UK Business Lenders

CrowdProperty is a UK property development finance platform founded in 2014 and headquartered in Bristol. The company provides development finance and bridging loans exclusively for residential and mixed-use property projects, funded through a combination of institutional capital and retail investors via its FCA-regulated crowdfunding platform. CrowdProperty is notable for being founded by experienced property professionals — its underwriting team brings deep hands-on property development knowledge to every application, which borrowers and brokers consistently cite as a major differentiator. The platform has funded over £700 million of property loans across more than 800 projects.

Fleximize is a UK business lender offering flexible term loans and revolving credit facilities to SMEs. Founded in Brighton in 2014, the company has built a reputation for personalised service and adaptable repayment terms that let borrowers take repayment holidays or top up their loan mid-term. Their proprietary technology platform enables fast credit decisions while maintaining a human underwriting approach.

YouLend is a UK revenue-based finance provider founded in 2014, offering merchant cash advances and revenue-linked finance to small businesses. Repayments are automatically collected as a fixed percentage of the business's daily card sales, meaning repayments rise when revenue is strong and fall during quieter periods. YouLend operates as an embedded finance partner for major platforms including eBay, Just Eat, Shopify, and Amazon, reaching thousands of businesses through marketplace integrations.

Shire Leasing is an independent UK asset finance provider founded in 1989 and headquartered in Tamworth, Staffordshire. As one of the UK's few remaining independent non-bank asset finance specialists, Shire Leasing focuses on technology finance, soft asset leasing, and equipment finance for SMEs across the UK. Unlike bank-owned asset finance providers, Shire operates as a broker and funder, giving it access to a wide panel of funders and the flexibility to place deals with the most appropriate funder for each customer's profile. This model makes Shire particularly effective for businesses declined by mainstream lenders, as it can access specialist funding lines not available on the high street.

365 Business Finance is a Manchester-based specialist merchant cash advance provider that helps UK businesses — particularly in hospitality, retail, and leisure — access working capital based on their card transaction volume. Founded in 2012, the company provides funding that is repaid automatically as a percentage of daily card sales, meaning repayments flex with revenue rather than being fixed monthly obligations.

Bizcap is a fast-growing alternative business lender offering unsecured business loans up to £500,000. Originally founded in Australia, Bizcap expanded into the UK market and has built a reputation for speed, flexibility, and willingness to lend to businesses that traditional banks may decline. Their technology-driven approach enables lending decisions within hours and same-day funding in many cases.

Capital on Tap is a UK fintech lender offering a combined business credit card and flexible revolving credit facility designed for small businesses. Founded in 2012, it provides instant spending power via a Visa credit card alongside working capital loans up to £250,000, making it one of the most popular all-in-one business finance products in the UK. The platform is known for its cashback rewards, free employee cards, and same-day decisions.

Together is one of the UK's leading specialist property finance lenders, founded in 1974 and headquartered in Cheadle, Cheshire. The company provides bridging loans, commercial mortgages, development finance, and buy-to-let mortgages for complex cases that mainstream lenders decline. Together is known for its common-sense lending approach and willingness to look beyond automated scoring to fund property transactions that fall outside conventional criteria.

Ultimate Finance is a UK specialist invoice finance and asset finance lender founded in 2005 and headquartered in Solihull. The company focuses exclusively on SME funding through two core products: flexible invoice finance (including factoring and discounting) and asset finance for equipment and vehicles. Ultimate Finance is particularly well known within the construction sector, where it has developed specialist expertise in funding contractors, subcontractors, and labour supply businesses that struggle with the long payment cycles common in the industry. The company operates on a relationship-led model with dedicated account managers and is backed by Shawbrook Bank.

ANNA Money is a UK business current account provider aimed at sole traders, freelancers, and small businesses. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in London, ANNA combines a business bank account with smart invoicing, automated bookkeeping, and tax pots that set aside VAT and corporation tax automatically. The product is designed to remove administrative burden from small business owners and replace multiple separate tools.

Capify is a UK and US alternative finance provider founded in 2008, specialising in merchant cash advances and unsecured business loans for small and medium-sized businesses. It offers flexible funding based on card sales revenue and overall business performance, with repayments structured either as a percentage of daily card receipts (merchant cash advance) or fixed daily/weekly debits (business loan). Capify is known for accessibility — it works with businesses that have been turned down by banks — and for a dedicated relationship manager approach.

