{"schema_version":"2026-05-26","source":"https://bestbusinessloans.ai/data/uk-business-loan-lender-index/","license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","count":14,"lenders":[{"slug":"funding-circle","name":"Funding Circle","legal_name":"Funding Circle Ltd","company_number":"07123069","founded_year":2010,"homepage":"https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk/","profile_url":"https://bestbusinessloans.ai/reviews/funding-circle/","product_type":"Term loan","category":"term-loan","ticket_range":"£10k to £500k","typical_rate":"6.9% to 26.9% APR","decision_time":"1 to 3 business days","soft_search_only":true,"ltd_only":false,"fca_regulated":true,"rating":{"overall":4.3,"transparency":4,"eligibility":5,"speed":4,"decline_handling":4},"summary":"Funding Circle is the largest UK SME term-loan platform, founded 2010, FCA regulated, with tickets from £10k to £500k and decisions in one to three business days. The published rate range (6.9% to 26.9% APR) is wide, so the headline number is rarely the offered number. Best fit: established Ltd companies with 2+ years of trading, clean credit and turnover above £100k. Companies House 07123069.","pros":["Soft-search application; no credit-file footprint at quote stage.","Eligibility criteria published up front, not hidden behind a quote.","Decisions in 1-3 days; fast even by UK SME standards.","Established brand, FCA regulated, public market-listed."],"cons":["Headline rate (6.9%) only available to top-tier applicants; typical offer is higher.","Personal guarantee almost always required for limited-company borrowers.","Less competitive on the £100k+ ticket band than specialist lenders."],"best_for":["Established Ltd companies","Working capital £25k-£250k","Borrowers wanting decision speed"],"weak_at":["Sub-2-year trading","CCJ history","Sole traders"],"last_reviewed":"2026-04-26","companies_house":{"company_number":"07123069","source":"https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07123069"}},{"slug":"fleximize","name":"Fleximize","legal_name":"Fleximize Capital Ltd","founded_year":2014,"homepage":"https://fleximize.com/","profile_url":"https://bestbusinessloans.ai/reviews/fleximize/","product_type":"Term loan with flex features","category":"term-loan","ticket_range":"£5k to £500k","typical_rate":"From 0.9% per month","decision_time":"24 to 48 hours","soft_search_only":true,"ltd_only":false,"fca_regulated":true,"rating":{"overall":4,"transparency":3,"eligibility":4,"speed":4,"decline_handling":4},"summary":"Direct lender with flex features (top-ups, payment holidays, reduced repayments during slow months). Underwriting more accommodating than mainstream term lenders for sub-2-year trading. Per-month rate hides effective APR.","pros":["Flex features genuinely useful for seasonal businesses.","More accommodating on sub-2-year trading.","Direct lender, no broker mark-up."],"cons":["Per-month rate quoting hides total cost.","Smaller brand presence.","Less competitive on £250k+ tickets."],"best_for":["Seasonal businesses needing payment flex","12 to 24 month-trading Ltd companies","Sub-£100k tickets"],"weak_at":["Pure rate-shoppers","£250k+ tickets"],"last_reviewed":"2026-04-26"},{"slug":"sigma-lending","name":"Sigma Lending","legal_name":"Sigma Lending Ltd","company_number":"14826072","founded_year":2023,"homepage":"https://sigma-lending.com/","profile_url":"https://bestbusinessloans.ai/reviews/sigma-lending/","product_type":"Unsecured term loan","category":"term-loan","ticket_range":"£5k to £150k","typical_rate":"Quoted at offer","decision_time":"Same day to 24 hours","soft_search_only":true,"ltd_only":true,"fca_regulated":false,"rating":{"overall":3.6,"transparency":2,"eligibility":4,"speed":5,"decline_handling":3},"summary":"London-based unsecured business lender incorporated April 2023. Eligibility threshold sits at one and a half years trading and £150k turnover. Useful for established Ltd companies wanting a sub-£150k unsecured top-up at speed.","pros":["Soft-search at quote, no credit-file footprint.","Ltd-only focus means underwriting is tailored to corporate borrowers.","Same-day funding for clean cases.","Direct lender, no broker mark-up."],"cons":["Founded 2023, limited public track record.","Rates not published; quoted only at offer stage.","No published Trustpilot footprint to validate service quality.","Sole traders and partnerships not eligible."],"best_for":["Ltd companies trading 18 