What Banjo does

Banjo is an Australian non-bank business lender founded in 2014/2015, operating from Melbourne with national reach across VIC, NSW, QLD, WA, and SA via an accredited partner program and in-state BDMs. The company serves growth-driven Australian SMEs with at least two years of trading history and $500K+ annual revenue, offering six core products split between Business Loans (Excel, Express, Flexi, Bridge) and Asset Finance (Excel, Express), with loan sizes from $20K to $2M (up to $5M via the partner channel) and terms of 6 to 60 months. Cumulative originations since 2015 approach nearly $1B to thousands of businesses, underwritten using the trademarked Banjo Score® credit assessment system and supported by a partner-facing Fast Fit tool and no-credit-impact Initial Rate Offer Assessment.

Underlying technology is a proprietary online lending platform with a custom credit scoring engine, a multi-tenant partner portal, and a self-serve borrower application portal at my.banjoloans.com; no public API, SDK, or AI/ML infrastructure is disclosed in available source material. Banjo generates revenue primarily through fixed origination fees and interest expense accruals on originated loans (structured through FundIT Ltd as trustee for the Banjo Small Business Loan Fund, AFSL 468033), with revenue recognized on a transaction-fee basis rather than variable interest in most products. Pricing is opaque — no public rate card — and terms vary by product, with director guarantees and general security deeds sometimes required for larger loans.

Distribution is a hybrid model: an accredited partner channel targeting finance brokers, accountants, and business advisors accounts for the primary deal-flow engine, complemented by direct-to-borrower online applications and a field BDM sales team. Marketing emphasises thought leadership via the annual SME Compass Report, quarterly Banjo Barometer, and joint webinars with economists from NAB and Bendigo Bank. Customer testimonials span food & beverage, manufacturing, media, and agriculture, evidencing horizontal SME segmentation rather than vertical specialization. Key leadership includes CEO Guy Callaghan, CRO Andrew Ward, CCO Brendan Widdowson, Senior Credit Manager Jane Martini, CTO Craig Rowe, CFO Paul Pesavento, and Head of Sales Ryan Knight.

Name

Banjo

Legal name

FundIT Ltd ACN 601 130 527 (as trustee for Banjo Small Business Loan Fund ABN 32 713 685 984)

Website

https://banjoloans.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Banjo is an Australian non-bank lender providing secured and unsecured business loans ($20k–$2m) and asset finance to growth-driven SMEs, distributed through accredited brokers, accountants, and a direct online channel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Lending

NAICS

Sales Financing (52222)

SIC

Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

Near-Prime Unsecured Personal Loans (Installment) (FSAKAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Equipment & Tool Leasing (Consumer) (FSAKANAF)

Keywords

• SME business loans
• Asset finance
• Working capital loans
• Non-bank lending
• Commercial lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Business Loan Interest/Fees: Banjo earns revenue through fixed fees (or interest expense) on business loans. Fees accrue upfront and are paid in instalments. The company takes a fixed fee rather than variable interest for most products, with terms ranging from 6 to 60 months.
2. Asset Finance Revenue: Revenue generated from asset and equipment finance loans, with tailored solutions for purchasing vehicles and business equipment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Banjo is an Australian non-bank lender that provides secured and unsecured business loans and asset finance to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The company offers a portfolio of working capital products ranging from $20,000 to $2,000,000 (up to $5,000,000 through partner channels), distributed both directly to borrowers and via an accredited broker/accountant partner program.

