15-07-2025
Cash(Flow) Is King And Bizzy Aims To Fix It!
A group of four seasoned tech and finance founders has launched Bizzy, New Zealand's first unified online marketplace for business lending aimed squarely at helping SMEs bridge cashflow gaps, fund expansion and navigate finance with confidence.
The free-to-use platform enables small business owners to submit one simple application and compare multiple finance offers from a growing panel of trusted lenders (currently eight). The application process is fast, transparent and designed specifically for business use cases - from short-term working capital to long-term growth investment.
"Running a business is hard enough. Getting finance shouldn't be," says co-founder Corinna Stukan, who has worked with hundreds of small businesses across New Zealand and previously built a cashflow insights tool launched through ASB in NZ and Commonwealth Bank in Australia for SMEs. '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 adds.
The problem: cashflow keeps businesses awake
Cashflow remains the biggest operational challenge for New Zealand's 530,000 small businesses. According to data from Centrix, business lending demand is up 6% (YoY March 2024 compared to March 2025), yet access remains a hurdle.
According to the Global OECD Report on Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs, 23.90% of NZ small businesses sought external funding for survival. What's more, 43.5% of NZ small businesses sought funding for growth and many owners still dip into personal savings or face weeks of paperwork just to get a basic finance offer. '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 says. 'But traditional lending is still designed for big companies with time, teams and financial firepower.'
The solution: one application, multiple offers, no hidden fees
Bizzy connects SMEs with lenders such as FundTap, Line Capital, Lock Finance, Quadrent, Prospa and more to provide real-time offers that are easy to compare. The platform shows clear summaries of fees and terms, with no credit score impact for initial applications allowing business owners to see and compare their funding options before making a decision.
Behind the platform are co-founders and directors Corinna Stukan, Tammy Crause, Nick O'Connor and Mike Burke who have deep combined experience across fintech, lending and SME strategy. This includes working with companies such as Westpac, ASB, CBA, digital business financial provider Emerge and Fox Group.
'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," says Stukan.
Built-in smarts for business owners
Bizzy also includes intelligent filters to help business owners find the right type of funding - whether it's bridging a short-term gap, financing assets or unlocking working capital for expansion. '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,' explains Stukan.
Bizzy has ambitious plans to become the go-to starting point for small business lending comparisons in New Zealand inspired by successful marketplaces seen in the UK, US and Asia.
'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,' concludes Stukan.
