Compare your UK business funding options

Funding Circle alternatives for broader lender choice

Funding Circle lends its own money, so one application brings back one decision; Capvant is a funding marketplace, not a lender, that returns competing offers from vetted partners. Checking your options starts with a soft search and never affects your credit score.

Soft check · no impact on your credit score.²

1 requesta whole network of funders
Soft check²no credit-score impact
Competing offerscompared side by side
You chooseno obligation at any point

Capvant vs Funding Circle at a glance

	Capvant	Funding Circle
Model	A funding marketplace, not a lender	A direct lender, Funding Circle funds loans itself and carries the lending relationship
Who makes the credit decision	The funding partner you choose, never Capvant	Funding Circle itself
What one request gets you	Several competing offers to compare side by side	One decision from one lender
Credit impact of the first step	Soft search only, no impact on your credit score	Its own application process; a full application can involve a hard search
Products covered	Working capital, line of credit, term loans, equipment finance, invoice finance, Revenue Advance	Its own business loan products
The relationship	You choose between partners' offers	A single, end-to-end relationship with your lender
Track record	A newer, borrower-first marketplace	A long track record funding UK small and medium-sized businesses
Who it's built for	UK limited companies, LLPs and plcs	UK small and medium-sized businesses

Based on publicly stated models at the time of writing, always confirm details with any provider before proceeding.

How it works

Tell us what you need

Answer a few questions about your business and how much funding you’re after. It takes about 60 seconds.

Compare your matched offers

We match you with funding partners and bring back competing offers, a soft search with no impact on your credit score.

Get funded

Pick the offer that fits and get the funds in your account, often within a few working days.

Products you can compare with one request

Working capital

Cover payroll, stock and day-to-day running costs with flexible working capital.

Business line of credit

A revolving credit facility you draw on as you need it, paying only for what you use.

Invoice finance

Unlock cash tied up in unpaid invoices instead of waiting 30-90 days to get paid.

Revenue advance

Take a lump sum today and repay as a small share of your daily card and bank takings.

Written by Sarah Eltaweel, Head of MarketplaceCapvant funding marketplace · Reviewed July 2026

Looking at Funding Circle? Compare the route, not just the rate

Funding Circle is a well-known name in UK business finance, and for good reason. It has helped many limited companies access funding, so it is a sensible option to have on your shortlist. Before you apply anywhere, though, it helps to remember that the headline rate is only part of the picture.

The bigger question is which route suits you. You can apply directly to a single provider, work with a broker, or use a marketplace that gathers competing offers from several funding partners with one request. Each route has trade-offs, and the right one depends on how much time you have, how much choice you want, and how your business looks on paper.

What Funding Circle is known for

Funding Circle is an established UK business finance platform that arranges funding for limited companies, and it has built a strong reputation over many years. It is generally associated with business loans and related products aimed at growing businesses.

Because products, eligibility criteria and pricing change over time, the most reliable source for current details is Funding Circle's own website. Always check their live terms, representative examples and eligibility rules before you decide, rather than relying on third-party summaries, including this one.

What to look for in a business funding platform

Whichever providers you compare, a handful of things matter more than the advertised number. Checking these consistently makes it much easier to tell genuinely competitive offers apart from ones that only look good at first glance.

Use the same checklist for every option, including Funding Circle, Capvant and any bank or broker you speak to. That way you are comparing like for like rather than guessing.

Total cost of borrowing, not just the advertised rate, including any arrangement or service fees.
Whether the initial check is a soft search that does not affect your credit score, or a hard search that does.
How many lenders or products you are actually shown, and whether they compete for your business.
Which products are on offer, such as working capital, a business line of credit, equipment finance, invoice finance, Revenue Advance or a term loan.
Eligibility basics, such as trading history, turnover and whether the provider funds your sector.
How repayments work, including term length, flexibility and any early repayment terms.
Whether the provider is the lender making the decision, or an intermediary helping you compare.

How the Capvant marketplace model works

Capvant is a borrower-first funding marketplace for UK limited companies, LLPs and plcs, and it works a little differently from applying to one lender. You make one short request, a soft search is run that does not affect your credit score, and you can then see real competing offers from a network of vetted funding partners.

Importantly, Capvant is not a lender and does not make the credit decision. The funding partners do that. Capvant's role is to help you compare options in one place so you can choose, which is a different model from going directly to a single provider like Funding Circle. Neither approach is automatically better, they simply suit different situations.

Capvant covers products including working capital, a business line of credit, equipment finance, invoice finance, Revenue Advance and term loans, and it operates in the UK and the US. There is never a guarantee of approval, and any offer still depends on a funding partner's own checks.

Marketplace or direct: which might suit you

Going direct to a provider such as Funding Circle can be straightforward if you already know the product you want and are happy to deal with one lender. You build a single relationship and follow one process from start to finish.

A marketplace can suit you if you would rather see several offers side by side before committing, or if you are not yet sure which product fits and want choice without filling in multiple application forms. The trade-off is that you are comparing partners rather than dealing with one brand throughout.

Prefer one relationship and a single application? Going direct may suit you.
Want to compare competing offers from a single request? A marketplace may suit you better.
Not sure which product you need? Seeing several options can help you decide.

Decide for yourself: a simple way to compare

The fairest way to choose is to gather like-for-like information and let the numbers and terms speak. Get the total cost, the product type and the repayment terms in writing from each option you are considering, then line them up next to each other.