Funding Circle is one of the UK's largest and most established small business lenders, founded in 2010 as a peer-to-peer lending platform before transitioning to a direct lending model. It offers term loans from £10,000 to £500,000 to established UK SMEs, and has facilitated over £15 billion in lending globally. Funding Circle floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2018 and is known for competitive rates, transparent pricing, and a streamlined digital application process.

Liberis is one of the UK's longest-established revenue-based finance providers, founded in 2007 and specialising in merchant cash advances and embedded finance for small businesses. Repayments are collected automatically as a fixed percentage of the business's daily card sales, aligning debt service with actual revenue. Liberis operates primarily as an embedded finance partner, integrating its lending capability into platforms such as Barclaycard, Worldpay, and Lloyds Cardnet — meaning many businesses receive pre-qualified offers directly from their payment processor.

Nucleus Commercial Finance is a Glasgow-based specialist business lender offering unsecured business loans, revenue-based finance, and asset finance to UK SMEs. Founded in 2011, Nucleus operates primarily through a broker and introducer network, providing fast credit decisions that brokers can rely on for their clients. The company has consistently ranked among the UK's most active alternative finance providers and was accredited under the British Business Bank's CBILS programme.

Aldermore is a UK specialist challenger bank founded in 2009 and headquartered in London. It was created specifically to serve the SME market that mainstream banks underserve, offering asset finance, invoice finance, business loans, and commercial mortgages alongside a retail savings business. Aldermore is part of FirstRand Group following acquisition in 2018, giving it significant capital backing while maintaining its challenger bank culture. The bank is particularly well known for asset finance — covering vehicles, plant, machinery, and technology — and for working with businesses that have slightly more complex profiles than prime high street bank criteria.

iwoca is a leading UK fintech lender founded in 2012, specialising in fast, flexible business loans powered by Open Banking technology. Its flagship Flexi-Loan product allows businesses to draw down funds as needed and repay early without penalty, with a facility size ranging from £1,000 to £500,000. iwoca is particularly known for its speed — decisions are often made within hours — and its willingness to consider younger businesses and imperfect credit profiles that traditional banks would decline.

Shawbrook Bank is a UK specialist bank founded in 2011 and headquartered in Brentwood, Essex. It provides property finance and business loans to SMEs, property investors, and professional landlords who need experienced, human underwriting rather than automated decisions. Shawbrook holds a full banking licence (FCA and PRA regulated) and is particularly respected for handling complex property cases — unusual structures, HMO portfolios, semi-commercial, and light development — as well as business loans for established SMEs. The bank is backed by BC Partners and takes a relationship-led approach that distinguishes it from both high street banks and fintech lenders.

West One Loans is a UK specialist bridging and buy-to-let lender founded in 2007 and headquartered in London. The company provides first and second charge bridging loans, regulated and unregulated bridging, development finance, and specialist buy-to-let mortgages. West One is part of Enra Specialist Finance and is backed by specialist funding lines that allow it to lend on complex cases that mainstream lenders decline. The company is well respected in the intermediary market for its fast underwriting, willingness to consider second charge bridging, and ability to handle complex title and ownership structures.

Mettle is NatWest Group's free digital business bank account designed for sole traders, freelancers, and small limited companies. Launched in 2019, Mettle offers a fully app-based current account with free FreeAgent accounting software included for all customers. As a NatWest-backed product, Mettle provides the security and compliance of a major banking group with the simplicity of a fintech experience.

The Start Up Loans programme is a UK government-backed scheme administered by the British Business Bank, offering fixed-rate personal loans of £500 to £25,000 to entrepreneurs who want to start or grow a business in the UK. All loans carry a fixed interest rate of 6% per annum, making them significantly cheaper than most alternative lenders. Beyond the loan itself, the scheme provides free pre-application support, mentoring, and business planning assistance — making it particularly valuable for first-time founders.

