Working capital financing
Nobody grants money for day-to-day cash — working capital is financed, not subsidised. That makes structure the whole game: the right mix of credit limit, guarantees and asset-based instruments decides both availability and price. Below is every working-capital option we track, live from our funding database.
Loans
Capital loan (pääomalaina)case-by-caseA subordinated capital loan under the Finnish Companies Act that strengthens the balance sheet: it counts as equity in the equity-ratio assessment, which…Corporate bondmini-bonds from ~€5M · public issues €20M+Debt sold to investors instead of borrowed from a bank.Loan-based crowdfundingtypically €50k–1MFaster and lighter than bank credit, without collateral, at a clearly higher price.Micro-Enterprise Growth Loan€20k–50kA direct growth loan introduced in 2026 for micro-enterprises that cannot obtain bank financing.Private debt / direct lendingtypically €5–50MNon-bank loans from credit funds for larger needs such as acquisitions, growth and refinancing.TyEL relendingup to your company’s accumulated share of paid TyEL contributionsAn often-forgotten source: borrow back part of the pension contributions your company has paid over the years.Venture debttypically €0.5–5MExtends runway between equity rounds without immediate dilution.Guarantees
Export credit guaranteestransaction-basedFinnvera's export trade-finance guarantees, covering buyer credits, bonds and export receivables.Finnvera Guaranteefrom €10k, no fixed maxFinnvera's general guarantee for financing larger than the Start or SME guarantees cover.SME Guarantee€10k–200k per guarantee (€300k ceiling)A collateral-free guarantee on bank loans for established, financially sound SMEs, covering working capital and investments.Start Guarantee€10k–80k per loanFinnvera guarantees up to 80% of a bank loan for a company under three years old, which is how most young firms secure their first bank financing.Credit lines
Factoring / invoice finance70–90% of invoice value advancedTurns B2B receivables into immediate cash and grows with your sales.Overdraft / credit limitlimit sized to need (typ. €10k–500k)A flexible buffer for seasonal working-capital swings.Sale and leasebackbased on the value of machinery or premises you ownSell equipment or premises you own to a financier and lease them back.How to choose
The base layer: a guaranteed limit. An overdraft or credit limit from your bank covers the everyday swing; where the bank wants comfort, Finnvera’s guarantees carry part of the risk.
Unlock what you already own. Factoring advances your invoices, sale and leaseback releases capital from equipment, and TyEL relending converts pension contributions into loan capacity — all working capital without new collateral.
Growth-stage working capital is its own market. Venture debt and private debt fund fast-growing companies where bank appetite ends — more expensive, but built for the risk.
Frequently asked questions
Are there grants for working capital?
Essentially no — public support for pure working capital comes as guarantees and loans, not grants. Grants in Finland fund projects; day-to-day cash is financed.
How do I fund a growing order book?
Factoring turns invoices into immediate cash, a guaranteed credit limit carries the gap between costs and payments, and for export deals Finnvera's export credit guarantees let your bank finance individual trades.
The bank declined our limit — what next?
A Finnvera guarantee (Start Guarantee for young companies, SME Guarantee beyond that) covers part of the bank's risk and often turns a no into a yes. Asset-based routes — factoring, sale and leaseback, TyEL relending — work from what your company already owns.
Not sure where you fit?
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