months+","£25k to £150k unsecured tickets","Director-led SMEs wanting speed"],"weak_at":["Sole traders","Sub-18-month trading","Rate-shopping borrowers"],"last_reviewed":"2026-05-08","companies_house":{"company_number":"14826072","source":"https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/14826072"}},{"slug":"cubefunder","name":"Cubefunder","legal_name":"Tallaght Financial Ltd","company_number":"09261403","founded_year":2014,"homepage":"https://www.cubefunder.com/","profile_url":"https://bestbusinessloans.ai/reviews/cubefunder/","product_type":"Unsecured fixed-fee term loan","category":"term-loan","ticket_range":"£5k to £100k","typical_rate":"Fixed total fee, quoted at offer","decision_time":"24 to 48 hours","soft_search_only":true,"ltd_only":true,"fca_regulated":true,"rating":{"overall":4,"transparency":3,"eligibility":4,"speed":4,"decline_handling":4},"summary":"Windsor-based direct lender trading as Cubefunder. Fixed-fee structure means total cost is set at outset rather than accruing as APR. Open to England-and-Wales Ltd companies trading three months or more with £4k+ monthly turnover.","pros":["Fixed total fee, no compounding interest.","Low minimum trading bar (3 months).","Funds in around 48 hours.","Direct lender; no broker hand-off."],"cons":["England and Wales Ltd companies only, Scotland and NI excluded.","Cap of £100k limits utility for larger SMEs.","Headline rate not advertised, total fee revealed only at offer.","Smaller brand vs mainstream alternatives."],"best_for":["Newer Ltd companies (3 months+ trading)","Sub-£100k tickets","Borrowers wanting predictable total cost"],"weak_at":["Scottish and NI registered companies","£100k+ tickets","Sole traders"],"last_reviewed":"2026-05-08","companies_house":{"company_number":"09261403","source":"https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/09261403"}},{"slug":"maxcap","name":"MaxCap","legal_name":"Maximise Capital Ltd","company_number":"12693301","founded_year":2020,"homepage":"https://maxcap.co.uk/","profile_url":"https://bestbusinessloans.ai/reviews/maxcap/","product_type":"Unsecured term loan","category":"term-loan","ticket_range":"£3k to £100k","typical_rate":"Quoted at offer","decision_time":"Same day","soft_search_only":true,"ltd_only":true,"fca_regulated":false,"rating":{"overall":3.9,"transparency":3,"eligibility":4,"speed":5,"decline_handling":4},"summary":"London-based unsecured lender trading since 2020 under Maximise Capital Ltd. Requires 12 months trading and £15k monthly turnover. Personal guarantee required despite the unsecured framing. Tech-led underwriting with same-day decisions.","pros":["Same-day decisions, often same-day funding.","Soft credit search at application.","Direct underwriter; no broker layer for the borrower journey.","Top-up facility on existing loans."],"cons":["Ltd companies only, sole traders excluded.","Personal guarantee always required.","Cap of £100k limits utility for larger SMEs.","Brand awareness narrower than mainstream UK fintech alternatives."],"best_for":["Ltd companies trading 12 months+","£15k+ monthly turnover SMEs","Borrowers prioritising same-day funding"],"weak_at":["Sole traders and partnerships","Sub-£15k monthly turnover","£100k+ tickets"],"last_reviewed":"2026-05-08","companies_house":{"company_number":"12693301","source":"https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/12693301"}},{"slug":"lendingcrowd","name":"LendingCrowd","legal_name":"LendingCrowd Finance Limited","company_number":"SC623674","founded_year":2014,"homepage":"https://www.lendingcrowd.com/","profile_url":"https://bestbusinessloans.ai/reviews/lendingcrowd/","product_type":"Term loan","category":"term-loan","ticket_range":"£75k to £500k","typical_rate":"Fixed for the term, quoted at offer","decision_time":"24 to 48 hours","soft_search_only":true,"ltd_only":true,"fca_regulated":true,"rating":{"overall":4,"transparency":4,"eligibility":3,"speed":4,"decline_handling":3},"summary":"Edinburgh-based UK SME term lender that launched in 2014 as a P2P platform and now funds via a mix of retail and institutional capital. Tickets £75k to £500k over 6 to 60 months. Eligibility floor sits at 2 years trading, £100k turnover, Ltd or LLP, with a property-owning director PG up to £350k.","pros":["Mid-ticket coverage (£75k to £500k) underserved by smaller fintechs.","Fixed-rate-for-term pricing rather than variable.","No early repayment fees.","Funds typically next working day