with the same information. CoFi has built its platform around that very principle, bringing together technology and industry expertise to simplify construction finance from start to finish.
Describing the platform's capabilities, Cam, explains,
“CoFi provides an end-to-end construction finance platform that supports a wide range of project types, including residential construction, multifamily, production and tract developments, fix-and-flip projects, and modular construction.
Our platform supports the full lifecycle of construction lending. It begins with loan origination and project intake, followed by underwriting, loan closing, construction servicing, draw administration, inspections, risk management, and portfolio oversight. We combine technology with experienced construction finance professionals to help lenders manage projects efficiently while giving builders and borrowers the tools they need to keep projects moving."
For CoFi, however, technology is only one part of the equation. The platform was designed by people who understand the realities of waiting for approvals, managing timelines, and keeping projects on schedule.
Cam further adds, “What truly differentiates CoFi is that we built the platform from the perspective of builders and developers. Before starting CoFi, Mike and I spent most of our careers on the other side of the table. We understand what it feels like when a project is waiting on funding, when communication breaks down, or when uncertainty creates unnecessary delays.
Because of that experience, we didn’t set out to simply digitize conventional lending processes. We focused on creating a more connected and transparent experience. By improving communication, increasing visibility, and providing real-time project information, we help lenders manage risk while helping borrowers move through projects more quickly and confidently.
At the end of the day, our goal is simple: help more projects reach successful outcomes. When everyone involved has better information and greater visibility, better decisions get made, and projects move forward more efficiently.”
The same philosophy extends to the financial institutions that power construction projects. Their challenges, often invisible to borrowers, played an equally important role in shaping CoFi's approach.
Building on Cam's perspective, Mike, shares,
“We also have experienced bankers who suffered firsthand from risk mitigation and protecting each loan and payment from risk. Historically, these bankers had to contradict payment requests to protect risk, even though they wanted to maintain relationships with their borrowers. The conundrum was real, and in an industry rife with fraud, many lenders lost and even went out of business. With our products deeply tied to financial institutions' pain and to the pain of builders and developers, CoFi is uniquely solving problems for both, bridging the gap in risk and experience.”
Rather than choosing between speed and security, CoFi has built a platform that brings both together, creating a more transparent, collaborative, and predictable construction finance experience for everyone involved.
Building Confidence Through Real-Time Visibility
Successful construction projects depend on timely information. By combining real-time visibility with digital inspections and proactive risk management, CoFi helps builders and lenders stay aligned, make faster decisions, and keep projects moving without unnecessary delays.
For Cam, the foundation of faster, more efficient construction finance begins with visibility. “Construction lending has traditionally suffered from information delays. In many cases, by the time a lender receives an update from a borrower, the project is already in a very different state than when that information was originally submitted.
CoFi addresses this challenge by creating a real-time view of project progress. Through digital inspections, automated workflows, centralized project data, and a shared source of truth for all stakeholders, we help lenders and builders stay aligned throughout the construction process.
This visibility allows us to process draws more efficiently, identify budget variances earlier, and continuously monitor project health. Instead of discovering issues months later and trying to reconstruct what happened, stakeholders can identify and address concerns as they emerge.
The impact is significant. Builders gain faster access to capital and greater confidence in when funds will be available. As a result of increased visibility, borrowers working through CoFi can request draws weekly rather than waiting for traditional monthly funding cycles. That means projects continue moving, subcontractors get paid faster, and construction schedules remain on track.
For lenders, greater transparency improves risk management, helps control costs, and makes it easier to identify potential fraud or inconsistencies before they become larger problems.
At its core, construction finance works best when everyone has access to timely and accurate information. By creating that visibility, we help lenders deploy capital more efficiently while helping builders complete projects faster and with fewer surprises.”
For Mike, the real advantage lies in addressing challenges before they become obstacles.
“Emphasis on pro-active! With our process, software, and AI, we can help a borrower solve the problems with a loan or payment before it becomes a problem. By doing this, speed, fraud, and control are lightning fast and accurate. Both parties can rest easy knowing that each desired outcome will be met.”
