Alternative Business Funding

What Alternative Business Funding does

Alternative Business Funding Ltd (ABF) is a UK-based credit broker operating a digital matching platform that connects small and medium-sized enterprises with alternative funding sources. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Bristol, the company emerged from a 2013 Downing Street conference on SME finance and was formally designated by HM Treasury and the British Business Bank in May 2017 as one of only three platforms authorized to receive bank-rejected SME applications under the Bank Referral Scheme (Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015). The platform serves UK SMEs at all stages, from pre-trading startups to established businesses, including those with poor credit, CCJs, or debt management issues that traditional banks decline.

ABF's core product is the proprietary Funder Finder matching engine, which uses a traffic-light indicator system to score and display relevant funding options from a panel of 140+ lenders and 140+ products spanning asset finance, business loans, commercial property, trade finance, invoice finance, bridging loans, and more, with funding amounts from £500 to £50 million. The self-serve platform is accessed via app.alternativebusinessfunding.co.uk, supplemented by a telephone service team and a separate funder-side portal (platform.alternativebusinessfunding.co.uk). Underlying technology includes AWS-hosted infrastructure, Cyber Essentials Plus certification, and ICO/GDPR-compliant data handling.

ABF is an Appointed Representative of AFS Compliance Ltd (FCA no. 625035) and earns transaction-based commission from lenders when SMEs successfully draw down funding; the platform is entirely free for business borrowers. Go-to-market combines product-led self-serve acquisition with content marketing, SEO, organic social, and a monthly newsletter targeting UK SME owners. The company has built a long tail of SME case studies across at least ten verticals (fitness, community, technology, property, food and beverage, education, retail, manufacturing, legal) and operates exclusively within the United Kingdom.

Name

Alternative Business Funding

Legal name

Alternative Business Funding Ltd

Website

https://alternativebusinessfunding.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alternative Business Funding (ABF) is a UK-based FCA-regulated credit broker whose Funder Finder platform matches small and medium-sized enterprises with 140+ alternative funding products from £500 to £50 million, earning commission from lenders when funding is drawn down. Free for SMEs and one of only three HM Treasury and British Business Bank designated referral platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Finance Brokerage

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231), Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation (52229)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

P2P Small Business / SME Marketplace Lending (FSAKAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Small Business Banking (Microbusiness/Sole Proprietor) (FSABAAAI), Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) & Revenue-Based Financing (FSAKAGAD)

Keywords

• Business funding matching
• SME credit broking
• Alternative finance platform
• Commercial lending solutions
• Bank referral scheme

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Commission from Lenders: Alternative Business Funding earns commission from lenders/funders when a business successfully draws down funding. The commission is typically a percentage of the loan amount and is factored into the interest rate paid by the borrower. The platform is free for SMEs to use - no charges to business owners for identifying potential funders or assisting in the funding journey.
2. Commission Transparency Model: The company operates under both discretionary and non-discretionary pricing models. They inform customers when not operating under a discretionary model. Commission levels may vary based on overall volumes of business placed with lenders, but this does not impact what the customer pays.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Alternative Business Funding operates an online credit brokerage platform that matches UK small and medium-sized businesses with over 140 funding products from a panel of lenders. The proprietary Funder Finder engine uses a traffic light system to surface suitable funding options based on each business's profile, with funding amounts ranging from £500 to £50 million. The service is free for SMEs, with the company earning commission from lenders when finance is drawn down.

Product overview

Alternative Business Funding operates as a business funding matching platform that connects SMEs with over 140 funding products from multiple lenders. The core offering is the Funder Finder matching engine, which uses a traffic light system to display suitable funders based on user-provided business information. The platform serves as a designated funding platform of HM Treasury and the British Business Bank, operating under FCA authorization as a credit broker (not a lender). Funding amounts range from £500 to £50 million covering purposes including asset finance, business loans, commercial property, and other funding types. The platform is completely free for SMEs to use, with the company earning commission from funders when finance is drawn down.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Funder Finder Business Funding Matching Platform Online credit brokerage platform that uses a proprietary matching engine and traffic light system to match UK SMEs with over 140 funding products from a panel of lenders. Businesses complete a short questionnaire and receive tailored funder matches, with optional assisted onboarding via the service team.
• Bank Referral Scheme Service Designated referral handling service, one of only three platforms authorized by HM Treasury and the British Business Bank to receive and assist SMEs referred under the Bank Referral Scheme.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 140 funding products available
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• British Business BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABF is one of only three platforms designated by the British Business Bank (the UK's national development bank) to receive bank referral scheme applications. This partnership enables ABF to receive SMEs whose bank loan applications have been rejected and match them with alternative lenders on the platform.
• HM TreasurycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABF received formal designation from HM Treasury as part of the bank referral scheme legislation contained in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015. This designation authorized ABF as one of only three platforms to receive and assist SME loan referrals.
• TorFXminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership announced to open up foreign exchange and funding products to SMEs. ABF partners with TorFX to provide combined currency and funding solutions for small businesses.
• Synergy Commercial FinancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABF works with Synergy Commercial Finance's specialist property team for property purchase, development, and refurbishment funding purposes. Synergy handles specialist commercial property finance while ABF covers other funding types.
• DRS Bond ManagementminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with DRS Bond Management to provide surety bonds and related products as alternatives to bank guarantees. DRS provides performance bonds without requiring 100% collateral from businesses.
• iwocaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with iwoca for OpenLending services, providing additional lending options accessible through the ABF platform.
• AFS Compliance LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABF is an Appointed Representative of AFS Compliance Ltd, which is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under number 625035 to carry out credit broking activities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nonbankfunding
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=8WuOd8lJ30E&t=
• Facebookfacebook.com/altbusinessfunding
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/5209878

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alternative Business Funding