after approval."],"cons":["Two years trading and £100k turnover floor rules out newer Ltd companies.","Property-owning director PG needed up to £350k; additional security above that.","Headline APR not advertised; quoted only at offer.","Smaller brand awareness vs Funding Circle / iwoca for equivalent tickets."],"best_for":["Established Ltd / LLP with £100k+ turnover","£75k to £500k tickets","Director-led SMEs comfortable with a property-backed PG"],"weak_at":["Sub-2-year trading","Sub-£100k turnover","Pre-revenue startups"],"last_reviewed":"2026-05-08","companies_house":{"company_number":"SC623674","source":"https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC623674"}},{"slug":"swishfund","name":"Swishfund","legal_name":"Swishfund Ltd","company_number":"11180668","founded_year":2018,"homepage":"https://swishfund.co.uk/","profile_url":"https://bestbusinessloans.ai/reviews/swishfund/","product_type":"Unsecured term loan","category":"term-loan","ticket_range":"£10k to £400k","typical_rate":"1.1% to 3% per month","decision_time":"Same day decision; funds 24 to 48 hours","soft_search_only":true,"ltd_only":true,"fca_regulated":false,"rating":{"overall":3.9,"transparency":3,"eligibility":4,"speed":5,"decline_handling":3},"summary":"Peterborough-based UK SMB term lender, subsidiary of a Dutch parent group. £10k to £400k over up to 24 months for UK Ltd companies with one filed set of accounts and £50k+ turnover. Three-minute application, same-day decisions, funds inside 24 to 48 hours.","pros":["Low trading-history bar (one filed set of accounts).","£50k turnover floor is among the lower in the panel.","Three-minute application; same-day decisions.","No early repayment penalties."],"cons":["Cap of 24 months term limits utility for capex finance.","Per-month rate quoting hides effective APR.","Ltd-only, sole traders not eligible.","Smaller UK brand awareness vs incumbents (Dutch parent)."],"best_for":["Newer Ltd companies (one filed accounts year)","£10k to £400k working capital","Borrowers prioritising decision speed"],"weak_at":["Sole traders","Borrowing 25+ months","Rate-sensitive long-tenor needs"],"last_reviewed":"2026-05-08","companies_house":{"company_number":"11180668","source":"https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11180668"}},{"slug":"thincats","name":"ThinCats","legal_name":"ThinCats (now part of Shawbrook Group)","founded_year":2011,"homepage":"https://www.thincats.com/","profile_url":"https://bestbusinessloans.ai/reviews/thincats/","product_type":"Mid-market SME term loans (now part of Shawbrook Group)","category":"term-loan","ticket_range":"£1m to £15m","typical_rate":"Bespoke, quoted at offer","decision_time":"2 to 6 weeks","soft_search_only":false,"ltd_only":true,"fca_regulated":true,"rating":{"overall":4,"transparency":4,"eligibility":3,"speed":2,"decline_handling":4},"summary":"Mid-market SME term lender focused on the £1m to £15m ticket band underserved by mainstream banks. Acquired by Shawbrook Group in September 2025; the original Business Loan Network Limited trading entity (CN 07248014) is in liquidation as part of the post-acquisition restructure. The ThinCats brand continues for established broker-introduced mid-market deals through Shawbrook. For most use cases, refer to the Shawbrook entry.","pros":["Genuine mid-market specialism (£1m to £15m) that fintech and high-street banks both gap.","Now backed by Shawbrook's PRA-regulated balance sheet.","Established broker channel and adviser-introduced cases.","Strong record on management buyouts, acquisitions and growth capital."],"cons":["Long underwriting cycle (2 to 6 weeks); not a speed product.","Broker or adviser-introduced only; no direct self-serve route.","Pricing bespoke; not published.","Original trading entity in liquidation; new applicants effectively route through Shawbrook."],"best_for":["Mid-market SMEs £1m+","MBOs, acquisitions and growth capital","Broker or adviser-introduced cases"],"weak_at":["Sub-£1m tickets (route to Shawbrook proper or Funding Circle)","Self-serve borrowers","Speed-prioritised cases"],"last_reviewed":"2026-05-08"},{"slug":"crowd2fund","name":"Crowd2Fund","legal_name":"Crowd2Fund Limited","company_number":"08472687","founded_year":2014,"homepage":"https://www.crowd2fund.com/","profile_url":"https://bestbusinessloans.ai/reviews/crowd2fund/","product_type":"P2P SME term loan","category":"term-loan","ticket_range":"£10k to £1m","typical_rate":"8% to 