ThinCats vs Growth Lending | Mid-Market Business Loans Compared
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- Cost: neither lender publishes a standard public rate sheet on the pages found, so the true pricing can only be confirmed during underwriting.
- Speed: timelines are not stated consistently in public material; you should treat any estimates as indicative until you request a formal assessment.
- Eligibility: ThinCats is positioned around mid-sized SMEs with filed accounts and meaningful turnover, while Growth Lending highlights proven models and higher revenue thresholds.
- Deal size and suitability: ThinCats is framed around £1m to £15m debt solutions, Growth Lending around £2m to £10m growth credit and term loans, with security and deal structure varying by case.
Products and terms at a glance
Both lenders market debt finance aimed at mid-sized UK businesses, but the way they describe the product is different. ThinCats describes “long-term debt funding” and specifies loan ranges on its funding solutions page, while Growth Lending describes “term loans” and also a wider “growth credit” facility structure.
| Feature | ThinCats | Growth Lending |
|---|---|---|
| How the product is framed | Debt funding solution for mid-sized SMEs, with secured loan types referenced in public summaries | Term loans and growth credit for fast-growth firms, positioned as growth capital |
| Typical funding range (as stated) | £1m to £15m debt solutions are described on its funding solutions page | Growth credit is described as £2m to £10m, and term loans are described as part of its growth capital offering |
| Use cases (as described) | Funding for growth, acquisitions, refinancing and restructuring is referenced in ThinCats materials | Funding for growth initiatives such as M&A and R&D is referenced in Growth Lending term loan and growth credit content |
| Security | ThinCats is typically discussed as offering secured loan types in third-party reviews, and business financing in this segment often involves security arrangements that are agreed per deal | Security arrangements are not consistently set out in the public snippets captured, and can depend on the facility and collateral structure |
| Repayment profile | Repayment structure is deal-specific, with fixed or floating interest described in third-party summaries | Term loans are drawn as a loan facility, with repayment structured over the loan term, with tranching referenced for growth credit |
What to take from this
If your priority is a mid-market term loan for growth, both lenders are relevant. However, you should plan for differences in deal structuring, especially around security, and differences in documented eligibility thresholds.
ThinCats range and positioning are based on its Funding Solutions page. Growth Lending’s term loan and growth capital range statements are based on its term loans page and growth credit page.
Costs and repayments in practice
Neither lender’s public pages surfaced in the searches provided a single, universal rate, APR or fee schedule that you can apply directly to your case. In practice, pricing in this segment is usually driven by underwriting factors such as business financial strength, the proposed use of funds, and the agreed security package. ThinCats also frames its products as tailored funding solutions rather than fixed promotional pricing in its “funding solutions” material. Growth Lending similarly frames its term loans as dependent on fit with a growth profile and business model.
Because exact rates were not confirmed from the official pages located in the searches, the example calculations below use realistic illustrative assumptions and label them clearly.
| Cost component | ThinCats | Growth Lending |
|---|---|---|
| Interest rate | Varies by deal, public summaries reference a range but it is not presented as a definitive public rate sheet on the lender pages surfaced | Varies by deal, public content focuses on eligibility and facility range rather than a standard published rate |
| Fees | Varies and can include arrangement and other charges, but a definitive “all fees, all deals” list was not surfaced in the lender pages found | Varies by facility, fees are not clearly published in the lender pages surfaced |
| Repayment | Repayments are structured according to the loan agreement for the facility | Repayments are structured over the term, with tranching referenced for growth credit facilities |
Worked example 1, illustrative (fully amortising)
- Finance amount: £2,500,000
- Term: 48 months
- Rate assumption: 10% per annum, illustrative fixed rate assumption because exact lender pricing was not available in sources found
- Monthly repayment: £65,021 (illustrative)
- Total repayable: £3,121,008 (illustrative)
Worked example 2, illustrative (fully amortising)
- Finance amount: £6,000,000
- Term: 60 months
- Rate assumption: 9.5% per annum, illustrative fixed rate assumption because exact lender pricing was not available in sources found
- Monthly repayment: £124,034 (illustrative)
- Total repayable: £7,442,040 (illustrative)
How to use these numbers responsibly
The examples show how term, not just finance amount, can materially change total cost. In real applications you should request the lender’s offer documentation for the specific facility, including how interest is applied and the exact repayment schedule.
Speed and service
Public sources found in the research did not provide a single, comparable “time to decision” and “time to completion” metric for both lenders. For underwriting-led mid-market lending, timelines are commonly influenced by how quickly you can provide financial statements and information to complete credit assessment, and by how complex the security or structuring becomes.
What you can verify from publicly found sources
ThinCats customer review sentiment is available via Trustpilot. A Trustpilot page for thincats.com shows a TrustScore and review volume in the material surfaced by searches, with the reviews reflecting mixed experiences. Growth Lending Trustpilot scores were not clearly confirmed in the retrieved results in the same structured way as ThinCats, so this guide does not state a score for Growth Lending.
For complaint routes, ThinCats provides a contact route for complaints through its “Contact Us” page, and its complaints references include an email address shown in search results. The underlying complaints handling approach is also supported by an externally hosted complaints procedure PDF referenced in the searches, which is consistent with how FCA-regulated firms typically document stages and timelines.
For Growth Lending, a “complaints procedure” link is shown in the search results for its site, and you should rely on the published procedure during an actual complaint rather than third-party summaries.
