Bizzy launches NZ platform to simplify SME lending comparisons
Addressing SME finance needs
The new platform aims to support the country's more than 530,000 small and medium-sized businesses, targeting key challenges related to cashflow and access to funding. Bizzy is designed as a free-to-use tool where business owners submit one application and receive offers from a panel of eight established lenders. The process is intended to be swift, transparent, and specifically tailored to business finance requirements, allowing applications for both short-term working capital and long-term investment needs.
Co-founder Corinna Stukan, who has significant experience working with small businesses in New Zealand and has previously developed business finance tools for banks, outlined the motivation behind Bizzy's creation. "Running a business is hard enough. Getting finance shouldn't be. What I kept hearing was: 'I don't know where to go, I don't understand the terms and I don't have time to fill out five different applications.' We built Bizzy to solve that,"
she stated.
Ongoing challenges for small enterprises
Recent data from Centrix indicates business lending demand in New Zealand increased by 6% year-on-year as of March 2025. However, access to funding remains a persistent issue. The Global OECD Report on Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs highlights that 23.90% of small businesses in the country sought external finance for survival. At the same time, 43.5% actively sought funding for growth, with many owners resorting to personal savings or going through lengthy application processes to secure finance.
Commenting on these trends, Stukan said, "Small businesses don't just need cash when things are tough - they need it to seize opportunities. Even the Government's Investment Boost policy, for example, requires working capital for the purchase of assets,"
Stukan added, "But traditional lending is still designed for big companies with time, teams and financial firepower."
Marketplace solution and transparency
Bizzy connects small businesses with lenders including FundTap, Line Capital, Lock Finance, Quadrent, and Prospa, providing real-time, easily comparable funding offers. The platform sets out clear summaries of fees and terms, with no impact on the applicant's credit score for initial offers, giving owners the opportunity to assess their choices before proceeding.
The company's four co-founders - Corinna Stukan, Tammy Crause, Nick O'Connor and Mike Burke - bring backgrounds in fintech, lending, and small business strategy, with experience spanning financial institutions such as Westpac, ASB, CBA, Emerge and Fox Group.
Stukan emphasised Bizzy's focus on clarity and customer experience. "We worked closely with lenders on how we display offers so there's no fine print and no surprises. You see what you're getting upfront and what you're paying for across a variety of scenarios and types of lending,"
she said.
Tools for funding decisions
The platform features intelligent filters, helping business owners identify the most suitable funding product for their particular context, whether for bridging short-term shortfalls, asset financing, or unlocking capital for growth. Stukan explained, "It's about providing better transparency and choice. There are many great funding options and customer centric lenders in NZ that SMEs are often not aware of - our mission is to bring those together in one place,"
she said.
Bizzy is aiming to replicate the success of lending marketplaces seen internationally, positioning itself as a starting point for small business lending comparisons in New Zealand.
Stukan described the company's overall ambition, saying, "The goal is simple: use technology to take the stress and uncertainty out of small business finance. Cash(flow) really is king and with the right tech, we can give small business owners transparency, choice and a faster path to capital,"
she concluded.
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