Why We Chose Trade Finance as Our Niche
There are plenty of industries that could benefit from better B2B finance. We chose suppliers and wholesalers because we think we can materially improve the transaction for both sides.
Suppliers Already Offer Terms
30 days. 60 days. Sometimes longer.
Suppliers do it because it helps close deals and keeps customers buying. But given the choice, most suppliers would still prefer to get paid upfront. That's one side of the problem.
The Other Side Is the Buyer
Not every customer gets access to trade terms. Even when they do, relying on delayed payment can create an awkward dynamic — you are effectively asking your supplier to fund your working capital.
That can strain relationships, make cash flow unpredictable, and become difficult to scale.
Why We Liked This Market
There were a few other reasons trade finance stood out as the niche worth building around.
The purchase is usually productive
Businesses are often buying inventory, materials, equipment or other inputs they expect to turn into revenue.
The financing happens at the point of need
There is already an invoice, there is already a transaction, and there is already something tangible being purchased.
The supplier already owns the customer relationship
Finance can be embedded into an existing sales process rather than requiring the buyer to go searching for a lender separately.
Better terms can help suppliers sell more
Giving customers more flexibility can increase order sizes, improve conversion, and make it easier to win business without discounting.
It can improve cash flow on both sides
The supplier gets certainty, the buyer preserves working capital.
Building Infrastructure, Not a New Behaviour
Perhaps most importantly, trade credit already exists at an enormous scale. We are not trying to convince businesses that paying over time is useful — they already do it.
We are trying to build a better infrastructure layer around something businesses have been doing manually for decades.
Related Topics
To see what this model looks like in practice, read What Are Business Instalment Payments?
For the buyer's side of this, see Alternatives to Trade Credit for Business Customers in New Zealand.
To understand why trade credit can be costly for suppliers to carry themselves, read The Hidden Cost of Offering Trade Credit.
Built for Both Sides of the Transaction
Suppliers get paid upfront. Buyers get structured instalments. See how it works for your business.
