The Fintech Brief | Funding That Finds You—Not the Other Way Around

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Editor’s Pick 📌

Funding That Finds You—Not the Other Way Around

🚫 Fear. Friction. Mistrust.

Why small businesses don’t apply for finance—and how Liberis is removing the blockers.

Applying for finance shouldn't feel like a risk.

But for many entrepreneurs, it still does.

The fear of rejection. Endless admin. Offers from unfamiliar providers.

In Part 3 of The Next Frontier of Small Business Finance, Liberis lifts the lid on what’s really keeping small business owners from accessing the capital they need—and how pre-approved, embedded finance can change that.

Here’s the breakthrough:

➼ 90–100% pre-approval rates through embedded partnerships
➼ 4-click funding journeys—no paperwork, no guesswork
➼ Offers delivered inside trusted platforms like eBay and Worldpay

By meeting business owners where they are—with real-time offers based on real data—Liberis removes rejection from the equation. There’s no ‘apply and hope’. Just: You’re eligible. Want to accept?

For small businesses, that’s powerful.

For partners, it’s loyalty, conversion, and long-term value—without the cost or complexity of becoming a lender.

📖 Read Part 3 now: Trust, Friction, and the SME Finance Gap

Industry Trends & Innovation 💡

PAYMENT INNOVATIONS

The Future of Real-Time Payments: How A2A Reshapes the Financial Landscape

Account-to-account (A2A) payments streamline transactions by enabling instant, direct funds transfers without intermediaries, reducing delays and inefficiencies compared to card payments. Significantly utilised across various sectors, ACI Worldwide processes $5 trillion in A2A payments daily, ensuring compliance and fraud prevention. Emphasising cloud-native solutions, ACI improves payment systems’ resilience, availability, and scalability, meeting modern demand for real-time, transparent transactions.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Stryd Teams Up With Experian for Open Banking Loan-Matching Solution

Stryd's partnership with Experian introduces an Open Banking-powered loan-matching tool, allowing brokers access to real-time client financial data and loan information for tailored solutions. This enhances efficiency by eliminating the need for borrowers to self-report, while setting the stage for more personalised, timely broker interventions based on dynamic financial changes. With over 25 brokers already utilising Open Banking and many more planning to adopt it, this collaboration supports brokers in maximising client satisfaction and loan lifecycle engagement.

FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS

Highnote's Launch of Instant Payments Enhances Real-Time Financial Transactions

Highnote has introduced its Instant Payments feature, enabling near real-time fund transfers from Highnote-issued cards to eligible debit and prepaid cards. By integrating this into their platform, businesses can enhance liquidity and accelerate payouts, which is great news for gig workers and facilitating quick financial transactions. Supported by Visa Direct and Mastercard's solutions, this advancement ensures faster and reliable access to funds.

AI IN PAYMENTS

AI's Impact on Future Payments and Five Questions with Dave Gardner

eCommerce advances and AI integration are reshaping payments, requiring trust and compliance. Firms must balance innovation with regulation by embedding good governance and operational resilience. To succeed, enterprises should establish robust AI frameworks, align solutions with values and regulatory needs, and use AI to enhance user experience and security.