Capify vs Start Up Loans Company: Which UK Business Finance Provider in 2026?
Capify and Start Up Loans Company both score 4.0 of 5 in our 2026 UK panel review. Capify runs merchant cash advance + term loan at £3.5k to £500k on factor rate 1.15 to 1.45; 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. The right answer depends on ticket size, trading history, sector and whether the file is post-decline. Read the side-by-side, then jump to the "when X wins" sections for the buyer-fit logic. If you want us to do the work, our eligibility checker takes two minutes and matches you against the UK specialty panel.
Side-by-side
| Capify | Start Up Loans Company | |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Merchant cash advance + term loan | Government-backed unsecured personal loan to fund a UK start-up |
| Ticket range | £3.5k to £500k | £500 to £25k per founder (max £100k per business) |
| Typical rate | Factor rate 1.15 to 1.45 | Fixed 6% APR |
| Decision time | Same day | 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 salon Ltds with strong card-machine flow; Post-decline files where mainstream term lenders blocked on credit history; Sub-12-month trading Ltds with 6+ months of card history | 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 | 4.0 / 5 | 4.0 / 5 |
| Last reviewed | 2026-05-10 | 2026-05-10 |
When Capify wins
- Repayments scale with daily card sales, which we match to seasonal applicants who cannot service a fixed monthly burden.
- More accommodating on credit history than mainstream term-loan lenders, which is why declined-by-Funding-Circle files often route here first.
- Same-day decisions and funding, which matters for HMRC pressure and supplier-pay deadlines.
- Specialism in hospitality and retail, so SIC-code routing in the matcher leans heavily on Capify for those verticals.
Best for
Hospitality, retail and salon Ltds with strong card-machine flow, Post-decline files where mainstream term lenders blocked on credit history, Sub-12-month trading Ltds with 6+ months of card history.
Watch outs
- Factor rate disguises true APR, which we translate at matcher stage so the applicant sees the all-in cost.
- Tied to card-machine sales, so B2B service Ltds with no card terminal route to invoice finance or asset finance instead.
- Daily repayment model can pinch cashflow for seasonal businesses, route to a Funding Circle term loan if monthly is essential.
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
Capify or Start Up Loans Company: which is the better UK business finance provider in 2026?
Capify scores higher overall in our 2026 UK panel review at 4.0 of 5 versus 4.0 for Start Up Loans Company. That said, the right answer depends on what your file looks like. Capify is the stronger pick for hospitality, retail and salon ltds with strong card-machine 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, Capify vs Start Up Loans Company?
Capify offers merchant cash advance + term loan between £3.5k to £500k at factor rate 1.15 to 1.45, with a same day 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. Capify 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?
Capify is the wrong answer for b2b ltds with no card flow, route to invoice finance or asset finance. 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 Capify 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 Capify 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 Capify 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).