Trade Finance for Startups – What Actually Matters to Get Funded
Most startup founders think they won’t qualify for trade finance because their company is “too new.” But the truth is, in trade finance, the age of your company often matters far less than the quality of the transaction itself.
Private lenders and trade credit funds don’t care if you’ve been incorporated for 2 months or 10 years. What they’re looking for is whether the deal is bankable. If it is — you can get funded.
So What Makes a Trade Deal Bankable?
A bankable deal isn’t about you having a perfect credit score or a long company history. It’s about whether the transaction checks these boxes:
- There’s a real buyer and seller — both verifiable
- The goods or services are well defined and priced
- There’s a signed contract, invoice, or purchase order
- There’s a repayment source — usually the end buyer
- There’s a clear timeline and delivery plan
If those elements are in place, private trade finance providers are often willing to fund the deal — even if you’re a new company with no previous trade history.
Examples of Startup-Friendly Trade Finance Deals
- A startup importing medical equipment for a confirmed government buyer
- A new agri-trading firm with a signed order from a supermarket chain
- A software vendor exporting services under a contract with milestone payments
What matters is that the deal can pay for itself. That’s what makes it fundable.
Have a Deal? We Can Help You Fund It.
Financely works with startups and SMEs who have transactions but no track record. If your deal is real, we help structure and introduce it to the right funding source — whether that’s through a DLC, SBLC, receivables finance, or structured credit.
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What You Don't Need
- You don’t need audited financials
- You don’t need a 5-year history
- You don’t need to give away equity or take on long-term loans
Trade finance is transaction-based. The deal funds the deal. That’s what makes it accessible to early-stage companies — if you know how to present it.
How Financely Helps Startups Get Funded
- We review and strengthen your documentation
- We connect you to private trade credit providers, not banks
- We structure deals using DLCs, SBLCs, receivables, or contract finance
You don’t need a long history to get funded. You need a deal that makes sense.
Financely helps you make it fundable — and gets it in front of lenders who say yes to startups.
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