Apollo backed fund provides 250 million dollar facility to Wayflyer to expand SME funding capacity
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An Apollo affiliated investment vehicle has extended a 250 million dollar credit facility to Wayflyer, increasing the fintech lender’s capacity to finance small and medium sized businesses.
The deal highlights continued institutional appetite for alternative SME lending platforms in 2026, particularly those focused on digital and e commerce businesses.
Quick summary
What happened: Wayflyer secured a 250 million dollar credit facility from an Apollo backed fund.
Who is involved: Wayflyer and ATLAS SP Partners, an Apollo affiliated structured credit platform.
Funding structure: A two year credit facility that Wayflyer can draw down to fund loans to SMEs.
Why it matters for SMEs: It increases the capital available for non bank working capital and growth finance.
What happened
Wayflyer announced that it has secured a 250 million dollar credit facility from ATLAS SP Partners, a structured credit platform backed by Apollo managed funds.
The facility is structured as a two year debt line. In simple terms, Wayflyer can draw capital from the facility and deploy it as working capital advances and growth finance to eligible SMEs.
The announcement confirmed the size and duration of the facility. Pricing, covenants and detailed drawdown mechanics were not disclosed.
Source: Official announcement
SME impact score
Impact rating: 4 out of 5
Reasoning: A 250 million dollar institutional facility is a significant increase in lending capacity for a non bank SME lender. While pricing and risk parameters were not disclosed, the scale and backing indicate meaningful support for SME credit supply.
Why this matters for UK SMEs
UK SMEs operating in e commerce and digital channels may see increased access to revenue based and working capital finance. Greater funding capacity could mean faster approvals or higher available limits for qualifying borrowers.
It may also intensify competition among alternative lenders, which could influence pricing and product flexibility over time.
Market signal analysis
Liquidity signal: Positive, institutional capital continues to flow into SME focused fintech lenders.
Institutional confidence: High, Apollo affiliated capital suggests strong conviction in the asset class.
Competition signal: Increasing, additional funding capacity for one platform typically prompts competitive responses from peers.
This suggests that alternative SME lending in the UK remains attractive to global credit investors, particularly where underwriting is data driven and focused on specific sectors.
Borrowing conditions outlook
Over the next three to six months, non bank working capital availability for digitally native SMEs is likely to remain stable or improve. Pricing will depend on funding costs and credit performance, which were not disclosed in the announcement.
Who may benefit most
Online retailers, consumer brands, and fast growing SMEs with recurring or platform based revenue streams may be best aligned with this type of funding. Businesses seeking non dilutive capital to fund inventory or marketing spend could also benefit.
Funding Agent market note
Large institutional credit lines into specialist SME lenders remain a defining feature of the 2026 funding landscape. The key question for SMEs is not availability alone, but cost, flexibility and suitability relative to traditional bank debt.
Compare your options
Before committing, SMEs should compare revenue based finance, revolving credit facilities, invoice finance and traditional bank loans to ensure the structure fits their cash flow profile and growth plans.
2026 SME lending capital tracker
This 250 million dollar facility adds to the ongoing flow of institutional capital into alternative SME lenders, reinforcing the role of private credit in supporting small business funding beyond the high street banking sector. Broader market data from the Bank of England and programme activity reported by the British Business Bank provide additional context on overall SME credit conditions.
