Menna partners with Equifax UK to help SMEs improve funding readiness

Cardiff-based fintech Menna has announced a new partnership with Equifax UK aimed at helping small businesses better understand and improve their creditworthiness before applying for finance.

The partnership will integrate Equifax credit data into Menna’s AI Finance Assistant, enabling SMEs to access real-time insights into how lenders may assess their applications. The platform is designed to translate complex credit and financial information into plain-language guidance, helping businesses identify potential issues and take action before seeking funding.

The announcement comes amid ongoing concerns around access to finance for UK SMEs. According to figures referenced in the announcement, the Bank of England has identified a £22 billion SME funding gap, while loan acceptance rates have fallen below 50%. Confidence among SMEs in successfully securing finance has also dropped significantly over the past decade.

Menna says the partnership is intended to help businesses move from a reactive funding process to one focused on “funding readiness”, giving owners greater visibility of the factors influencing lending decisions. The AI-powered assistant can highlight issues such as late payments, outstanding invoices, account history and cashflow trends, while providing practical steps to strengthen a company’s financial position.

Dan Mines, Co-Founder of Menna, said:

“Small businesses should not have to wait for a loan application to be denied before understanding their creditworthiness. By combining Menna’s Agentic AI-driven insights with trusted Equifax data, we’re helping business owners understand why a bank says no, what is affecting their credit profile, and the practical steps they can take to improve how they are seen by lenders – giving them greater confidence to borrow, plan ahead and grow.”

Matt Jones, VP, Partners at Equifax UK, added:

“Small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy, yet too many still face a confidence shortfall when it comes to seeking funding. Through our partnership with Menna, we want to help change that by democratising access to the financial and credit insights that have traditionally felt out of reach.

“This is about giving SMEs a clearer roadmap to funding readiness – helping them better understand the factors shaping lender decisions so they can approach borrowing with greater confidence, build resilience, and unlock future sustainable growth.”

About Menna

Menna is an AI-powered credit intelligence platform designed to help small business owners understand, monitor and improve their business credit profile. By translating complex commercial credit data into clear explanations, early warnings and practical actions, Menna aims to give businesses greater visibility into how they are viewed by lenders, suppliers and insurers before finance decisions are made. The company is headquartered at Cardiff University Innovation Hub and was founded by Dan Mines and Nick Carlton.

About Equifax

Equifax is a global data, analytics and technology company that supports financial institutions, businesses, employers and government organisations with data-driven decision-making. Headquartered in Atlanta, Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries worldwide. Equifax UK is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.