Quick answer
Yes, Funding Circle is fully legitimate. Publicly-listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: FCH). Founded 2010, $20B+ originated globally to 130,000+ businesses. SBA 7(a) Preferred Lender. APR-disclosed term loans (no MCA factor rates). Cheaper than MCA for qualifying 24+ months TIB / 660+ credit merchants.
Full answer
Funding Circle is a publicly-traded small business lender (LSE: FCH) founded 2010, originally UK-based, with significant US operations headquartered in Denver. Among the most credible alt-lenders globally — public-company financial disclosure requirements add transparency rare in private MCA space.
Track record: $20B+ originated globally to 130,000+ small businesses since founding. SBA 7(a) Preferred Lender (PLP) status in the US — accelerated SBA processing. Survived multiple credit cycles + public-market scrutiny.
Products in the US: term loans ($25K-$500K, APR 7.49-30.12% disclosed, 6-84 month terms) and SBA 7(a) loans. No MCA factor-rate product — Funding Circle is fundamentally a term lender, not an MCA funder.
Underwriting: 24+ months in business (notably higher than MCA's 6-month bar), 660+ FICO, $50K+ annual revenue, no recent bankruptcies. Stricter than MCAs but pricing reflects the lower risk — APRs often half what comparable MCA factor rates equate to.
Where to be careful: not for newer businesses (sub-2-year TIB excluded). Origination fee 3.49-6.99% deducted from funded amount — model the all-in cost. Application is longer than MCA (2-7 days vs same-day). For established merchants who qualify, materially cheaper than MCA alternatives.
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Methodology. Fundnode is an independent funding-platform that scores merchants against our 100-funder database. We earn referral fees from funders when merchants apply via Fundnode. Editorial rankings and answers are independent of fee structure. Updated 2026-06-25.