YouLend and Intuit Team Up to Bring Embedded Capital to QuickBooks UK Customers

WHY THIS MATTERS:
Access to working capital remains one of the biggest constraints on small business growth, particularly for micro-businesses underserved by traditional lenders. Embedded finance is reshaping this dynamic by moving funding decisions into the software platforms SMEs already rely on, using real-time business data to reduce friction and improve approval rates. As accounting and payments platforms evolve into financial operating systems, financing is becoming a native feature rather than a separate journey. This shift is especially relevant in the UK, where rising borrowing costs and complex application processes continue to deter entrepreneurs from seeking external capital. Embedded lending models offer a more responsive alternative—aligning funding with cash-flow realities and business performance rather than static credit assessments.

YouLend, the leading global embedded financing platform, and Intuit, the global financial technology platform that makes Intuit TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp, today announced that they will make working capital available to QuickBooks business customers across the UK.  The collaboration sees YouLend being selected as a launch partner for Intuit UK’s new Capital Marketplace, which connects QuickBooks customers with partners for financing, lines of credit and alternative financing. 

Embedded small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) financing allows a business to access working capital  directly through a platform it already uses, such as payments, ecommerce, or accounting software. The financing uses existing business data held by platform providers, requires no separate lender or lengthy application, and is offered when it is needed to support cash flow or growth.

The new capital solution is designed to address the hurdles many small businesses face when looking to secure financing. New Intuit research indicates that for 40% of UK entrepreneurs, access to capital is a barrier to growth. Many also rely on personal savings to fund their operations (71%), and worry about rising borrowing costs (18%).

These pressures fall most heavily on micro-businesses, a group that is 40–70% more likely to drop out of lending applications due to lengthy and complex traditional processes. With YouLend, funding decisions are typically delivered within 24 hours, with flexible repayments linked to future sales, to better support cash flow and seasonal demand. 

Following a successful pilot in 2025, the offering is now entering full national rollout in the UK. During the pilot, QuickBooks business customers were able to access funding from £1,000 to £2m. SMEs across a range of sectors used the funding to support growth and manage operational needs.

QuickBooks customer Nick Bowes, owner of Bowes Logistics Training Ltd, commented, “The application process was simple and straightforward, and the funding has been a huge help in purchasing more equipment. It’s allowed the business to operate more smoothly and grow much faster.”

With eligibility from just three months of trading, the programme offers one of the broadest access models in embedded finance.

Dan Sinclair-Taylor, Strategic Partnerships Lead at YouLend, commented, “YouLend exists to help software platforms support the small businesses that rely on them. By embedding our capital experience inside QuickBooks, we’re giving small businesses a clearer, faster route to check their eligibility and secure funding. The process has been designed to remove friction, so customers know where they stand before they even apply.”

Leigh Thomas, Vice President of EMEA at Intuit, said, “Intuit offers an all-in-one expert platform for UK small and medium businesses to operate and grow. Embedding a Capital Marketplace directly into the Intuit platform removes friction for QuickBooks customers, offering them faster access to funding via key partners, without impacting credit scores. With personalised YouLend offers now available and supported by pre-qualification alerts, our customers are supported to get the financing they need, when they need it.” 

To date, YouLend has provided funding to over 370,000 businesses globally through partnerships with leading commerce, software and payments platforms. YouLend-funded SMEs have seen up to a 50% revenue uplift within six months, proving the impact of fast, flexible capital.

FF NEWS TAKE:
This rollout reinforces embedded finance as a core growth lever for SME platforms. The real test will be scale—how effectively funding reaches the smallest businesses without increasing risk. Watch for broader adoption of data-driven lending as software providers deepen their role in SME financial health.