Fleximize Wins Finance Business of the Year at 2026 Suffolk Business Awards

Fleximize, the Ipswich-based alternative lender to UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has been named Finance Business of the Year at the 2026 Suffolk Business Awards, run by Business Awards UK.

Since launching in 2014, Fleximize has funded more than 11,600 loans totalling almost £745 million, supporting an estimated 135,000 jobs across more than 8,000 UK SMEs. The lender was recognised for combining fast, technology-led decisioning with what it describes as responsible lending at scale.

The award also points to the outcomes for the businesses Fleximize funds. Three years after taking out their first Fleximize loan, 76% of SMEs are still trading; after four years, that figure stands at 73%. Office for National Statistics data puts the five-year survival rate for UK SMEs at around 42.4%, suggesting Fleximize-funded businesses substantially outperform the wider market.

The lender's technology is built entirely in-house from its Ipswich Waterfront headquarters, and is designed to support underwriters' judgement rather than replace it. Every automated output is explainable, with an audit trail attached to each decision.

"This award reflects something we've believed since day one: that funding a business well means looking beyond the numbers on a page. Every loan we approve is one we genuinely believe will help a business grow, not just manage cash flow pressures. To be recognised for that approach, in the county we're proud to call home, means a great deal to the whole team."

Fleximize funded £154.7 million across 2,119 loans in 2025 alone. The business is headquartered in Suffolk and works with a national network of brokers, more than 80% of whom return to submit further applications after their first.

The Suffolk Business Awards are run by Business Awards UK, which recognises regional businesses across a range of sectors each year.

For SMEs considering funding, the recognition adds to a growing body of evidence that Fleximize's approach, built on affordability, flexibility, and long-term partnership, delivers results businesses can rely on.