Start Up Loans Company vs Time Finance: Which UK Business Finance Provider in 2026?
Start Up Loans Company and Time Finance both score 4.0 of 5 in our 2026 UK panel review. 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; Time Finance runs asset finance, invoice finance, vehicle finance at £10k to £2m on bespoke. 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
| Start Up Loans Company | Time Finance | |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Government-backed unsecured personal loan to fund a UK start-up | Asset finance, invoice finance, vehicle finance |
| Ticket range | £500 to £25k per founder (max £100k per business) | £10k to £2m |
| Typical rate | Fixed 6% APR | Bespoke |
| Decision time | 4 to 8 weeks | 2 to 5 business days |
| Soft search at quote | No (hard search) | Yes |
| Ltd-only? | No | No |
| FCA regulated | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | Mid-ticket Ltds combining asset finance, invoice finance and vehicle under one lender; Transport, manufacturing and hospitality SIC codes; £25k to £500k asset-backed Ltds wanting a faster route than Aldermore |
| Overall rating | 4.0 / 5 | 4.0 / 5 |
| Last reviewed | 2026-05-10 | 2026-05-10 |
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.
When Time Finance wins
- Multiple complementary product lines under one roof, so we can route a single file across asset, invoice and vehicle without re-introducing.
- Sector specialism in transport, manufacturing and hospitality, which the matcher uses on SIC-led routing.
- AIM-listed transparency on filings, useful for applicants who want a public-market institutional view.
- Faster than Aldermore or Shawbrook on bespoke asset deals, often inside 5 business days.
Best for
Mid-ticket Ltds combining asset finance, invoice finance and vehicle under one lender, Transport, manufacturing and hospitality SIC codes, £25k to £500k asset-backed Ltds wanting a faster route than Aldermore.
Watch outs
- Broker-distributed for most product flow, so the FundBiz introduction is the route rather than self-serve.
- Pricing varies materially by deal, so the matcher cannot quote a tight rate before the conversation.
- Smaller brand presence than Aldermore or Shawbrook, applicants who want the bigger name route there.
FAQ
Start Up Loans Company or Time Finance: which is the better UK business finance provider in 2026?
Start Up Loans Company scores higher overall in our 2026 UK panel review at 4.0 of 5 versus 4.0 for Time Finance. That said, the right answer depends on what your file looks like. Start Up Loans Company is the stronger pick for pre-revenue founders that no commercial lender will engage with, while Time Finance is the stronger pick for mid-ticket ltds combining asset finance, invoice finance and vehicle under one lender. If your file sits in one of those buckets, ignore the headline rating and pick the right fit.
What does each product look like, Start Up Loans Company vs Time Finance?
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. Time Finance offers asset finance, invoice finance, vehicle finance between £10k to £2m at bespoke, with a 2 to 5 business days decision window. Start Up Loans Company runs a hard credit search at full application. Time Finance uses a soft search at quote. Verify live commercials before signing because lender pricing moves and bespoke rates are common above £100k tickets.
Which is weakest for what?
Start Up Loans Company is the wrong answer for speed-critical files needing cash this week, route to iwoca, capify or youlend. Time Finance is the wrong answer for sub-£10k self-serve tickets, route to iwoca or capify. 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 Start Up Loans Company and Time Finance?
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 Start Up Loans Company and Time Finance 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 Start Up Loans Company or Time Finance:
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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).