Together, real-time visibility, intelligent automation, and proactive risk management enable CoFi to create a construction finance experience that is faster, more transparent, and built for better outcomes.
Engineering Trust: Transparency, Accountability, and Unmatched Reliability
At CoFi, transparency is embedded throughout the construction finance lifecycle, creating a stronger foundation for builders, lenders, and investors alike.
For Cam, fraud prevention begins long before a payment is approved.
“Fraud prevention begins with transparency. Historically, construction has been one of the most fragmented industries in the economy. Information is often spread across inspections, invoices, budgets, emails, and disconnected systems. When lenders and project stakeholders lack visibility into what is actually happening on a job site, gaps emerge, and those gaps can create opportunities for fraud and unnecessary risk.
At CoFi, we believe preventing fraud starts with creating transparency throughout the entire construction process.
One of our greatest strengths is the combination of technology, operational controls, and industry expertise. Our team has spent decades working in construction, finance, development, and project management. Those experiences have shaped not only the technology we build but also the processes and controls that support it.
When we think about risk management, our primary objective is to protect the equity and value within every project. If a project has been underwritten to a specific value, capital should be deployed responsibly and tied to verified progress in the field.
That's why CoFi actively manages funding through a combination of software, inspections, experienced construction and finance professionals, and structured process controls. By advancing funds based on verified work completed and work in place, we help lenders maintain stronger oversight while helping builders keep projects moving toward completion.
The reality is that the best fraud prevention strategy is helping projects reach the finish line successfully. The more visibility stakeholders have into budgets, inspections, draw activity, and project progress, the easier it becomes to identify issues early and address them before they become larger problems.
Ultimately, greater transparency creates better outcomes for everyone involved. It reduces risk, protects capital, improves accountability, and gives builders, lenders, and investors greater confidence throughout the construction process.”
Mike has seen the consequences of weak controls firsthand and believes the industry's biggest challenges demand a proactive approach.
“Fraud has been rife in construction, and as you can imagine, it used to be easy to defraud a bank. I saw this firsthand with bad builders falsifying invoices, manipulating payment requests, and bypassing compliance controls for the sake of urgency. CoFi's system eliminates the opportunity to defraud a bank. We are getting rid of the bad guys.”
By combining technology, operational expertise, and structured controls, CoFi is helping create a construction finance ecosystem where trust is strengthened, capital is protected, and every stakeholder can move forward with greater confidence.
Technology with a Human Touch
Digital transformation is reshaping construction finance, but for CoFi, technology is only part of the equation. The real opportunity lies in using innovation to strengthen collaboration, simplify complexity, and give people more time to focus on what matters most, building lasting relationships.
For Cam, the industry's biggest challenge is no longer adopting technology but building confidence in how it is used.
“It's encouraging to see the construction finance industry finally embracing more digital solutions. For much of my career, whether I was working on large commercial projects or real estate developments, nearly every process was manual. Information lived in spreadsheets, emails, PDFs, and disconnected systems.
While technology has advanced significantly, the biggest barrier to adoption today isn't the technology itself; it's the trust that we need to build between all parties.
Construction lending involves substantial amounts of capital, multiple stakeholders, and constantly changing project conditions. For decades, institutions relied on manual processes because they understood them, even if they were inefficient. Moving to a more digital environment requires confidence that controls remain strong and that relationships won't be lost in the process.
At CoFi, we believe technology should strengthen relationships rather than replace them. Our approach is to automate routine administrative work while giving stakeholders better visibility into what's happening across a project. By automating many of the day-to-day tasks that historically consumed time, lenders, servicing teams, and project managers can focus their attention on the areas where human expertise adds the most value.
Instead of spending hours chasing paperwork, reconciling information, or manually tracking project updates, teams can focus on managing exceptions, serving customers, and building stronger relationships with builders and borrowers.