18% APR","decision_time":"5 to 15 business days","soft_search_only":false,"ltd_only":false,"fca_regulated":true,"rating":{"overall":3.7,"transparency":4,"eligibility":3,"speed":3,"decline_handling":3},"summary":"One of the few remaining UK retail P2P platforms after the 2019-2022 sector contraction. Funded by individual investors, which means borrowers go through a campaign-style listing process. Suits established SMEs with a clear story to pitch and time to wait for the auction to fill.","pros":["P2P retail funding model still intact post-FCA reforms.","Wide rate band published openly.","Auction model can deliver competitive pricing on strong-narrative deals."],"cons":["Listing has to fill before draw-down; no guarantee of full funding.","Slower than direct-lender alternatives.","Hard search at full application."],"best_for":["Established SMEs with a fundable narrative","£50k to £500k tickets","Borrowers comfortable with a campaign timeline"],"weak_at":["Speed-prioritised cases","Sub-£10k tickets","Bland or thin pitch narratives"],"last_reviewed":"2026-05-08","companies_house":{"company_number":"08472687","source":"https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08472687"}},{"slug":"growth-lending","name":"Growth Lending","legal_name":"Growth Lending Limited","company_number":"12395628","founded_year":2014,"homepage":"https://www.growthlending.com/","profile_url":"https://bestbusinessloans.ai/reviews/growth-lending/","product_type":"Growth term loan + asset-based + recovery finance","category":"term-loan","ticket_range":"£1m to £25m","typical_rate":"Bespoke","decision_time":"4 to 8 weeks","soft_search_only":false,"ltd_only":true,"fca_regulated":true,"rating":{"overall":4.1,"transparency":3,"eligibility":3,"speed":2,"decline_handling":4},"summary":"Rebrand of BOOST&Co (founded 2014, rebranded under Growth Lending in 2022) covering growth term loans, asset-based lending and recovery finance for scale-up and mid-market SMEs. Multi-product platform serving the £1m+ ticket band. Broker and advisor channels dominate distribution.","pros":["Three complementary product lines under one platform.","Established team across growth-finance, ABL and recovery.","Comfortable with venture-debt-style covenants on scale-ups."],"cons":["Multi-week underwriting cycle.","Below £1m not the sweet spot.","Pricing not headlined; case-led."],"best_for":["Scale-up Ltd companies","Mid-market growth or acquisition","£2m to £15m tickets"],"weak_at":["Sub-£1m tickets","Self-serve cases","Sole traders"],"last_reviewed":"2026-05-08","companies_house":{"company_number":"12395628","source":"https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/12395628"}},{"slug":"sellers-funding","name":"SellersFunding","legal_name":"SellersFunding (UK) Limited","company_number":"11951536","founded_year":2019,"homepage":"https://www.sellersfunding.com/","profile_url":"https://bestbusinessloans.ai/reviews/sellers-funding/","product_type":"E-commerce working capital and term loan","category":"term-loan","ticket_range":"£5k to £1m","typical_rate":"Quoted at offer","decision_time":"Same day to 48 hours","soft_search_only":true,"ltd_only":true,"fca_regulated":false,"rating":{"overall":3.9,"transparency":3,"eligibility":4,"speed":5,"decline_handling":4},"summary":"US-headquartered e-commerce financier with a UK operating entity (CN 11951536) lending to Amazon, Shopify and Walmart sellers. Underwriting is pulled from marketplace performance data rather than traditional bank statements, which makes it a strong fit for online-native sellers without years of filed accounts.","pros":["Marketplace-data underwriting; works for Amazon and Shopify sellers without filed accounts.","Same-day decisioning for verified sellers.","Multi-currency capability for cross-border sellers.","Direct lender; no broker fee added."],"cons":["Tied to e-commerce profile; bad fit for B2B service businesses.","No published pricing.","Limited UK Trustpilot footprint compared with US presence."],"best_for":["Amazon, Shopify and Walmart sellers","Cross-border e-commerce working capital","Inventory pre-funding"],"weak_at":["Pure B2B service SMEs","Bricks-and-mortar retail without online ledger","Long-tenor term debt"],"last_reviewed":"2026-05-08","companies_house":{"company_number":"11951536","source":"https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11951536"}},{"slug":"sme-capital","name":"SME Capital","legal_name":"SME Capital (multi-entity