Who is First Funding?

First Funding is a matching service, where lenders and borrowers connect. Think online dating.

First Funding is a trading arm of First Finance, a private commercial finance brokerage, a member of the NACFB trade body, and is licensed by the Office of Fair Trading as a credit broker.

The idea of private lending is the next step on from business angel funding, where businesses sell a stake in their company for an investment.

Some companies prefer not to have investors, and do not wish to sell their equity. That is why businesses go to the banks.

But the banks are not lending, leaving a massive gap in the funding market for small and mid-sized companies. The good news is that there are thousands of business angels out there looking for opportunities to invest their funds in the growth of a company.

Loans have two advantages over equity; borrowers do not have to give up ownership of the business, and in the long run it is usually cheaper to borrow money than to sell shares.

For lenders, a loan gives immediate returns in the interest paid, and usually allows a faster exit. Sometimes companies agree a mix of debt and equity as part of the same deal.

This is why we have teamed up with angel networks that have experience matching angel investors to businesses, and we will work closely with them to see the deals completed.