LendInvest is a UK property finance platform founded in 2013 and listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange since 2021. Originally launched as a peer-to-peer bridging lender, LendInvest has evolved into a technology-driven specialist mortgage lender offering bridging loans, development finance, and buy-to-let mortgages. The company uses proprietary technology to accelerate underwriting and provide faster decisions than traditional property lenders, while maintaining experienced human oversight for complex cases. LendInvest has funded over £5 billion of property loans across the UK.

LendingCrowd is a Scottish peer-to-peer business lending platform that connects investors directly with established UK small businesses seeking growth capital. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Edinburgh, LendingCrowd was accredited by the British Business Bank under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and focuses on relationship-based lending for businesses with a proven track record.

Revolut Business is the commercial arm of Revolut, one of Europe's largest fintech companies, offering multi-currency business accounts, international payments, expense management, and access to credit products for UK businesses. Founded in 2015, Revolut has grown to serve over 45 million personal and business customers globally, with over 500,000 business accounts in the UK alone. While Revolut obtained a UK banking licence in 2024 (via Revolut Bank Ltd), business accounts in the UK are still issued under its FCA e-money authorisation.

Tide is a UK business banking platform founded in 2015, offering fee-free and paid business current accounts alongside a suite of credit products including business loans, overdrafts, and credit lines. Designed primarily for sole traders, freelancers, and small businesses, Tide's accounts integrate with invoicing, expense management, and accounting software. Tide is not a bank itself — deposits are safeguarded with partner banks — but it holds FCA e-money institution authorisation and lending authorisation for its credit products.

Bibby Financial Services (BFS) is one of the UK's leading independent invoice finance and trade finance providers, founded in 1982 and headquartered in Liverpool. Part of Bibby Line Group — a family-owned business with roots dating to 1807 — BFS provides invoice factoring, invoice discounting, trade finance, and asset finance to UK and international businesses. With offices across the UK and operations in 14 countries, Bibby Financial Services is particularly strong in cross-border trade finance and export factoring, helping businesses manage international receivables and supply chain funding.

Starling Bank is a fully licensed UK digital bank founded in 2014, offering business current accounts, overdrafts, and a comprehensive business toolkit to sole traders and limited companies. Unlike e-money platforms, Starling holds a full UK banking licence regulated by both the FCA and PRA, meaning business deposits up to £85,000 per eligible depositor are protected by the FSCS. Known for real-time notifications, fee-free foreign transactions, integrated business tools, and a strong mobile app, Starling has become one of the most highly rated business banks in the UK.

Precise Mortgages is a UK specialist mortgage lender that forms part of OSB Group (formerly OneSavings Bank), a FTSE 250 bank. Precise focuses on the specialist lending market — serving customers who do not fit mainstream lender criteria due to complex income, adverse credit, portfolio landlord status, or unusual property types. Products include bridging loans, buy-to-let mortgages (including HMO and multi-unit freehold blocks), and commercial mortgages. Precise is widely distributed through the intermediary market and is well regarded for its underwriting expertise on portfolio landlord cases, which became more complex following the 2017 PRA portfolio landlord rules.

Lombard is the UK's oldest and largest asset finance company, founded in 1861 and now part of NatWest Group. Lombard provides hire purchase, finance leases, and operating leases for vehicles, plant, machinery, and equipment across virtually every sector. With over 160 years in business, Lombard has funded billions of pounds in assets for UK businesses ranging from sole traders to large corporations.

Novuna Business Finance (formerly Hitachi Capital Business Finance) is a UK asset finance provider that rebranded in 2022 following Mitsubishi HC Capital's acquisition of Hitachi Capital. The company specialises in vehicle finance, equipment finance, and technology leasing for UK businesses, with manufacturer partnerships across the automotive, technology, and industrial equipment sectors. With roots going back to 1982, Novuna has extensive experience in point-of-sale asset finance and works with dealers and manufacturers to provide end-user business finance at the point of purchase. It remains one of the UK's largest independent asset finance providers outside the clearing banks.

Close Brothers is a specialist UK merchant banking group founded in 1878, listed on the FTSE 250. Through its Commercial Finance division, Close Brothers provides asset finance, invoice finance, and business loans to UK SMEs and mid-market companies across a wide range of sectors. The group is one of the UK's largest independent merchant banks and is backed by significant capital resources, offering stability and long-term lending relationships.