What Capalona does

Capalona (legal entity Sorodo Limited) is a UK digital business finance broker founded in 2014 and headquartered in Mold, Wales. The company operates a self-service online matching platform that connects UK small and medium-sized enterprises with a curated panel of 50+ bank and non-bank lenders, covering product types from unsecured loans and merchant cash advances through to invoice finance, asset finance, property development finance, trade finance, and government-backed schemes. Businesses complete an online application, receive soft-eligibility matches without an initial credit-score impact, and can apply directly with selected lenders. The platform handles loan sizes from £1,000 to £10 million and serves sole traders, limited companies, LLPs, and startups across all four UK nations.

The underlying technology stack centres on an automated matching engine that consumes application form data, Open Banking transactions via TrueLayer, and accounting-ledger data via integrations with Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, FreeAgent, FreshBooks, Clear Books, and Zoho Books. The platform implements deterministic eligibility filters (trading history, loan size, credit thresholds, business structure) to route applicants to suitable funders. Capalona is FCA-authorised under FRN 774781, NACFB Compliance Assured, an FSB member, Cyber Essentials certified, and operates under FCA Consumer Duty requirements. Co-founders Simon Moorcroft (CTO) and Richard Wilcock lead the company, with a small team of fewer than 10 employees.

The revenue model is exclusively commission-based: lenders pay Capalona for successful introductions via fixed fees, percentage of principal borrowed, percentage of interest charged, or percentage of total cost of credit, with disclosed commission estimates shown to applicants pre-application. Cumulative platform metrics cited include 75,000+ SMEs having compared funding options, £7.8bn+ in funding searched, and £60m+ successfully funded. Distribution combines organic SEO, content marketing, social media, an affiliate partner program, and a 24/7 self-service digital platform, with no disclosed venture or private equity funding and no named institutional investors in the source material.

Name

Capalona

Legal name

Sorodo Limited

Website

https://capalona.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Capalona is a UK online credit broker (trading as Sorodo Limited) that connects UK SMEs with a panel of 50+ lenders through a self-service digital matching platform, generating revenue via lender commissions on introduced business loans, invoice finance, asset finance, and property development finance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Lending Marketplace

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

Short-Term Credit Broking & Lead Generation (FSAKAMAN)

Keywords

• Business loan broker
• SME funding platform
• Commercial finance marketplace
• Business credit brokerage
• Finance comparison platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Mold

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commission from Lenders: Capalona receives commission from finance providers for introductions. Commission models include: fixed fees, percentage of amount borrowed, percentage of interest charged, or percentage of total cost of credit. For certain lenders, Capalona may have influence over the interest rate, which may impact the total amount payable by the customer.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Capalona is a UK-based online business finance broker that connects SMEs with a panel of 50+ bank and non-bank lenders via a self-service digital application. Businesses complete a single online form, receive a soft credit-check eligibility decision, and compare funding options ranging from £1,000 to £10 million across unsecured loans, secured loans, invoice finance, asset finance, merchant cash advances and other commercial finance products. The service is free to borrowers, with Capalona earning commission from lenders on completed introductions.