Ultimately, trust is built through transparency and communication. The more information stakeholders have access to, the easier it becomes to make decisions confidently and maintain the strong relationships that have always been at the center of the construction industry.”
Mike shares the same perspective, believing that technology delivers its greatest value when paired with experience and genuine human connection.
“Adoption of tech is changing rapidly in construction and in finance. We hear about AI constantly, and to be clear, CoFi does leverage AI; however, we believe that AI is far from perfect and does not minimize the critical need for human intelligence. CoFi blends both. We offer AI-enhanced tech and data solutions that are delivered with human care and validation. CoFi’s team is committed to old-school, genuine care for our clients and to delivering premium products and outcomes.”
Forging the Future of Construction Finance
Innovation at CoFi is rooted in a simple belief: technology should empower expertise, not replace it. By bringing together connected data, intelligent automation, and human judgment, the company is helping shape a more efficient and transparent construction finance ecosystem.
Cam believes the next chapter of construction finance will be shaped by collaboration as much as innovation.
“We believe the future of construction finance will be built around connected data, intelligent automation, and real-time decision making verified by experienced construction experts.
Construction remains a highly relationship-driven industry. No amount of technology can replace the judgment of experienced builders, lenders, inspectors, and risk professionals. Our role is to provide the infrastructure that allows those experts to work more effectively.
As the industry evolves, we see CoFi becoming the central platform that connects project execution, financing, risk management, and capital deployment. By creating a shared source of truth for all stakeholders, we can help the industry become more efficient, transparent, and scalable without losing the human expertise that makes construction successful.”
Mike shares the same ambition with characteristic conviction.
“I'll be bold and say it. We believe we are the future of construction finance. Hubris aside, we are passionate about moving the industry forward and HELPING the people in finance and construction evolve into a new world of predictability, safety, and speed.”
The Path Ahead
Cam shares what's ahead for CoFi,
“One of our primary areas of focus is expanding the intelligence layer of construction finance.
We're investing heavily in enhanced data analytics, portfolio insights, workflow automation, and risk monitoring capabilities that help lenders proactively manage construction portfolios rather than simply react to issues after they occur. As mentioned multiple times, transparency across the entire process allows for trust to be built.
We're also continuing to streamline the borrower and builder experience through faster onboarding, improved collaboration tools, streamlined draw processing, and deeper visibility into project performance. This allows our borrowers and builders to build better, faster.
More broadly, we're focused on building an ecosystem that connects lenders, builders, inspectors, and capital providers through a unified platform. We believe the next generation of construction finance will be driven by connected data and predictive insights, and we're excited to help lead that transformation.”
Mike offers one final glimpse into what clients and partners can expect.
“I wish I could share! I'll drop a tiny nugget. Lenders, be ready for a seamless experience from start to finish for your construction portfolio! Builders, be ready for the easiest process start to finish for your lending needs.”
The Dynamic Duo Behind CoFi's Success
Cam Harris, Co-Founder & CEO, and Mike Lacey, Co-Founder & COO, lead CoFi as equal partners, bringing complementary strengths that have shaped the company's growth and innovation. United by a shared vision to transform construction finance, they combine strategic thinking with operational excellence to deliver solutions that address the industry's most pressing challenges.
Cam Harris is the visionary behind CoFi's long-term direction, known for his ability to anticipate industry needs and identify opportunities before they emerge. His forward-thinking approach drives the company's product strategy and innovation, helping create solutions that redefine how construction finance is delivered.
Mike Lacey brings an operational mindset to the business, focusing on execution and continuous improvement. Working closely with the leaders of operations, marketing, sales, and credit, he is dedicated to refining processes, enhancing collaboration, and ensuring that CoFi's solutions consistently deliver exceptional value for clients and partners.
Together, they form a powerful leadership team that blends visionary thinking with operational discipline, positioning CoFi as one of the “Leading Companies to Watch 2026” in the construction lending sector.
– Cam Harris, Co-Founder & CEO
– Mike Lacey, Co-Founder & COO
 consultants ltd.jpg)
