Ask Inclusive Finance

Primary Industry: N/A

We became frustrated by banks and other lenders holding back the growth of small businesses due to their inflexible rules about who they will lend to. We realised that for many small businesses who need funding, fintechs and challenger banks are not filling the funding gap; because they use many of the same rules as the banks. Yet over 99.9% of UK businesses are small businesses, employing over 60% of the private sector workforce. Independent research tells us that the funding gap is at least £2.2bn per year and could be as much as £35bn1. Knowing that small businesses have such a great impact upon local economies, job creation and social mobility, we felt compelled to do something. We partnered with many other organisations similarly passionate about sustainably, ethically and commercially tackling the funding gap for small businesses, and Ask Inclusive Finance was born...A platform based marketplace for loans to financeable small companies unable to secure bank funding. Launched in partnership with lenders, funders and other industry stakeholders.