Product overview

Capalona operates as a digital business finance matching platform (a credit broker, not a lender) that connects UK businesses with a curated panel of over 50+ lenders. The core platform is a self-service online application system that matches businesses to suitable funding products based on their profile, without affecting the applicant's credit score during the search phase. The product portfolio spans multiple categories: (1) Core loan products — unsecured business loans, secured business loans, short-term business loans, small business loans, merchant cash advance, invoice finance, asset finance, startup loans, commercial property finance, VAT loans, revolving credit facilities; (2) Property development finance — including commercial mortgages, bridging finance, auction finance, mezzanine finance, joint venture finance, and portfolio finance; (3) Working capital and cash flow solutions — working capital loans, trade finance (purchase order, contract, letters of credit, supply chain finance), inventory finance, payroll loans; (4) Government-backed schemes — previously Recovery Loan Scheme (ended June 2024), currently Growth Guarantee Scheme; (5) Sector-specific products — restaurant, retail, construction, eCommerce (Amazon, eBay, Shopify), hospitality, beauty, care homes, dental practices, and many more vertical-specific loans; (6) Specialist finance — acquisition finance, management buyouts, franchise finance, pension-led funding, revenue-based financing. The platform integrates with TrueLayer (Open Banking) and major accounting software (Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, FreeAgent, FreshBooks, Clear Books, Zoho Books) to enable real-time financial data access for affordability assessments. Additional tools include a business loan calculator.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Unsecured Business Loans Loans provided to UK SMEs without the requirement to secure the borrowing against business or personal assets, typically ranging from £1,000 to £500,000 with terms from 1 month to 5 years. Designed for UK limited companies, LLPs, partnerships, and sole traders seeking working capital or growth finance.
• Secured Business Loans Loans backed by collateral such as commercial property, residential property, business assets, or personal guarantees from directors, enabling borrowing of typically £50,000 to £10 million for UK SMEs that can offer security.
• Short Term Business Loans Short-tenor loans typically ranging from 1 to 12 months designed to bridge cash-flow gaps for UK SMEs needing fast access to working capital.
• Small Business Loans Loans for UK micro-businesses and SMEs typically borrowing between £1,000 and £100,000 for working capital, equipment, or growth, with multiple lending options on the panel.
• Startup Business Loans Funding aimed at UK businesses that have been trading for less than 12-24 months, with lenders accepting limited trading history in exchange for personal guarantees or higher rates.
• Invoice Finance Facilities including invoice discounting and factoring that allow UK SMEs to borrow against their outstanding sales invoices, freeing up cash tied up in receivables.
• Asset Finance Hire purchase, leasing, and refinancing facilities for UK SMEs looking to acquire or release equity from business equipment, vehicles, or machinery.
• Merchant Cash Advance Working capital advanced to UK SMEs in exchange for a fixed percentage of future card sales, with repayments flexing in line with daily card takings.
• Commercial Property Finance Commercial mortgages and bridging loans secured against commercial property, allowing UK SMEs and property investors to purchase, refinance, or develop commercial real estate.
• VAT Loans Short-term loans designed to finance UK VAT liabilities, allowing SMEs to spread quarterly or annual VAT bills into manageable instalments.
• Trade Finance Facilities such as purchase order finance, supply chain finance, and import/export finance helping UK SMEs fund stock purchases, overseas orders, and supplier payments.
• Revolving Credit Facility Flexible revolving credit lines allowing UK SMEs to draw, repay, and redraw funds up to an agreed limit, used as an alternative to overdrafts for ongoing working capital.
• Business Loan Matching Platform Self-service online platform where UK SMEs complete a single application, receive a soft eligibility check across 50+ lenders without affecting their credit score, and compare tailored funding offers in one place.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75,000+ SMEs have compared funding options
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and support.

• TrueLayer LimitedcoreTechnology or IntegrationTrueLayer is an approved Account Information Services Provider (AISP) enabling Capalona to access bank account data for affordability checks through Open Banking. TrueLayer is FCA authorized (FRN 901096) and provides regulated payment services. Capalona acts as an agent of TrueLayer for Account Information Services.
• Clear Books, Freeagent, FreshBooks, QuickBooks, Sage, Xero, Zoho BookssupportTechnology or IntegrationOpen Accounting integrations allowing customers to connect their accounting software for real-time financial data access to support lender assessments
• NACFB (National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers)coreOthersOfficial members of NACFB with Compliance Assured status. Adopts strict Code of Practice and Minimum Standards set by the Association.
• FSB (Federation of Small Businesses)supportOthersOfficial members of FSB supporting British businesses

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fleximize: UK alternative business finance provider offering flexible SME loans and lines of credit, competing in similar niche SME financing products distributed via brokers and direct channels.
• Funding Options: UK-based online business finance marketplace that matches SMEs with lenders across multiple product categories, operating on a similar credit broker model to Capalona.
• Liberis: Revenue-based finance provider for SMEs and a panel lender on Capalona, offering similar unsecured business funding products through partner and direct channels.
• 365 Business Finance: UK alternative finance provider offering invoice finance, business loans, and asset finance to SMEs, operating alongside Capalona's panel to serve the same customer base.
• YouLend: UK merchant cash advance and business loan provider also on Capalona's panel, competing in similar short-term SME working-capital products.
• Sigma Lending: UK specialist business finance lender offering secured and unsecured SME loans; a panel partner of Capalona in the broker intermediation ecosystem.

Emerging players

• iwoca: UK fintech lender offering flexible business loans to SMEs; sits on Capalona's panel but also serves SMEs directly, making it both partner and competitor in the same SME financing funnel.
• Allica Bank: UK challenger bank focused on SME lending and deposits, competing for the same SME borrower as Capalona via direct banking products rather than intermediation.
• Funding Circle: UK SME lending platform offering direct business loans and also distributed through brokers like Capalona; competes in the same borrower segments with a stronger brand.

Broad incumbents

• NatWest: Major UK commercial bank that both sits on Capalona's panel of lenders and serves SMEs directly through its own business banking channels, representing both partnership and incumbent competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/capalona_uk
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMSEjnlyA7i1RG_dU4C-CJg
• Facebookfacebook.com/capalonauk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/capalona-limited

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Capalona