Alternate Funding Fintech Juice raises £25m to support SME founders
Fintech alternative lending platform for digital founders, Juice, has announced today that it has raised £25m in funding to support its aim to democratise finance by providing SME founders with capital and confidence to achieve growth ambitions. These investments came from family offices Aern Capital and Falco Capital, underpinned by a credit line from Paragon Bank.
In the UK, there is currently a £22bn funding gap for SMEs, with over 55% of companies moving away from their high street banks when it comes to their lending needs. The significance of Juice’s raise unlocks growth capital for thousands of high-growth businesses in the UK who suffer from constrained liquidity and will assist in driving these businesses to create jobs, fuel innovation and grow the UK economy.
Founded in 2019, Juice was created as a funding solution with trust at its core. Unlike traditional lending models, Juice uniquely blends real-time financial data, predictive analytics, and flexible credit lines, offering SMEs tailored capital exactly when and how they need it without dilution or hidden fees.
CEO of Juice, Katherine Chan, highlighted the milestone this funding round signals for Juice: “This funding round represents a critical step for Juice. Our mission is to give SME founders not just capital, but the actionable insights and flexibility they need to grow their businesses sustainably. Thanks to our partners at Paragon Bank, Aern Capital, and Falco Capital, we’re positioned to improve the way UK SMEs access finance—providing speed, transparency, and genuine founder-focused solutions. With this funding, Juice has an exciting future ahead of it, as it takes one step closer to becoming one of the largest SME funders in the UK, empowering thousands of founders with the capital and confidence to achieve their ambitions.”
The funding announcement comes on the back of a number of successful partnerships. Juice’s first investor, Falco Capital, contributed to the raise alongside new investors Aern Capital. Aern Capital’s investment is a direct result of its attraction to how Juice harnesses technology and data to provide a genuine growth capital alternative to dilutive equity investments. A new partner banking relationship with Paragon Bank underpins the round.
Operating during some of the most difficult economic periods in recent memory (including the Covid-19 pandemic cycle), Juice’s business model, underwriting, and tech platform has a proven track record in supporting SME founders during difficult times. Its consistency in support for founders and a proven lending model caught the eye of investors who will further power Juice’s own growth goals. This includes looking to expand its product from digital SMEs to the wider SME market so all businesses can benefit from the capital flexibility that their services offer.
Lewis Fitzsimons, managing director of Paragon Bank’s Structured Lending Division, added: “It’s been a pleasure to assist Juice Ventures with a committed facility to enable Katherine and her team to continue supporting SME businesses operating in the e-commerce and digital space. The work they do with SME businesses is vital to the British economy, so Paragon is excited to partner with Juice through the next phase of its growth.”
Stephen Routledge at Aern Capital added: “When I was first presented with the Juice product and understood its unique position in the marketplace, I was left extremely impressed. Its approach to providing an alternative method of securing growth capital and non-dilutive investment is extremely unique and I believe it could be a major benefit to fast growing businesses. I knew we had to get involved showing our support and assistance by providing substantial equity and debt finance, and we’re delighted for Juice to be partnering with Paragon Bank in this next exciting phase of their journey.”
Richard Anderson, managing director of family office Falco, concluded: “Falco investors were early-stage investors in Juice and have continued to support the business throughout. Growth capital for early-stage businesses has always been a challenge in the UK, with a more conservative venture capital industry than the US and a traditional lending market focused on asset security and personal guarantees. A Juice loan fills this gap, adding real-time data analytics and control of online payment systems to traditional credit analysis techniques. The deal with Paragon is only the start and we look forward to continuing to support the company on its own growth journey.”
Juice’s successful funding round has put it on track to reach a £100m loan book with £25m annual turnover by 2028.