Lender review · Unsecured term loan
Sigma Lending
- Reviewed May 2026
- Editor Oliver Mackman
- Companies House 14826072
- Methodology Public
London-based unsecured business lender incorporated April 2023. Eligibility threshold sits at one and a half years trading and £150k turnover. Useful for established Ltd companies wanting a sub-£150k unsecured top-up at speed.
Director, BestBusinessLoans
Oliver leads BestBusinessLoans's editorial reviews and methodology. With a background in UK commercial finance, he oversees lender research, rate verification and review independence.
Last reviewed: 8 May 2026
At a glance
- Product
- Unsecured term loan
- Ticket size
- £5k to £150k
- Typical rate
- Quoted at offer
- Decision time
- Same day to 24 hours
- Soft search at quote
- Yes
- Limited companies only
- Yes
- FCA regulated
- No
- Companies House
- 14826072
- Founded
- 2023
Scores against our methodology
- Rate transparency2/5
- Eligibility clarity4/5
- Decision speed5/5
- Decline handling3/5
How Sigma Lending works
Sigma Lending operates as a unsecured term loan provider in the UK SMB market. London-based unsecured business lender incorporated April 2023. Eligibility threshold sits at one and a half years trading and £150k turnover. Useful for established Ltd companies wanting a sub-£150k unsecured top-up at speed.
The product mechanic is straightforward in shape but the underwriting is sector-specific. Tickets sit in the £5k to £150k band, decisions land within Same day to 24 hours, and the published rate range is Quoted at offer. Soft search at quote means no impact on your credit file at the eligibility stage. Like most UK lenders to limited companies, the standard SMB lending sits outside the FCA perimeter.
Where Sigma Lending fits best: ltd companies trading 18 months+, £25k to £150k unsecured tickets, director-led smes wanting speed. Where it does not fit: sole traders, sub-18-month trading, rate-shopping borrowers.
Pricing examples
Worked examples using Sigma Lending's published rate range (Quoted at offer). This lender prices by factor rate or bespoke quote, so we show the structure, not a worked APR.
| Ticket | Term | Estimated total cost | Approx monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| £25,000 | 24 months | See lender quote | See lender quote |
| £50,000 | 36 months | See lender quote | See lender quote |
| £100,000 | 48 months | See lender quote | See lender quote |
Indicative only. Confirm on a Sigma Lending quote.
Eligibility
- Trading time: typically 12 to 24 months minimum for the cleanest pricing. Weakness flagged: Sub-18-month trading.
- Turnover floor: not always published. As a working figure, expect a £100k+ turnover requirement for term loans of £50k+. Smaller tickets and MCA structures have lower floors.
- Sector exclusions: Rate-shopping borrowers.
- Credit profile: Clean credit preferred; older satisfied items often acceptable.
- Company structure: Limited companies only.
- Best fit: Ltd companies trading 18 months+; £25k to £150k unsecured tickets; Director-led SMEs wanting speed.
Pros
- + Soft-search at quote, no credit-file footprint.
- + Ltd-only focus means underwriting is tailored to corporate borrowers.
- + Same-day funding for clean cases.
- + Direct lender, no broker mark-up.
Cons
- − Founded 2023, limited public track record.
- − Rates not published; quoted only at offer stage.
- − No published Trustpilot footprint to validate service quality.
- − Sole traders and partnerships not eligible.
Best for
- · Ltd companies trading 18 months+
- · £25k to £150k unsecured tickets
- · Director-led SMEs wanting speed
Weak at
- · Sole traders
- · Sub-18-month trading
- · Rate-shopping borrowers
When to use Sigma Lending
Use Sigma Lending when
Your application matches the best-fit profile: ltd companies trading 18 months+, £25k to £150k unsecured tickets, director-led smes wanting speed. The published ticket range (£5k to £150k) covers your ask, the decision speed (Same day to 24 hours) fits your cash-gap timeline, and the rate range (Quoted at offer) is acceptable to you given your credit profile. Soft search at quote means there is no downside to running an eligibility check before committing.
Do not use Sigma Lending when
Your profile sits in the weak-at list: sole traders, sub-18-month trading, rate-shopping borrowers. Sigma Lending will likely decline, and the decline itself can sit on broker records for 90 days. If you have any of these flags, route directly to a specialist (post-decline lender, MCA against card flow, asset-backed alternative) rather than using Sigma Lending as a screen.
FAQs
What is the minimum trading time for Sigma Lending?
Sigma Lending is weaker on sub-18-month trading. As a working figure, expect Sigma Lending to ask for at least 12 months of trading for most product lines, and 24 months for the cleanest pricing.
Does Sigma Lending require a personal guarantee?
Most UK SMB lenders require a personal guarantee from at least one director. Sigma Lending is no exception in the standard case. The few exceptions: asset-backed lending where the asset itself stands as security, and a small number of MCA structures where card flow is the underwriting basis. For unsecured term loan specifically, expect a PG to be requested.
How fast does Sigma Lending fund?
Sigma Lending quotes Same day to 24 hours for an underwriting decision. Funding to bank account typically follows within one to three working days of acceptance, subject to KYC, signed documents, and (where applicable) registration of any debenture or charge.
What rate should I expect from Sigma Lending?
Sigma Lending's published range is Quoted at offer. The headline number is rarely the offered number. Rate transparency on this lender scores 2/5 in our methodology. Expect the cleaner end of the band only if you have 2+ years of trading, clean credit, and turnover comfortably above the lender's stated floor.
What happens if Sigma Lending declines me?
If Sigma Lending declines, you have three realistic next steps. First, ask for the decline reason in writing, most reputable UK lenders will tell you. Second, route the application to a specialist post-decline lender (Bizcap, JPM Capital, Bolton Finance) where credit issues are the constraint, or to an asset-backed alternative where security is available. Third, use a broker panel to fan the application across the lenders most likely to accept your specific decline reason. Sigma Lending scores 3/5 on decline handling in our methodology.
Where to apply
Apply directly via sigma-lending.com, or use our free quote form to be matched across the UK broker panel most likely to approve your specific profile, not just Sigma Lending.
Specialty alternatives
Reviewed by Oliver Mackman, Director. Last reviewed: 8 May 2026. Lender website: sigma-lending.com.