Product overview

Banjo offers a portfolio of SME business lending products organized into two main categories: Business Loans (Excel, Express, Flexi, Bridge) and Asset Finance (Excel, Express). The Business Loan suite provides working capital solutions ranging from $20k to $2m (with some partner channels offering up to $5m), with varying features including flexible repayment terms, fast approval, seasonal interest-only periods, and bridging finance options. Asset Finance products provide equipment and asset purchase financing with both standard and expedited documentation-light application options. The company also offers specialized franchise funding. All products are designed for Australian SMEs through both direct and broker/partner channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Loan Excel Working capital loan offering borrowings from $20k to $2m with flexible terms and a range of repayment options, designed to unlock cashflow and give growing businesses a boost.
• Business Loan Express Fast-access funding solution for SMEs to access working capital quickly with reduced paperwork requirements, enabling businesses to realize growth opportunities.
• Business Loan Flexi Flexible working capital loan featuring up to 4 months of interest-only repayments, designed to align with seasonal or cyclical business cashflow patterns.
• Business Loan Bridge Bridging finance facility that enables businesses to access working capital ahead of future expected cash inflows, prior to settlement.
• Asset Finance Excel Tailored asset and equipment finance from $20k to $2m with a simple online application process, designed to help businesses purchase assets and equipment needed to keep operations moving.
• Asset Finance Express Quick and nearly documentation-free asset finance solution designed for fast access to funding, enabling businesses to get ahead with minimal application requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fast processing: Funds available in as little as 24 to 48 hours for Express loans
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• William BuckminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWilliam Buck is an accounting and advisory firm partner. Banjo CEO Guy Callaghan and Adrian Palone, Business Advisory Partner at William Buck, collaborated on content regarding ATO tax deductibility for SMEs.
• NAB (National Australia Bank)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBanjo has hosted joint webinars with NAB's Group Chief Economist Alan Oster to provide economic insights for SMEs. Partnership involves co-branded content and thought leadership on economic outlook.
• Bendigo BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBanjo partnered with Bendigo Bank's Head Economist David Robertson for Economic Outlook webinars, providing Australian economic analysis for SME audiences.
• CreditorWatchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBanjo partnered with CreditorWatch CEO Patrick Coghlan for economic outlook content. CreditorWatch provides credit reporting services that Banjo uses for credit assessments.
• IllionminorOthersCredit reporting body that Banjo discloses borrower information to as part of credit reporting schemes, as disclosed in privacy policy.
• EquifaxminorOthersCredit reporting body that Banjo discloses borrower information to as part of credit reporting schemes, as disclosed in privacy policy.
• CreditorWatch (Privacy Policy)minorOthersCredit reporting body that Banjo discloses borrower information to as part of credit reporting schemes, as disclosed in privacy policy.
• AFG (Australian Finance Group)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBanjo participates in AFG Now events across 5 Australian states, connecting with AFG broker network members.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lumi: Australian online lender offering small business loans and working capital to SMEs. Direct competitor in Australian SME online lending space with similar focus on speed, simple applications, and SME-only target market.
• Spotcap: Online SME lender operating in Australia offering working capital loans and lines of credit to small businesses. Competes head-to-head with Banjo's Excel/Flexi/Bridge products and shares broker and direct online distribution.
• OnDeck Capital: Online small business lender with Australian operations offering term loans and lines of credit. Closely comparable product set (small business term loans), target SME segment, and data-driven credit underwriting approach.
• Prospa: Australia's leading online small business lender offering working capital loans, business loans, and lines of credit to SMEs. Most direct comparable in product mix (small business installment lending), target market (Australian SMEs), and online/partner distribution model.
• Moula: Australian online small business lender providing working capital loans up to $500K. Direct competitor on SME working capital, similar broker/direct channel mix, and similar focus on Australian SMEs with $500K+ revenue threshold.
• Plenti: Australian fintech lender (formerly SocietyOne) offering consumer and business loans. Comparable non-bank lending model, Australian focus, and broker-led distribution, though with broader retail customer base alongside SME lending.
• Capify: Australian SME online lender providing working capital and business loans to small businesses. Comparable product offering (working capital loans), target SME market, and broker/direct hybrid distribution model.
• GetCapital: Australian non-bank lender offering unsecured business loans, lines of credit, and asset finance to SMEs. Direct overlap with Banjo's full product suite including asset finance, and similar broker-led distribution.

Emerging players

• Stripe Capital: Embedded small business lending product offered by Stripe, providing working capital advances to platform merchants. Represents the emerging embedded-finance competitive threat to traditional SME lenders like Banjo, offering capital tied to payment-rail data.

Broad incumbents

• Judo Bank: Australian SME-focused challenger bank offering business loans, lines of credit, and asset finance. Broader incumbent alternative to non-bank lenders like Banjo, with deposit-funded balance sheet enabling larger ticket sizes and competitive pricing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/banjoloans
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/banjo-loans
• Xx.com/banjoloans

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Banjo