A new online platform has launched in Leeds aiming to help small and medium-sized enterprises better understand their debt exposure and avoid costly mistakes when seeking commercial finance.
Debeo, described as the UK’s first purpose-built online alternative finance platform of its kind, has been created to address what it says is a £90bn funding gap affecting SMEs.
The business is targeting firms that have accumulated borrowing across multiple providers – including loans, overdrafts and asset finance – but lack a clear, consolidated view of their overall debt position.
According to the company, this lack of visibility can lead to cash flow strain, higher borrowing costs and, in some cases, insolvency.
The platform is designed to guide SMEs through the commercial lending process by providing real-time data and insights intended to clarify their financial position. Debeo says this enables businesses to identify appropriate funding options independently before preparing and structuring an application, with the aim of improving approval prospects and reducing the time taken to access working capital.
By offering clearer risk profiling and a fuller picture of a firm’s financial standing, the company argues that SMEs can present themselves as more attractive borrowers, potentially widening access to funding beyond traditional high street banks.
Debeo has been founded by Alex Beardsley, who previously ran a commercial finance brokerage for more than 12 years. Drawing on her experience of advising and working with SME-sized businesses, she identified what she saw as a gap in the market for a tool focused on debt clarity and application readiness.
Beardsley (pictured) said: “With many SMEs confused by taking out multiple loans, overdrafts and asset finance agreements across different lenders, our new platform uniquely uses the latest data and insights to empower better business debt management and financing decisions.
“Most companies of this size unfortunately go into applying for commercial finance without seeing the whole picture, will then operate from a position of desperation and face immense risk as a result.
“We’re addressing the needs of those firms that simply don’t have clarity over their finances, struggle to access the right funding and don’t have the information at their fingertips to apply for a working capital agreement that meets their business needs and financial situation.
“It can be a minefield and so vital that SMEs understand their borrowing capabilities and are much more informed in advance about the affordability, complexity, covenant risks and potential pitfalls of the alternative finance available.”
In addition to supporting SMEs directly, Debeo is positioning the platform as a tool for accountants, advisers, brokers and other intermediaries. By offering consolidated visibility of a client’s commercial debt exposure, it aims to help professionals assess risks and identify suitable funding partners more efficiently.
From a lender’s perspective, the company suggests that better-informed applicants could reduce the incidence of incomplete or inaccurate submissions, centralise key financial information and improve processing times. It also believes the platform could help lenders connect with businesses that more closely match their underwriting criteria.
Beardsley added: “I believe Debeo will be a real game changer for many SMEs that are unfortunately making poor commercial finance decisions due to a lack of accurate, accessible data and are running into financial difficulties as a result.
“It will also streamline the entire application process by putting borrowers more in control and equipping lenders and intermediaries with the data and insights needed to deliver the best possible outcome.
“The wider economy will be in a stronger position as a result, the lending gap will be significantly reduced and SMEs will start to achieve greater financial stability and unlock growth.”
