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Sweden's Qred and UK SME lender Liberis in £600m merger | Mark Kleinman blog. Wednesday, 17 June 2026 19:05 * Thames Water rescue in peril as government opposes 'weak' deal Cash-strapped Thames Water is again facing down the prospect of being placed in temporary public ownership after the government raised objections to a proposed £10bn rescue by its lenders. * Former Microsoft chief Barclay joins British fintech unicorn Zilch One of Britain's leading fintech unicorns will this week name Microsoft's former UK boss to its board as it continues to seek acquisition targets ahead of an eventual public listing. * More people cashing in full pension in 'worrying signal' for UK's retirement plans More people are cashing in their full pension in a "worrying signal" that Britons are not prepared for retirement, new data has shown. * Shares of Elon Musk's SpaceX soar past Amazon Shares of Elon Musk's SpaceX soared more than 14% on Tuesday, lifting its value higher than Amazon and briefly Microsoft just days after its debut. * Threat of social media ban jolted tech giants into action before it was even announced Roblox has revealed new safety measures, just as the government announces it will ban under-16s from social media and potentially some gaming platforms... like Roblox.

PayFacto and Liberis have launched Maitre'D Capital Cash Advance, an embedded funding solution for Canadian restaurant and hospitality operators. Built into the Maitre'D platform, the product provides revenue-based financing with automatic repayments calculated as a percentage of daily sales. The launch addresses a challenging financing environment for Canadian small businesses, with Statistics Canada reporting a 22% decline in total loan value and a 38% drop in individual loans between 2023 and 2024. Additionally, 40% of Canadian SMEs cite access to financing as a major growth barrier. The solution leverages transaction data from the Maitre'D platform to streamline assessments and eliminate traditional loan applications. It represents the first product under Maitre'D Capital, PayFacto's embedded finance initiative. The service is now available to eligible PayFacto merchants nationwide.

eBay and Liberis introduce Flexible Growth Financing to support UK small businesses. March 12, 2026 Running short of time? Get PDF of the blog in your mail. Reading Time: 4 minutes eBay UK has announced a new partnership with global embedded finance provider Liberis to launch Flexible Growth Financing, a funding solution designed to help small and medium-sized businesses access capital directly through the marketplace platform. The new financing option will be introduced to UK business sellers beginning April 6, 2026, as part of eBay Seller Capital, eBay's initiative aimed at providing sellers with faster and more accessible funding to support their business growth. The program is designed to address one of the biggest challenges facing small businesses today - access to affordable working capital. Addressing the funding gap for small businesses. Access to financing remains a major hurdle for many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK. According to recent data, 52% of UK SMEs report difficulty accessing affordable credit, often due to lengthy application processes, high borrowing costs, and the risk of loan rejection. This funding gap can prevent businesses from investing in essential growth activities such as: * Expanding inventory * Improving product listings * Scaling marketing campaigns * Managing seasonal demand By embedding financing directly into the marketplace platform, eBay aims to simplify how sellers access capital and remove traditional barriers associated with business loans. How Flexible Growth Financing works. Flexible Growth Financing is designed to provide on-demand funding that adapts to a seller's business performance and needs. Eligible sellers will receive a pre-approved funding limit tailored to their business data and sales history on eBay. Instead of withdrawing the full amount upfront, sellers can access the capital in stages depending on their needs. This means sellers can: * Draw the full funding amount at once, or * Withdraw smaller amounts over time as opportunities arise The financing is commonly used for operational growth initiatives such as: * Restocking high-demand products * Expanding product catalogs * Investing in advertising and promotions * Improving product listings Another key feature is repayments that adjust based on sales performance, helping businesses maintain healthier cash flow while scaling operations. Funding decisions are expected to be delivered within 24 hours, enabling sellers to act quickly on emerging market opportunities. Proven success in the US market. The partnership between eBay and Liberis is not entirely new. A similar model has already been operating successfully in the United States under the Seller Capital program. Through this initiative, thousands of small businesses have already accessed working capital, helping them grow their operations and manage business expenses more efficiently. According to Liberis, 90% of small business customers reported that the working capital provided had a positive impact on their operations. This flexibility allows business owners to maintain greater control over their financial planning and growth strategies. Embedded finance becomes a marketplace growth tool. For eBay, the launch of Flexible Growth Financing represents a broader shift toward embedded finance within digital marketplaces. Instead of forcing sellers to seek financing externally through banks or traditional lenders, marketplaces are increasingly integrating financial services directly into their platforms. According to Eve Williams, General Manager of eBay UK, the goal is to provide sellers with financing that reflects the realities of running an online business. Through the partnership with Liberis, funding decisions can be made using real commercial data generated from seller performance, enabling faster approvals and financing limits tailored to actual business activity. This approach allows sellers to access capital in a way that aligns with their sales cycles and growth patterns, rather than being restricted by rigid loan structures. "Small business growth is vital to the UK economy, but access to the right kind of funding remains one of the biggest barriers for many entrepreneurs. Through eBay Seller Capital and our partnership with Liberis, we're embedding flexible finance directly into our platform, giving sellers fast, data-driven access to funding that adapts to their sales and puts them firmly in control of their growth." - Eve Williams, General Manager, eBay UK A growing global Seller Capital program. Flexible Growth Financing is the latest expansion of eBay's broader Seller Capital program. In 2025 alone, the initiative delivered more than $250 million in working capital to over 10,000 sellers globally through its financing partners. Since its launch, the program has facilitated over $1 billion in growth capital for sellers across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. By integrating financial tools directly into the seller ecosystem, eBay aims to help businesses scale faster and invest in growth opportunities without unnecessary financial friction. What this means for marketplace sellers. The launch of Flexible Growth Financing highlights how marketplaces are evolving beyond transaction platforms into complete business ecosystems for sellers. Access to working capital can often determine whether a small business is able to expand its inventory, capitalize on seasonal demand, or launch new products. With embedded funding available directly within the platform, sellers can respond to opportunities faster and operate with greater financial flexibility. For UK-based eBay sellers, the new financing option provides an additional resource to manage growth, invest strategically, and scale their operations without navigating traditional lending processes. As marketplace competition intensifies and sellers increasingly look for operational support beyond simple listing tools, integrated financial solutions like Seller Capital may play a crucial role in shaping the future of seller-first marketplace ecosystems. cedcommerce news coverage ebay news 2026 ecommerce industry news shreya salil Shreya Salil is a seasoned content writer specializing in eCommerce. Her knack for storytelling and industry expertise combine to create informative and engaging content.