trading name)","homepage":"https://www.smecapital.co.uk/","profile_url":"https://bestbusinessloans.ai/reviews/sme-capital/","product_type":"SMB term loan","category":"term-loan","ticket_range":"£250k to £5m","typical_rate":"Quoted at offer","decision_time":"2 to 6 weeks","soft_search_only":false,"ltd_only":true,"fca_regulated":false,"rating":{"overall":3.8,"transparency":3,"eligibility":3,"speed":2,"decline_handling":4},"summary":"SME Capital is positioned as a UK lower-mid-market lender focused on £250k+ growth and acquisition loans. The Companies House register does not show a single dominant operating entity under the exact name, so the contracting CN is not asserted here. Borrowers should confirm the lending entity, FCA permissions and security package before signing.","pros":["Mid-ticket sweet spot of £500k to £2m underserved by mainstream banks.","Relationship-led underwriting on growth and acquisition loans.","Will entertain non-property security and cash-flow lending."],"cons":["No clear single Companies House operating entity verified under the exact brand.","No published pricing or eligibility detail.","Slow underwriting cycle vs fintech alternatives."],"best_for":["Lower-mid-market growth loans","Acquisition finance","Cash-flow lending into established SMEs"],"weak_at":["Sub-£250k tickets","Sole traders","Speed-critical cases"],"last_reviewed":"2026-05-08"},{"slug":"spotcap","name":"Spotcap","legal_name":"Spotcap UK Ltd (dissolved)","company_number":"09351116","founded_year":2015,"homepage":"https://www.spotcap.com/","profile_url":"https://bestbusinessloans.ai/reviews/spotcap/","product_type":"Unsecured term loan (closed)","category":"term-loan","ticket_range":"Closed to new business","typical_rate":"N/A","decision_time":"N/A","soft_search_only":false,"ltd_only":true,"fca_regulated":false,"rating":{"overall":0,"transparency":0,"eligibility":0,"speed":0,"decline_handling":0},"summary":"Spotcap UK Ltd (CN 09351116) was dissolved on 1 August 2023 after the wider Spotcap group exited UK and European SMB lending around 2020. Historically an unsecured term-loan lender for established Ltd companies. Not accepting new applications. Listed for borrower reference because the brand still surfaces in older directory listings.","pros":["Historical product fit: unsecured term loans up to £250k for established Ltd companies."],"cons":["Dissolved on Companies House (1 August 2023); not lending.","No successor UK SMB lending vehicle under the Spotcap brand.","Not a current option for any UK SMB."],"best_for":["Reference and historical context only"],"weak_at":["Any new business loan need (entity dissolved)"],"last_reviewed":"2026-05-08","companies_house":{"company_number":"09351116","source":"https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/09351116"}},{"slug":"tfg-capital","name":"TFG Capital","legal_name":"TFG Capital Limited","company_number":"09167389","founded_year":2014,"homepage":"https://www.tfgcapital.co.uk/","profile_url":"https://bestbusinessloans.ai/reviews/tfg-capital/","product_type":"Short-term business loan","category":"term-loan","ticket_range":"£25k to £500k","typical_rate":"1.5% to 3% per month","decision_time":"24 to 72 hours","soft_search_only":false,"ltd_only":true,"fca_regulated":false,"rating":{"overall":3.9,"transparency":3,"eligibility":4,"speed":4,"decline_handling":4},"summary":"Doncaster-headquartered principal lender running short-term commercial loans for established UK Ltd companies, with sister entities for property-backed and follow-on deals. Direct decisioning, broker-distributed. Sweet spot is 3 to 18-month tenor on cases mainstream banks decline for sub-2-year trading or recent CCJs.","pros":["Principal capital across multiple sister entities for repeat borrowers.","Will entertain prior CCJs and light credit-history adverse cases.","Direct underwriter contact on live deals.","Same-day to next-day decisions."],"cons":["Per-month rate quoting hides total cost.","Short tenor means refinance pressure on longer-term needs.","Ltd-only; sole traders and partnerships excluded."],"best_for":["3 to 18-month commercial loans","Decline-from-mainstream Ltd applicants","Property-backed short-term lending"],"weak_at":["Long-tenor term debt","Sole traders and partnerships","Rate-shopping borrowers"],"last_reviewed":"2026-05-08","companies_house":{"company_number":"09167389","source":"https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/09167389"}}]}