Defacto
API-first short-term credit for SMEs, embedded in the tools they already use
Defacto is a B2B lending platform that delivers instant short-term loans (invoice financing, inventory financing) through APIs integrated in marketplaces, payment providers and business software, as well as via its own app. It has financed more than €1B to 17,000 businesses across France, Germany, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands and licenses its technology to banks.
Our reading. Best for shops and restaurant groups already using a partner platform that want instant invoice or stock financing without a bank application.
Strengths
- Instant decisions and disbursement via API
- Pay only for the days the credit is used
- Available in five EU countries
Limits
- Short-term working capital only
- Best suited to businesses with digital financial data
Founded 2021; over €1B lent to 17,000 SMEs; €16M round led by Citi Ventures in 2025
Credit facility of up to €167M with Citi and Viola Credit; technology licensed to three major French banks
- 17 Sep 2025 FundingParis-based Defacto raised €16M to expand its AI-powered credit infrastructure, which approves short-term financing in under 30 seconds through partner platforms and marketplaces. The company has financed more than €1bn for about 17,000 SMEs and targets €10bn within three years.
- https://sifted.eu/articles/defacto-funding-round
- https://www.fintechfutures.com/credit-scoring/defacto-secures-credit-facility-of-up-to-167m-with-citi-and-viola-credit