Online student lender CommonBond raised $50 million, which will be used to invest in blockchain and other automation technology. : Online lender CommonBond , which refinances and finances undergraduate and graduate student loans, has raised $50 million, it announced Wednesday. The Series D financing round was led by Fifth Third Bank, with First Republic Bank and Columbia Seligman Investments also participating. This brings the lender’s total funding to more than $130 million. Its last funding round was held in the summer of 2016. The funding will go toward marketing, customer acquisition and technology, says CommonBond CEO and cofounder David Klein.