Where you can, favour options that start with a soft search so that simply comparing does not mark your credit file. From there, pick the offer that gives you the best total value and flexibility for how your business actually trades, whether that is Funding Circle, Capvant, a bank or another platform.

Which should you choose?

Funding Circle is a direct lender with a long UK track record, and if you want one relationship with the company actually lending the money, that is a real advantage, we will not pretend otherwise. Capvant is a funding marketplace, not a lender, so its job is different: one soft-search request that brings back competing offers. The real choice is comparison versus a direct relationship.

Choose Capvant if…

You want several competing offers before you commit
You are not yet sure which product fits, term loan, invoice finance, equipment or Revenue Advance
You want a soft search first, with no impact on your credit score
You want offers judged against each other, not one decision in isolation

Choose them if…

You specifically want Funding Circle's direct lending relationship
You know the product you want and prefer one application to one lender
A long-established lender brand matters most to you

Funding Circle, common questions

Is Capvant a lender like Funding Circle?

No. Capvant is a funding marketplace, not a lender. It helps UK businesses compare real competing offers from a network of vetted funding partners with one request, and those partners make the credit decision. Funding Circle, by contrast, is a finance platform you apply to directly. Always check each provider's own terms for current details.

Will comparing offers on Capvant affect my credit score?

Capvant's initial check is a soft search, which does not affect your credit score. If you decide to proceed with a particular funding partner, that partner may run its own checks, which can include a hard search. There is never a guarantee of approval.

Who can use Capvant in the UK?

Capvant is for UK limited companies, LLPs and plcs looking for business funding. It is not for sole traders or for consumer borrowing. Capvant also operates in the US. Eligibility for any specific offer still depends on the funding partner's own criteria, such as trading history and turnover.

What types of funding can I compare?

Through Capvant's partners you can compare products including working capital, a business line of credit, equipment finance, invoice finance, Revenue Advance and term loans. The right product depends on what you need the money for and how your business trades. There is no SBA lending in the UK.

Should I still look at Funding Circle?

Yes. Funding Circle is a well-established UK business finance platform and a reasonable option to include in your comparison. The point of this page is not to steer you away from it, but to help you compare it fairly against other routes, including a marketplace, so you can choose what suits your business.

How do I compare offers fairly?

Use the same checklist for every option: total cost of borrowing, fees, whether the first check is a soft or hard search, how many products you are shown, repayment terms and eligibility. Getting these in writing and lining them up side by side is the simplest way to see which offer is genuinely best for you.

Compare real offers in minutes

Make one request and compare competing offers from a network of vetted funding partners. Soft check, no impact on your credit score.

Soft check · no impact on your credit score.²

Disclaimers & footnotes

1Capvant is a funding marketplace, not a lender. We match business owners with third-party funding partners; we do not make credit decisions, lend money, or set rates or terms. All funding decisions, rates, terms and approvals are made solely by the lenders in our network, subject to their criteria.
2Checking your options through Capvant does not affect your credit score. A lender may carry out a soft or hard credit search depending on the product, stage and your consent. A full hard credit check is only carried out where required by a lender before you proceed.
3Funding speed, including any reference to funding in as little as 24 hours, is typical for some products and lenders and is not guaranteed. Actual timescales depend on the lender, the product, and how quickly requested information and documents are provided.
4Funding amounts and ranges are indicative only and vary with your business profile, trading history, the lender and the market. Figures shown are not an offer of finance and do not guarantee any particular amount, rate or approval.
5Any offers, rates or repayment figures shown in illustrations or examples are for demonstration only and are not real quotes. Your actual offers, if any, are provided by lenders and are subject to approval.
6Product availability varies by market. Some products are only available in certain countries. Capvant currently serves businesses in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Capvant is a trading name of Granton Hale Capital LLC. Capvant is not a lender and does not make credit decisions, we introduce businesses to third-party funding providers. Capvant is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Capvant does not compare every lender, broker, funding product or offer available in the market. We only show options from funding partners in our network that may be relevant based on the information you provide.

Capvant may receive compensation from lenders, brokers, funding partners or referral partners when a customer is introduced, approved, funded or takes another qualifying action. This compensation does not guarantee that any lender will approve an application or offer specific terms. Capvant does not charge business owners a fee to compare funding options unless clearly stated otherwise.

If you access Capvant through a partner, introducer or embedded funding page, that partner may receive a referral fee or commission if your application results in funding. This does not increase your cost unless expressly disclosed.

Capvant is intended for business-purpose funding only. Eligibility may depend on entity type, location, trading history, revenue, industry and lender criteria. In the UK, Capvant currently focuses on limited companies, LLPs and plcs, and does not currently support sole traders or ordinary partnerships.

Information on Capvant is general information only and is not financial, legal, tax or accounting advice. You should consider whether funding is suitable for your business and seek professional advice where appropriate.

Calculators, eligibility checkers and funding-readiness tools are estimates only. They are based on limited information and assumptions, and do not represent a credit decision, quote, approval or recommendation.

Company information may be sourced from public registers such as Companies House, or from information you provide. Public register data may be incomplete, delayed or inaccurate and should not be treated as a full credit assessment.

By submitting an application or funding request, you authorise Capvant to share relevant business, owner, application and document information with funding partners, service providers and introducers where necessary to process your request, subject to our Privacy Policy.

Some US commercial financing offers may be subject to state-specific disclosure requirements. Where required, additional disclosures will be provided and must be accepted before a transaction is finalised.