As real-time analytics, AI integration, and platform architecture rapidly evolve, so do the possibilities for transforming small business finance. At the forefront of this shift is Andrii Davydchuk, CTO, systems architect, and product visionary behind platforms like upSWOT and Graphio.ai — solutions now shaping how entire industries approach risk, lending, and execution.

We spoke with Davydchuk to understand how his ideas and engineering philosophy are influencing the future of SMB infrastructure in the U.S. and globally.

Why is the current financial system failing small businesses?

Andrii Davydchuk: “There are over 33 million small businesses in the U.S., yet up to 80% of loan applications are rejected or stuck in lengthy manual review. That’s a systemic failure. Traditional underwriting models were never designed for the pace and complexity of today’s real economy. We needed to create infrastructure that reflects how businesses operate today — connected, fast, and always evolving.”

So you built that infrastructure — tell us how.

In 2019, Davydchuk co-founded upSWOT and took on the role of CTO and lead architect. His goal was bold: to allow financial institutions to make smarter, faster decisions using real-time data from 200+ SaaS platforms small businesses already use — from QuickBooks and Stripe to Salesforce and Shopify.

Thanks to a strategic partnership with Alkami Technology, one of the leading U.S. digital banking providers, upSWOT became available to over 350 banks and credit unions nationwide.

“My approach was simple but nontrivial: build a modular, secure, self-scaling architecture where developers don’t have to worry about the pipeline — only the integration. The result? A system that scaled from 15 to over 200 integrations in 2.5 years.”

What impact did your system have on real-world SMB lending?

Davydchuk shares real numbers:

“We gave banks the ability to act, not wait. And we gave entrepreneurs what they lacked for decades: visibility, control, and a fairer path to capital,” he explains.
“upSWOT isn’t just analytics — it’s a control panel for the entire business.”

But results alone don’t tell the whole story. To understand why it worked — and what made it scalable, resilient, and adaptable — we need to look deeper into the system architecture, the data design philosophy, and how AI and operational intelligence came together to make those results possible.

How AI and Operational Intelligence Are Reshaping SMB Finance — In Practice, Not Just in Theory

Andrii Davydchuk: "Let me start with this: small businesses run in real time — but most financial systems evaluating them still operate like it’s 1995. They expect paperwork, static reports, and quarterly balance sheets. That’s not just outdated — it’s dangerous."

When we launched upSWOT, our mission wasn’t just to create a scoring tool. We wanted to rebuild the data infrastructure of SMB finance from the ground up — so that decisions weren’t based on assumptions or lagging indicators, but on live operational truth.

By integrating with 200+ SaaS systems that SMBs actually use — from QuickBooks to Stripe to Salesforce — we enabled banks to see how a business is actually performing right now. Not last quarter. Not last week. Today. Hour by hour.

"What AI brought into that system was clarity: risk prediction, behavioral patterning, and preemptive recommendations — not as static output, but as living insights that evolve with the business."

But here’s the catch: AI without operational context is noise. That’s why we layered in what I call operational intelligence — a set of real-time mechanisms that understand not just the ‘what,’ but the ‘why’ and ‘what to do next.’

It’s not about seeing that cash flow is down — it’s about knowing whether that’s due to seasonality, an unbilled invoice, or a failing marketing campaign. And then triggering the right alert, at the right time, in the right channel — whether it’s a banker, a CFO, or a founder on their phone.

"This wasn’t a nice-to-have. It was a paradigm shift. And it worked — banks started approving loans 5x faster, with 25–40% better accuracy. SMBs started navigating proactively, not reactively. We moved from lending based on credit history to lending based on behavioral telemetry."

Now, with Graphio.ai, I’m applying the same principles — but inside the company. We’re giving founders, operators, and team leads visibility into how strategy breaks down during execution: where processes lose focus, where misalignment forms, and where silent friction stalls growth.

"It’s like giving your company its own autopilot diagnostics — not to replace human leadership, but to augment it with precision signals you wouldn’t otherwise see."

At the intersection of AI and operational intelligence is something bigger than software — a new operating model for SMBs. One that finally reflects how they actually live, build, struggle, adapt — and win.

How did you lead the team through the invasion of Ukraine?

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, upSWOT’s main development hub was still located in Kyiv, actively delivering product demos to U.S. financial institutions. But Andrii Davydchuk, as CTO, co-founder, and chief architect, didn’t wait for the first explosions — he acted on early signals.

“We didn’t react — we anticipated. Two weeks before the invasion, I made the call to begin relocating the team. We left before the first missiles flew,” Davydchuk recalls.

His foresight was not just technical — it was operational and humanitarian. He had pre-engineered a full continuity plan, including mirrored infrastructure, international backups, signed relocation agreements, secured housing and equipment logistics, and structured communication protocols. This preparation ensured that not a single release was delayed, and customers never experienced a disruption — even as war engulfed the country.

This extraordinary resilience was recognized by The Wall Street Journal in its article "Ukraine’s Tech Companies Seek Stability Outside the Country", where upSWOT’s relocation was highlighted as an example of proactive leadership under geopolitical crisis.

“Good systems don’t just survive chaos — they absorb it and keep going. That’s what we built,” Davydchuk says.

This episode became a powerful real-world validation of his belief that architecture isn’t just about code — it’s about people, predictability, and designing for the unthinkable.

After the acquisition — why not retire?

In 2024, upSWOT was acquired by UPTIQ.AI. Rather than being simply integrated, Davydchuk’s platform became a logical complement to UPTIQ’s flagship product, AI Workbench.

“There is no intelligent AI without high-quality, structured data. That’s what we brought to the table — real-time insights from the core of SMB operations. AI Workbench needed fuel, and upSWOT became that critical data engine.”

What is Graphio.ai and why is it different?

Davydchuk’s new venture, Graphio.ai, takes the real-time analytics model and applies it internally — not to customers, but to the execution layer of companies themselves.

“Every company today is digital, but most don’t know what’s really going on inside their own workflows,” he says. “Graphio.ai connects to tools like Jira, GitHub, and Slack, and surfaces where execution is drifting away from strategy — before it affects the numbers.”

The system doesn’t just track; it recommends corrective action in real time. Early adopters include fast-scaling U.S. tech companies.

What’s the end goal?

“I want to build systems that make modern companies truly manageable — not just by instinct, but by signal. Leadership should have more than dashboards. They need compasses.”

“If upSWOT was the bridge between banks and businesses, Graphio.ai is the cockpit inside the business itself.”

Your platforms have become blueprints — what makes your approach different?

“I don’t build features. I build platforms that scale, that survive war, and that deliver value on day one and year five. That mindset — engineer first, visionary always — is what defines my work.”

“You can’t fake architecture. When your system powers millions of daily decisions, it either works or it doesn’t. That pressure creates clarity.”

Andrii Davydchuk is more than a CTO — he’s a systems architect whose platforms help thousands of companies make faster, smarter decisions every day. His vision has reshaped how data is used in SMB lending, and now, in operational execution. His work continues to set the standard for what intelligent infrastructure should look like in the AI era.

This story was authored under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program.