The six-year long partnership has empowered more than 30,000 Dojo SME customers with access to vital capital to help run and grow their business, with total funding volumes doubling from £1 billion in less than 15 months

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YouLend, the leading global embedded financing platform, and Dojo, a payments technology provider, today announce a major milestone in their long-standing partnership. Together, the two companies have extended more than £2 billion in flexible funding to UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) - capital that has gone towards restocking inventory, repainting shopfronts, hiring staff, and keeping businesses moving through quieter months. 

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Over the past six years, the partnership has supported over 30,000 Dojo merchants across hospitality, retail, and e-commerce, with a Dojo customer being approved for funding every 20 minutes. More than 1,000 merchants have taken ten or more renewals - reflecting the strong uptake of the product and growing demand for flexible capital among UK small businesses. 

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That repeat usage also reflects a broader shift in how SMEs are adjusting to the macroeconomic landscape. Rising operating costs and tighter lending conditions are pushing small businesses away from traditional finance. According to the British Business Bank, around 50% of small businesses are now seeking external finance to regulate their cash flow. For many, the approval process alone rules out a bank loan — too slow, too rigid, too disconnected from how a small business actually operates.

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That is precisely the gap YouLend and Dojo set out to close. Rather than sending merchants to a separate lender, YouLend's financing is embedded directly within the Dojo platform merchants already use to take payments. If merchants wish to use the service, they can apply in a few clicks, receive funds in as little as 24 hours, and repay as a fixed percentage of future sales — meaning repayments flex with the business, rising when business is strong and falling when it slows.

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"Our long-standing partnership with Dojo is a true testament to how embedded finance can deliver real value for a payments platform and its merchants," said Francisco Rubistein, VP of Growth, YouLend. "Merchants who access funding through Dojo renew 83% of the time — demonstrating genuine demand for this type of financing. We're also seeing that business funding can reduce merchant churn by up to 48%, because when businesses access capital through a platform they already trust, they're more likely to stay, spend, and grow."

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This impact can be seen directly in the stories of the businesses funded.

Nigel Blow, owner of Shappen Stores, a butcher shop based in Burley, has taken Business Funding 21 times since 2021.
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"The funding from Dojo has been invaluable to us," he states. "We've consistently used it to expand our business, get a decision very quickly, and the personal touch is a massive thing that you simply cannot get with a traditional lender.

"Earlier this year, my store was impacted by severe weather, which significantly reduced tourist and Airbnb footfall. The funding from Dojo helped us bridge that quieter trading period and continue operating with confidence."

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Another such success story is Trevor Suter, owner of Suter’s Delicatessen in Kent, who has taken business funding eight times since becoming a Dojo customer in 2021.

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"My dad opened this as a butcher's in 1972. Since then, we've grown and diversified into cakes, sandwiches and pastries. Funding from YouLend is unbelievably easy, just a small daily percentage rather than a fixed payment each month. With their support, we've bought new equipment and refurbished the shop. My dad would be proud to see the business now."

"We're incredibly proud to have supported more than 30,000 of our customers through our continued partnership with YouLend. For many SMEs, access to fast and flexible capital can make all the difference when managing cash flow, investing in growth, or navigating difficult traditional conditions. By embedding funding directly into the Dojo platform, we’re making it easier for businesses to access the support they need, so they can focus on running and growing their business,” said Michael Winwood, General Manager at Dojo.

Looking ahead, YouLend and Dojo plan to continue scaling the partnership through Sidekick, a powerful AI-driven digital business partner that can make running a business smoother.