SME Capital closes growth funding round to plug the SME funding gap

By Joy Dumasia

SME Capital scooped a new investment from three family offices to expand its offering in the under-served lower middle market. The investors from Mustard Kick, Hambleden Capital and Karan Capital will join the company’s board as part of the deal.

The investment allows SME Capital to accelerate growth, fund new loans and develop a new product which it will bring to market later this year. Currently writing tickets up to £6 million, the firm is sector-agnostic and provides cash flow loans to the lower middle market, which has struggled in recent years to fund events like M&A, MBOs and MBIs due to the retrenchment of mainstream banks.

Just like SME Capital and its Founder James Kaberry, the investors joining the board are passionate about supporting entrepreneurial businesses. They bring a wealth of experience and know-how as founders from various sectors, including healthcare, e-commerce, transport, retail, real estate and financial services.

James Kaberry, Founder and CEO of SME Capital, said: “Having like-minded investors as energised as we are about supporting SMEs is vital. When financing in this part of the market was hurt by scaled back bank lending, it masked a huge number of quality, ambitious British companies ripe for growth. Even in the pandemic, these companies pivoted and created opportunities where others saw challenges. Many of them are family businesses and entrepreneur-led, and all are looking to get to the next level. This fresh support from our new investors will help them achieve that, and in turn, drive the UK economy forward.”

David Newns, Founder of Mustard Kick, said: “No matter how great an SME is, it’s normally locked out of growth opportunities like an M&A event simply because the financial support isn’t in place. So SME Capital is a real game-changer for the entrepreneurs it serves. They have great product-market fit, and their customers brilliant, profitable businesses really value them. For someone like me who has started, scaled and sold my own businesses, I know how important it is to have this kind of support.”