Funding Circle picks former Liberis chief Rob Straathof as next CEO. Wednesday, 04/11/2026 | 00:22 GMT-8 by Damian Chmiel * He joins in the first half of 2027, subject to regulatory approval, taking over from Lisa Jacobs. * The UK small business lender raised its 2026 guidance in September after first-half pre-tax profit quadrupled. Funding Circle Holdings said today (Wednesday) it had named Rob Straathof, the former head of small business lender Liberis, as its next chief executive. The appointment is subject to regulatory approval. Straathof, who has run Berlin-based technology subscription platform Grover since October 2025, will join in the first half of 2027. He takes over from Lisa Jacobs, who said in September she would step down. Jacobs stays in charge until the handover and will leave no later than September 2027. He arrives from a smaller lender to the same customers. Under him, Liberis funded over 100,000 small businesses with more than $4 billion, Funding Circle said. Its own tally since 2010 is over £18 billion (about US$24 billion) for 135,000 UK firms. The UK lender started as a peer-to-peer marketplace. In the third quarter of 2015 it processed £91.5 million in net loans to small businesses, FinanceMagnates.com reported at the time. It hired from outside then too, bringing in Jerome Le Luel, then head of risk analytics at Barclays, as global chief risk officer. A decade running Liberis. Straathof grew Liberis from a UK lender with a single partner into an embedded finance platform offering several products, Funding Circle said. Chairman Ken Stannard said Straathof brings a "deep understanding of small businesses" along with credit experience and a record of running fintech firms. The Nomination Committee ran the search with an independent executive search firm. The company said Straathof's start date would be confirmed later. Profit quadrupled before the handover. Jacobs joined Funding Circle in 2012 and became chief executive in January 2022. In the first half of 2026, revenue rose 50% to £138.2 million and profit before tax reached £24.1 million, up from £6.0 million a year earlier. The profit growth came as the wider UK fintech sector raised less money. UK fintech investment fell 67% to £1.8 billion in the first six months of 2026, according to KPMG data. Straathof said the aim is to "use technology and data to say yes to more of the UK's small business owners." He described the strategy already in place as clear. The company then raised its full-year guidance to revenue above £255 million and pre-tax profit above £40 million. Term loan originations grew 43% to £1.05 billion in the half, and in August Castlelake committed up to £500 million of funding. Damian Chmiel is a Senior Analyst & Editor at Finance Magnates with more than 15 years of experience in the CFD and online trading industry. Active as both a trader and journalist since 2010, he focuses on broker coverage, fintech innovation, and regulatory developments across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. His work includes interviews with C-level leaders at major brokerages and fintech platforms, as well as co-authoring Finance Magnates' quarterly industry benchmarking reports. Damian's reporting is data-driven, market-aware, and grounded in direct industry engagement. His analysis and commentary have also been cited by external media outlets, including Investing.com, Binance, The Asset, Stockhead, and Dispatch. Education: MA in Finance and Accounting, Cracow University of Economics * 4145 Articles * 119 Followers

Liberis and Dojo offer SMBs faster capital access. By Waverly Drummond September 8, 2026 Liberis and Dojo have introduced Dojo Flex Funds, a new financing solution that provides UK small businesses with instant capital during onboarding. The collaboration directly tackles a major obstacle for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): the prolonged waiting periods typical of traditional lending processes. The offering targets UK merchants generating at least £60,000 annually with a minimum of 12 months in operation. Unlike conventional loans, which demand extensive approval periods, Dojo Flex Funds delivers immediate, adaptable funding with a documented 90% approval success rate and favorable terms. Approval decisions rely on real-time transaction data, creating a smoother experience for businesses requiring rapid capital access. This initiative reflects a broader industry evolution toward embedded finance, where financial services become integral components of business tools. By eliminating traditional lending delays, the partnership establishes a new industry standard for efficiency. Dojo already supports over 150,000 UK businesses and processes 50 million unique consumer cards monthly, providing a robust foundation for scaling the new product. Traditional lenders typically demand full documentation and lengthy evaluations, creating friction for applicants. Dojo Flex Funds removes these obstacles, aligning with the growing expectation that financial services should integrate seamlessly into daily operations. The partnership also introduces Liberis' Starter Capital, a simplified funding option designed specifically for newer merchants, further expanding the product's reach. Access to capital frequently determines whether small businesses can expand or remain stagnant. The product's emphasis on instantaneous approvals and transaction-based assessments directly addresses the priorities of merchants who value efficiency over bureaucratic processes. However, sustaining high approval rates while managing risk will be essential to maintaining the model's effectiveness. Trang-Thu Tran, Chief Commercial Officer at Liberis, described the product as a major shift in how UK SMEs secure financing. "By providing funding from day one, not months down the line, we're removing traditional barriers to capital and supporting small businesses when they need it most," she stated. This approach particularly benefits merchants lacking collateral or established credit histories. Mike Winwood, General Manager of Funding at Dojo, emphasized the product's immediate impact potential. "With more than 150,000 UK businesses enabled by Dojo, we know how challenging access to capital to unlock further growth can be," he noted. The seamless integration into Dojo's onboarding process allows merchants to accelerate growth, improve cash flow management, and enhance customer experiences - key factors for businesses focused on expansion. The launch also reinforces Liberis's position as a leader in embedded finance solutions. By including Starter Capital as part of the offering, the company enhances its appeal to fintech partners seeking to boost customer acquisition and loyalty. The product's long-term viability will depend on its ability to maintain high approval rates while adapting to diverse merchant requirements. For UK SMEs, this partnership represents a meaningful advancement in capital accessibility. While widespread adoption will require strong execution and market demand, the core focus remains on delivering practical advantages - faster access, reduced entry barriers, and flexible terms, without guaranteeing risk-free outcomes. Businesses now have a new option to secure funding without the delays of conventional lending processes.