365 Business Finance vs Start Up Loans Company: Which UK Business Finance Provider in 2026?
365 Business Finance edges this matchup in our 2026 UK panel review, scoring 4.1 of 5 against Start Up Loans Company on 4.0. 365 Business Finance runs merchant cash advance at £10k to £500k on factor rate 1.10 to 1.40; Start Up Loans Company runs government-backed unsecured personal loan to fund a uk start-up at £500 to £25k per founder (max £100k per business) on fixed 6% apr. That said, the right answer depends on ticket size, trading history and sector. Start Up Loans Company beats 365 Business Finance for pre-revenue founders that no commercial lender will engage with. Read the side-by-side, then jump to the "when X wins" sections for the buyer-fit logic.
Side-by-side
| 365 Business Finance | Start Up Loans Company | |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Merchant cash advance | Government-backed unsecured personal loan to fund a UK start-up |
| Ticket range | £10k to £500k | £500 to £25k per founder (max £100k per business) |
| Typical rate | Factor rate 1.10 to 1.40 | Fixed 6% APR |
| Decision time | 24 to 48 hours | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Soft search at quote | Yes | No (hard search) |
| Ltd-only? | No | No |
| FCA regulated | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Hospitality, retail and ecommerce Ltds with £20k+ monthly card flow; £25k+ MCA tickets where the applicant wants a direct lender; Ltd directors who refuse personal guarantees | Pre-revenue founders that no commercial lender will engage with; Sub-12-month trading Ltds where iwoca and Capify will not stretch; Founders who want the cheapest money for the startup-stage profile and can wait 4 to 8 weeks |
| Overall rating | 4.1 / 5 | 4.0 / 5 |
| Last reviewed | 2026-05-10 | 2026-05-10 |
When 365 Business Finance wins
- Direct lender, so the rate the applicant sees is the rate they get with no broker mark-up layered on top.
- PG-free options on some cases, which we use to unblock Ltd directors who refuse personal guarantees.
- Daily or weekly repayment cadence we can match to the applicant cash-flow profile.
- Case-by-case acceptance on missed payments and small CCJs where mainstream term lenders auto-decline.
Best for
Hospitality, retail and ecommerce Ltds with £20k+ monthly card flow, £25k+ MCA tickets where the applicant wants a direct lender, Ltd directors who refuse personal guarantees.
Watch outs
- Sub-£10k tickets are not entertained, so we route smaller asks to iwoca or Capify instead.
- MCA only with no term-loan alternative, so applicants who want fixed monthly payments go to Funding Circle, Allica or Aldermore.
- Factor-rate model means we have to translate to APR for the applicant in the matcher result.
When Start Up Loans Company wins
- Open to pre-revenue and pre-incorporation founders that every commercial lender on the panel declines.
- Fixed 6% APR is materially cheaper than any post-decline or MCA route for the same applicant profile.
- Up to £25k per founder and £100k per business, which is enough to clear a typical first-12-months cash gap.
- Government-backed via British Business Bank, useful for founders who want a recognised institutional lender.
Best for
Pre-revenue founders that no commercial lender will engage with, Sub-12-month trading Ltds where iwoca and Capify will not stretch, Founders who want the cheapest money for the startup-stage profile and can wait 4 to 8 weeks.
Watch outs
- 4 to 8 week decision window is materially slower than fintech alternatives, so cash-this-month applicants need a different route.
- Loan is to the founder personally rather than the company, which the matcher flags so the applicant understands the personal-credit exposure.
- Mentorship and business-plan engagement requirement adds workload for applicants who just want money fast.
FAQ
365 Business Finance or Start Up Loans Company: which is the better UK business finance provider in 2026?
365 Business Finance scores higher overall in our 2026 UK panel review at 4.1 of 5 versus 4.0 for Start Up Loans Company. That said, the right answer depends on what your file looks like. 365 Business Finance is the stronger pick for hospitality, retail and ecommerce ltds with £20k+ monthly card flow, while Start Up Loans Company is the stronger pick for pre-revenue founders that no commercial lender will engage with. If your file sits in one of those buckets, ignore the headline rating and pick the right fit.
What does each product look like, 365 Business Finance vs Start Up Loans Company?
365 Business Finance offers merchant cash advance between £10k to £500k at factor rate 1.10 to 1.40, with a 24 to 48 hours decision window. Start Up Loans Company offers government-backed unsecured personal loan to fund a uk start-up between £500 to £25k per founder (max £100k per business) at fixed 6% apr, with a 4 to 8 weeks decision window. 365 Business Finance uses a soft search at quote. Start Up Loans Company runs a hard credit search at full application. Verify live commercials before signing because lender pricing moves and bespoke rates are common above £100k tickets.
Which is weakest for what?
365 Business Finance is the wrong answer for sub-£10k tickets, route to iwoca or capify. Start Up Loans Company is the wrong answer for speed-critical files needing cash this week, route to iwoca, capify or youlend. If either of those describes your file, look at the side-by-side table for the alternative route, or run the eligibility checker and the matcher will surface the right shortlist from the FundBiz specialty panel.
Can FundBiz help me choose between 365 Business Finance and Start Up Loans Company?
Yes. We are independent of either lender. The FundBiz specialty panel covers MCA, asset finance, commercial mortgage, bridging, VAT loan, R&D advance and post-decline routes. Tell us ticket size, trading history, sector and any prior declines. We match you against the panel lenders most likely to approve, and if your file needs a post-decline route we surface that explicitly rather than burning credit-file footprint with repeated mainstream applications.
Am I eligible to apply via FundBiz?
FundBiz works with limited companies, LLPs and partnerships of 4 or more partners. Sole traders and partnerships under 4 partners are out of scope and routed elsewhere. Both 365 Business Finance and Start Up Loans Company sit on our panel for the entity types we serve. Trading history requirements vary by lender, so the matcher pre-screens before sending the file across.
Related comparisons
Other UK specialty finance head-to-heads involving 365 Business Finance or Start Up Loans Company:
Check eligibility in two minutes
Tell us ticket size, trading history and sector. We match you against the FundBiz specialty panel: MCA, asset finance, commercial mortgage, bridging, VAT loan, R&D advance and post-decline routes. Limited companies, LLPs and partnerships of 4+.
Check eligibility →Reviewed by Oliver Mackman, Director. Last reviewed: 2026-05-10. Editorial by Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937).