SME Loans

What SME Loans does

SME Loans is a UK-based financial intermediary that operates as both a credit broker and direct lender to small and medium-sized enterprises. Registered as SME Solutions Group Ltd (company number 13313100) and FCA-authorized under reference 959364, the firm is headquartered at The Old Coach House, Pen y Maes Road, Holywell. Its core proposition is to match UK SMEs with a panel of lenders through a single online application, offering unsecured business loans of £1,000 to £500,000 with one-to-five-year repayment terms and 24-hour funding decisions. No broker fees are charged to borrowers; revenue derives from lender commissions on successful introductions and from interest on loans it originates directly.

The product catalogue spans more than 30 specialized financing products including VAT loans, invoice factoring, working capital and cash flow loans, revolving lines of credit, Islamic finance, asset finance, commercial mortgages, mezzanine finance, merchant cash advances, and the Growth Guarantee Scheme. The platform is differentiated less by technology than by distribution and breadth of lender access: a self-serve web portal (portal.smeloans.co.uk), 256-bit encrypted applications, and a 5-minute completion flow are the principal technical features. Supporting services include a Personal Guarantee Insurance partnership with Purbeck Insurance Services and affiliate integrations with UK digital banks Tide, Starling, and Revolut.

Go-to-market is sales-led and digitally distributed. Marketing relies on SEO-focused content (a blog covering business finance guides and UK SME statistics), earned media coverage in publications such as City A.M. and the Sunday Express, and partner referrals. Customer segments are deliberately horizontal: small businesses, startups, sole traders, limited companies, self-employed, microbusinesses, and targeted niches such as women-owned and veteran-owned businesses. There is no public listing, no disclosed institutional funding, and no revenue data, indicating a privately held, sub-scale broker operating within the UK alternative finance market.

Name

SME Loans

Legal name

SME Solutions Group Ltd

Website

https://smeloans.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SME Loans is a UK FCA-authorized credit broker and direct lender that matches small and medium-sized enterprises with a panel of lenders, offering unsecured business loans of £1,000 to £500,000 and over 30 specialized financing products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

UK SME Lending & Credit Brokerage

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231), Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

SME Lending Platforms & Embedded SME Credit (FSAKAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

SME Term Loans & Growth Capital (FSAKAGAB), Equipment & Asset Finance (SME) (FSAKAGAF), SME Lending & Working Capital Platforms (FSAGAJAA)

Keywords

• SME business lending
• Commercial credit brokerage
• Invoice factoring services
• Asset finance solutions
• Alternative business finance

Headquarters

HQ city

Chester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Broker Commission: As a credit broker, SME Loans introduces applicants to business loan providers and receives commission or finder's fee from lenders for successful introductions. No fees are charged to customers for brokerage services.
2. Direct Lending: As a direct lender, the company earns interest income on loans it originates directly to borrowers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SME Loans is a UK-based credit broker and direct lender that connects small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a panel of dedicated lenders. It offers unsecured business loans from £1,000 to £500,000 with 1-5 year repayment terms, alongside specialized financing products such as invoice factoring, asset finance, Islamic finance, working capital loans, revolving credit, and government-backed Growth Guarantee Scheme loans. The company operates a fully digital application process with 256-bit encryption, providing funding decisions within 24 hours and same-day funding for eligible applicants.

Product overview

SME Loans operates as both a credit broker and direct lender, functioning as a lending marketplace that connects small and medium-sized businesses with a panel of dedicated UK lenders. The core offering is the Business Loans product (£1,000–£500,000, 1–5 year terms), supplemented by specialized financing products including Startup Business Loans, VAT Loans, Short-term Business Loans, Growth Guarantee Scheme, Invoice Factoring, Working Capital Loans, Cash Flow Loans, Revolving Line of Credit, Islamic Finance, and Business Equipment Financing. The company also offers products targeting specific business types (Sole Trader Loans, Limited Company Loans, Self-Employed Loans, Small Business Loans, Microbusiness Loans, Startup Business Loans, Bad Credit Business Loans, Business Loans for Women, Veteran Business Loans) and industry-specific financing options. Supporting services include Asset Finance (with hire purchase, finance leases, equipment leasing, and asset refinancing), Commercial Mortgages, Mezzanine Finance, Merchant Cash Advance, Emergency Business Loans, Corporation Tax Loans, Business Expansion Loans, Invoice Financing, and Capital on Tap. A Personal Guarantee Insurance partnership with Purbeck Insurance Services provides additional protection for directors. The platform emphasizes a fully digital application process with 256-bit encryption, same-day funding capabilities, and no application fees for brokering services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Funding turnaround as fast as 24 hours
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Purbeck Insurance ServicessupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSME Loans has partnered with Purbeck Insurance Services to offer Personal Guarantee Insurance (PGI) to directors and business owners who have signed personal guarantees with lenders. Purbeck is a trading name of Purbeck UK Limited, authorized and regulated by the FCA, offering PGI on behalf of Markel International (A-Rated Fortune 500 insurance company). This partnership allows SME Loans to provide comprehensive risk management solutions alongside their financing products.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Funding Options: UK SME finance broker/marketplace that matches borrowers with a panel of lenders. Directly comparable to SME Loans' broker model, target SMB segment, and panel-lender network.
• ThinCats: UK peer-to-peer business lending platform providing secured and unsecured loans to SMEs. Comparable lending-marketplace model and UK SME target market.
• Fleximize: UK specialist SME asset finance and flexible term loan provider. Directly comparable to SME Loans' asset finance and term loan products and its focus on growth-stage UK small businesses.
• Liberis: UK-based embedded revenue-based finance provider to SMEs, including point-of-sale and direct business funding. Comparable SMB target and digital-led application flow; complementary niche to SME Loans' traditional term loans.
• Funding Circle: UK-listed SME lending platform providing term loans and revolving credit to small businesses through a digital application flow. Closely comparable in target customer (UK SMEs), product mix (unsecured business loans), and digital-first GTM.
• Swoop Funding: UK-based SME finance marketplace connecting businesses with loans, grants, and equity options. Comparable broker-led model, SMB target customer, and broad product panel approach.
• MarketFinance: UK fintech offering invoice financing, business loans, and lines of credit to SMEs. Overlaps with SME Loans' invoice factoring, working capital, and revolving credit products in the same SMB segment.
• Capify: UK-based SME finance provider offering unsecured business loans and merchant cash advances to small businesses. Mirrors SME Loans' dual broker/direct lender positioning and small-business customer profile.
• iwoca: UK-based fintech providing flexible short-term working capital loans (typically £1k-£1m) to SMEs and sole traders via a fast online application. Highly comparable to SME Loans' core unsecured business loan product and micro/SMB segment focus.

Broad incumbents

• Bibby Financial Services: Large, established UK invoice finance and SMB funding provider with a broader product portfolio than SME Loans. Comparable in invoice factoring and SME working capital offerings but operates at materially greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SME_Loans

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 SME Loans