Yes, but the options narrow sharply below two years of trading. Mainstream lenders assess filed accounts, which a new business does not have, so early-stage funding usually comes from the government-backed Start Up Loans scheme, from lenders that decision on live bank transaction data rather than accounts, or from asset finance where the equipment itself provides the security. Personal guarantees are close to universal at this stage.
Updated . Lendus is an introducer, not a lender.
Startup funding is where personal and business liability blur most. Government-backed Start Up Loans are personal borrowing in the founder's own name, so the debt follows you even if the company fails. Understand which you are signing before you sign it.
| Lender | Facility size | Published rate | Minimum trading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aldermore Bank | £2k–£10m | 4.5%–20% | 12+ months for most products |
| Allica Bank | £25k–£15m | 9.90%–13.75% | 3+ years of filed accounts for unsecured business loans; 2+ years of financial accounts for commercial mortgages |
| Bibby Financial Services | £50k–£15m | 1%–3% | 6+ months preferred; startups with strong order books considered |
| Bizcap | £10k–£500k | 1.5%–5% | At least 4 months |
| Capify | £4k–£500k | 1.1–1.5 | 4+ months for merchant cash advance; 6+ months for business loan |
| Capital on Tap | £1k–£250k | 1.25%–3% | 12+ months |
| Close Brothers | £10k–£5m | 5%–18% | 24+ months |
| Cynergy Business Finance | £200k–£40m | Not published | Not publicly stated by Cynergy Business Finance. Eligibility appears to be assessed on the strength of the underlying receivables, stock, property or other assets on a per-business basis rather than against a published minimum years-trading threshold. |
| Fleximize | £5k–£500k | 0.9%–3.9% | 6+ months |
| Funding Circle | £10k–£500k | 6.9%–36% | 1+ year |
| Investec | £5k–£100m | Not published | Not publicly stated. Investec assesses each business individually rather than publishing a minimum trading history requirement. |
| iwoca | £1k–£500k | 2%–6% | 3+ months |
| Kriya | £50k–£1m | Not published | Minimum 12 months trading with at least one set of financial accounts filed for invoice finance and working capital loans. Kriya's PayLater product has a lower minimum of 3 months trading. |
| LendingCrowd | £25k–£500k | 6%–18% | 24+ months |
| Nucleus Commercial Finance | £3k–£2m | 1.5%–5% | 6+ months |
| OakNorth Bank | Not published | Not published | No fixed minimum published; trading history is one of several factors assessed case-by-case |
| Paragon Bank | £5k–£1m | Not published | Not publicly stated; assessed as part of underwriting. |
| Shawbrook Bank | £50k–£25m | 0.55%–1.25% | 12+ months preferred; none required for property-backed bridging |
| Start Up Loans | £1k–£25k | 7.5%–7.5% | For start-ups: no trading history required. For existing businesses: must have been trading less than 60 months |
| ThinCats | £1m–£30m | Not published | Not stated as a fixed minimum number of years; ThinCats lends to established mid-sized SMEs rather than start-ups or very early-stage businesses. |
| Tide | £1k–£500k | 7.9%–49.9% | 12+ months for credit products; account available from day one |
| White Oak UK | £5k–£500k | Not published | Not publicly stated; assessed as part of underwriting. |
As published by each lender and dated on its own page. Indicative, not offers.