Mandate profile
SME lending and embedded finance buyer profile
Buyer profile: a specialist lending investor acquiring SME lending and embedded finance platforms with proven underwriting and funding.
Invoice finance, revenue-based finance, BNPL, merchant cash advance and embedded credit platforms are all in scope.
Mandate profile
Why specialist investors buy lending platforms.
- Reference
- AQ-0493
- Sector
- Fintech & payments
- Region
- UK, Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia
- Last reviewed
Small businesses remain underserved by banks, and lenders with strong underwriting and low-cost distribution earn attractive returns. Specialist lending investors buy SME lenders, revenue-based finance providers and embedded finance platforms, and back them with capital to grow the book.
This profile covers SME lending, invoice and trade finance, revenue-based finance, merchant cash advance, B2B buy now, pay later and embedded lending in the UK, Europe, Australia and Southeast Asia. Platforms with proven credit performance and clean licensing are the core focus.
Buyers here invest growth capital alongside management and expand funding lines. Loss history, underwriting data and distribution partnerships drive value.
Acquisition criteria
What this buyer is looking for.
Credit performance is everything. Five factors guide the search.
Underwriting record
Loss rates and vintages that held up in tougher conditions.
Funding lines
Committed facilities from banks or institutional lenders.
Licensing
Credit licences or permissions in your markets.
Distribution
Partners, platforms or direct channels that originate efficiently.
Data and technology
Decisioning built on proprietary data.
Close, but not an exact match? Tell us anyway.
Share an overview
Target financial profile
The numbers this buyer type works to.
Typical ranges for this profile. Businesses outside a range are still assessed on their overall strength.
- Enterprise value
- US$10M–US$100M
- Loan book
- Growing, diversified book
- Credit performance
- Losses within underwriting targets
- Funding
- Diversified funding lines
- Typical valuation basis
- Multiple of book value or earnings
- Consideration
- Majority acquisition plus growth capital
Deal structure and terms
Structure
Majority acquisition with fresh capital for growth.
Management
Founders keep a significant stake.
Funding
New warehouse and forward-flow lines arranged.
Governance
Credit committee and board set up together.
What makes a relevant business
Loan books that perform through the cycle.
What stands out is a loan book that performs as modelled.
All of these are welcome
- Balance sheet or marketplace
- SME or consumer credit
- Profitable or scaling
- Founder-led or VC-backed
- Any of the listed regions
Vintage transparency
Clean, well-documented performance data.
Repeat borrowers
Customers coming back for more.
Embedded partners
Platforms offering your credit at checkout or in-app.
Capital efficiency
Strong returns on equity.
Market drivers
What keeps demand strong in sme lending and embedded finance platforms.
SME finance gap
Banks keep pulling back from small business lending.
Embedded lending
Software platforms want to offer credit.
Data underwriting
Better data gives faster, safer decisions.
How it works
You decide what is shared, and when.
Nothing goes to any buyer automatically. Every step after the first happens only if there is potential fit and you are comfortable going further.
- 1
Share an overview
Send a short, non-confidential summary using the form. Anonymous is fine at this stage.
- 2
Acquiry reviews fit
We compare it with this profile and the buyers we work with, and tell you plainly whether there is a match, usually with a few questions.
- 3
Agree what can be disclosed
If there is potential fit, we agree with you what can be shared, and with whom, before anything moves.
- 4
Detailed discussions
Deeper conversations progress under confidentiality arrangements put in place for that discussion.
Submit an opportunity
Think your business could fit AQ-0493?
Tell us a little about it. A short, non-confidential overview is enough, and you can leave the company name out. We review every submission ourselves and reply directly.
AQ-0493 is a mandate profile, not a named buyer. We match your overview against the buyers we work with and tell you honestly whether there is a fit.
- Reviewed by Acquiry, never sent to any buyer automatically
- Anonymous overviews welcome
- Owners and advisers both welcome
FAQ
Before you send anything.
What does this mandate profile describe?
It sets out what a specialist lending investor looks for in an acquisition: the target profile, deal size, structure and regions shown above.
What is Acquiry’s role?
Acquiry works on the buy side. Profiles like this one set out the criteria acquirers in this segment use to assess targets.
Is the loan book acquired too?
Usually yes, along with the platform and team; structure is agreed per deal.
Do you provide growth capital after closing?
Yes. The buyer backs growth with equity and funding support.
Is B2B BNPL in scope?
Yes, alongside SME loans and embedded finance.
Do pre-profit lenders fit?
Yes, where credit performance is proven.
Is consumer lending considered?
The focus is SME lending; consumer books are assessed on their merits.