Qred and Liberis Complete Merger for Small Business Lending
The combined group will serve more than 60,000 small businesses across 17 countries under its existing brands for now.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Financial Services
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Fintech companies Qred and Liberis have completed their merger, with Qred founder Emil Sunvisson becoming Group CEO and Liberis CEO Rob Fairfield becoming Deputy CEO. The combined business brings together Qred's regulated banking capability and Liberis's embedded finance technology.
Why it matters
Traditional lenders rely on backwards-looking credit scores and paperwork that can take weeks, and bank lending continues to retreat from the smallest firms. The merger aims to broaden the financial services available to small businesses and their partners over time.
The combined group serves more than 60,000 small businesses and has access to roughly 11.5 million addressable merchants. In Liberis's December 2025 Impact Report, 76% of more than 1,700 surveyed funded merchants had previously been rejected by traditional lenders.
The players
Qred
Qred is a European fintech lender focused on small business financing, now part of a combined group with Liberis.
Liberis
Liberis is an embedded finance provider that offers merchant cash advance and business funding through partner platforms.
Emil Sunvisson
Emil Sunvisson is the founder of Qred and now serves as Group CEO of the combined business.
Rob Fairfield
Rob Fairfield is the CEO of Liberis and now serves as Deputy CEO of the combined business.
The details
Qred's regulated banking capability and direct small business relationships are being combined with Liberis's partner-led embedded finance distribution, which includes partners such as Deliveroo, Vagaro and Nexi. Both businesses will continue operating under their existing brands, with partner integrations and customer relationships unchanged for now.
Timeline
December 2025: Liberis published its Impact Report survey.
November 2, 2026: The merger completion was reported.
Market Landscape
The merger follows a documented pattern in the Liberis December 2025 Impact Report, where 76% of more than 1,700 funded UK and US merchants had been rejected by traditional lenders at least once. Combining embedded distribution with regulated banking positions the group to compete for small business lending as traditional bank credit continues to retreat from the smallest firms.
Small business owners who rely on Qred or Liberis funding will see no immediate changes, as both businesses continue under their existing brands and partner integrations. Owners who have been turned down by banks may find more funding options over time as the group broadens its product offerings.
The takeaway
Alternative lenders are increasingly combining regulated banking with embedded distribution to reach small firms that traditional banks have turned away. For small business owners, the practical step is to compare funding options across providers rather than relying on a single lender's decision.
Further reading
For more on how lenders are changing their approach to business credit, see the Financial Services section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Finextra Research.
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