BOOST&Co (now Growth Lending)
UK specialist venture debt and growth capital lender to B2B technology and innovation SMEs, operating since 2011 and now part of the Growth Lending Group.
What they do
BOOST&Co provides venture debt and growth capital term loans to high-growth UK SMEs — principally B2B technology businesses — that are beyond early validation but may be pre-profit. Facilities typically run from £1m to £10m, structured as term loans with a 12-month interest-only period followed by 12–24 months of amortisation, secured by a debenture and accompanied by an equity warrant (typically sized at 10–15% of the loan amount). The firm also offers bridge facilities for short-term M&A or refinancing needs, and acquisition loans. Since 2020 it has operated as part of the Growth Lending Group, which added working capital products via acquisitions of GapCap and KX Media Capital, and the group brand is now Growth Lending.
Where they fit in a lower-mid-market raise
The natural fit is a B2B technology or innovation business with at least £2m in contracted or recurring annual revenue, a functioning product, and an established customer base — but one that is not yet fully profitable and wants to avoid equity dilution. BOOST&Co bridges the gap between the last equity round and profitability: working capital for scale-up, R&D investment, or M&A. Within Solon's 3–15m corridor, BOOST&Co competes in the £3m–£10m band for the right borrower profile. The equity warrant makes them economically equivalent to a mezzanine provider in some transactions; advisers should model total cost of capital accordingly rather than treating the interest rate as the only cost.
Where they are not the fit
They are not a fit for asset-heavy or capital-light businesses without recurring/contracted revenue; businesses below the £2m revenue floor; traditional manufacturing or property; consumer-facing companies; any borrower that cannot demonstrate a credible path to profitability; or borrowers uncomfortable with granting equity warrants. Also not appropriate where a full equity raise or asset-based facility would be more efficient — the equity kicker materially increases total cost of capital relative to a straight senior loan.
On the record
BOOST&Co Limited incorporated 3 August 2011; Companies House number 07728296; status Active; SIC 64303 (Activities of venture and development capital companies); registered office 19th Floor, 1 Westfield Avenue, London E20 1HZ.
Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority; FCA reference number 711918.
British Business Investments committed £50m to BOOST&Co's second fund, Industrial Lending II s.a., in May 2019, following a fully-invested first fund (Industrial Lending I) in which BBI had committed £40m across 37 high-growth SMEs.
BOOST&Co's Industrial Lending I fund provided venture debt of £2m–£8m to innovative, fast-growing companies; the fund made total commitments of approximately £100m across 33–37 UK SMEs.
Under the Growth Lending brand, the firm provides growth credit of £2m to £10m to UK-registered B2B businesses with revenues above £2m and a trading history of more than 12 months, drawn in tranches over a term typically of three to five years and secured by a debenture.
Growth Lending targets high-quality growth companies in software, telecommunications, financial services, business services, life sciences and national security, typically with revenues between £5m and £50m.
In 2020, BOOST&Co acquired GapCap and KX Media Capital, consolidating three brands under the Growth Lending Group; the entity now operates publicly as Growth Lending.
This profile is a curated reference note drawn from public sources, not financial advice or a recommendation. Appetite and terms change; a lender's fit for a given credit is established by approaching it, not inferred from a page.