Account management style
Neither lender’s public pages captured in the searches were sufficiently detailed to confirm whether the service is dedicated versus primarily portal-based for every borrower. Instead of assuming a service model, treat this as something to clarify during your application discussion, particularly if you need fast iteration on documents.
Who each lender suits
This section focuses on the overlap for mid-market term debt, and on the factors that appear in the eligibility-related material captured by searches.
ThinCats fit
ThinCats positions itself as a provider of debt solutions to mid-sized SMEs. In eligibility-type material found during searches (via a third-party summary), ThinCats is described as commonly requiring filed accounts (at least two years, with three years preferred) and profitability, with a minimum annual turnover around £1m. ThinCats also states on its funding solutions page that it supports mid-sized SMEs across the UK and describes a £1m to £15m range.
ThinCats is also described as structured for a variety of growth and transaction needs including acquisitions and refinancing, so it can suit borrowers who are preparing a business plan around those goals.
These points are based on the ThinCats funding solutions description, and an eligibility summary found in the research via Funding Agent’s ThinCats review.
Growth Lending fit
Growth Lending’s term loan eligibility-type content emphasises proven business models and specific revenue thresholds. The “term loans” page describes that to secure Growth Lending term loan finance, a business must have a proven business model with revenues of more than £3m, be registered in the UK, have a trading history of more than 12 months, and operate a B2B model.
Growth Lending also describes growth credit facilities ranging from £2m to £10m, with tranches drawn through the term usually three to five years, which can be relevant if you need staged funding aligned to project milestones.
These points are based on Growth Lending’s term loans page and growth credit page.
Overlap and key differentiators
Both are aimed at mid-market borrowers using term debt for growth, but their “minimum bar” signals differ. ThinCats appears positioned around mid-sized SMEs with meaningful turnover and a preference for longer trading histories, while Growth Lending explicitly references revenues above a threshold and a B2B model requirement in the eligibility summary captured from the term loans page.
How to apply
ThinCats application route
From the public pages surfaced, ThinCats provides a “contact us” channel and explains its funding solutions positioning. The research did not surface a full, step-by-step application checklist on a single official page in the results returned, so this section stays at a practical level: you can expect to submit company information and documents supporting your accounts and the intended use of funds, and to discuss security and transaction specifics during underwriting.
Use ThinCats’s official contact page as your starting point, based on ThinCats contact us.
Growth Lending application route
Growth Lending’s site includes a growth capital hub and a portal concept referenced in search snippets. As with most mid-market lenders, you should expect to provide management and financial information, explain the growth plan, and be prepared for underwriting questions around your revenue, business model, and trading history. If you are applying for growth credit structures, be ready to discuss how any tranching would map to your timeline.
Start from Growth Lending’s term loans page, which outlines the product and eligibility framing.
Common document set to prepare (practical)
- Latest filed accounts and management accounts (if available)
- Information on company structure, ownership and trading history
- Summary of how the funds will be used (for example, acquisition, refinancing, or growth investment)
- Details on any security you can offer and existing facility commitments
Frequently asked questions
1) Are ThinCats and Growth Lending both for UK limited companies?
Both lenders market to UK-based businesses in their mid-market segments, but eligibility specifics can differ by lender and by product structure. Your ability to apply depends on the lender’s stated criteria for the particular facility (for example, revenue thresholds and trading history) rather than only the legal form.
2) What finance amount can I request?
ThinCats describes debt solutions in a £1m to £15m range on its funding solutions page. Growth Lending describes growth credit within a £2m to £10m range on its growth credit content, and also offers term loans as part of its term loan offering. The final offered amount depends on underwriting and deal fit.
3) Will my repayments be fixed or variable?
Repayment mechanics depend on the loan agreement and how the interest is structured for your facility. Public sources found in the research did not provide a universal fixed versus variable rule that applies to every borrower, so you should expect the repayment and interest basis to be confirmed in your offer.
4) How do I complain if something goes wrong?
ThinCats provides a complaints contact route via its site and shows a complaints procedure reference through linked materials. Growth Lending also references a complaints procedure on its site. In both cases, follow the published procedure and then use the Financial Ombudsman Service route if the complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction.
Final verdict
Choose ThinCats if:
- You are seeking mid-market debt funding and your business fits ThinCats stated £1m to £15m funding solutions positioning
- You value a lender framed around mid-sized SMEs with growth, acquisitions, refinancing and restructuring use cases
- You expect your facility to be structured with a security and underwriting process appropriate to secured or structured mid-market term debt
Choose Growth Lending if:
- Your business meets Growth Lending’s highlighted eligibility framing for term loans, including a proven model and a B2B structure with revenues above the threshold stated
- You want growth capital framed around £2m to £10m and are open to tranche-based funding structures for milestones
- Your planning aligns with term debt for growth initiatives such as M&A and R&D as described by the lender
Sources
Official sources
- ThinCats, Funding Solutions
- ThinCats, Contact Us
- Growth Lending, Term Loans
- Growth Lending, Growth Credit
- Growth Lending, site overview
- Growth Lending, Contact Us
Third-party sources
- FCA Register entry for Thinc Group Limited (shows no longer authorised status since 16/05/2025)
- Trustpilot, customer reviews for thincats.com
- FCA, How to complain
- Financial Ombudsman Service, decision reference DRN6738447
- Funding Agent, ThinCats review (used for eligibility summary where official thresholds were not found in the lender pages surfaced)
