- Company
- Valiant Finance Pty Ltd
- Licence
- ACL 484274
- Type
- Commercial finance brokerage
- Founded
- 2015
- Headquarters
- Sydney
- Products
- Unsecured business term loan, Asset and equipment finance, Invoice finance, Business line of credit, Business overdraft
Valiant Finance is an Australian commercial finance brokerage that matches small and medium businesses to lenders across a wide non-bank panel. The business is broker-distributed rather than direct lending: Valiant does not hold a balance sheet, it matches clients to the lenders most likely to write the file at the best available rate. Their core volume is SME unsecured term loans, asset finance, invoice finance, line-of-credit facilities and business overdrafts.
What Valiant actually is
Valiant Finance is a digital-first commercial finance brokerage that matches small and medium Australian businesses to lenders. The model is brokerage, not direct lending. When a client applies to Valiant, the team profiles the file (business turnover, time in business, security available, credit position, use of funds) and matches the client to one or more lenders on the Valiant panel most likely to write the file. The client then completes a single application that is shared with the matched lenders.
The panel covers a broad sweep of the Australian SME lending market: the Big 4 business banks where appropriate, the tier-2 SME-focused banks (Bankwest, BOQ, Suncorp), the SME-specific non-banks (Prospa, OnDeck, Banjo, Moula, GetCapital and similar), and the major asset finance and invoice finance specialists.
How the fee model actually works
Like most commercial finance brokers in Australia, Valiant is paid by the lender that ultimately writes the loan, not by the borrower directly. The lender pays a commission to the broker, structured as either a flat fee or a percentage of the loan amount, sometimes with a small ongoing trail. The borrower does not pay a separate brokerage fee in most standard transactions.
This is the same fee model that applies to mortgage brokers and the same one disclosed under National Credit Code and the Best Interests Duty. The honest test on whether the fee model creates a conflict is whether the broker recommends the lender that pays the highest commission rather than the lender that fits the client best. In practice, the regulatory framework and the broker association code of conduct push commercial brokers to act in the client interest; the disclosure obligations make commissions visible to the client at the quote stage.
When Valiant is the right pick
Valiant is a reasonable choice for SME borrowers who: are time-poor and want a single application that goes to multiple lenders, do not have a strong existing relationship with a specific bank, and value digital application speed over high-touch relationship banking.
It is less differentiating for businesses that already have a strong banking relationship with a Big 4 SME team (where the existing bank is often the cheapest), and for highly complex transactions (large acquisitions, property-backed business lending) where a relationship-led commercial broker or direct bank relationship typically performs better.
Customer experience and time-to-quote
Most Valiant applications return an indicative quote within 24 to 72 hours for clean files (clear ABN history, clean credit, straightforward use of funds). More complex files (recently restructured business, significant existing debt, weak trading history) take longer. The digital application is well-regarded; the back-end follow-up depends on the lender that ends up writing the file, not on Valiant.
Funds availability after acceptance depends on the lender. SME unsecured term loans from the digital specialists frequently fund within 24 to 72 hours of acceptance. Asset finance, invoice finance and bank-secured products take longer (typically 5 to 15 business days).
The honest pros and cons
- Single application goes to multiple lenders on a wide non-bank-focused panel
- Strong digital experience for time-poor SME owners
- No direct brokerage fee paid by the borrower in standard transactions
- Particular strength on SME unsecured term lending and asset finance
- Not the right model for businesses with strong existing Big 4 relationships
- Complex large transactions (acquisition, property-backed) usually need relationship-led broking
- Like all commission-paid brokers, the conflict-of-interest disclosure framework requires reading
- Customer experience varies once the file moves to the chosen lender
Frequently asked questions
Is Valiant Finance legitimate?
Yes. Valiant Finance Pty Ltd holds Australian Credit Licence 484274. The business has been operating since 2015 and is a member of the major commercial finance broker industry associations. It is registered with ASIC as a regulated credit licensee.
Does Valiant charge a fee to apply?
No fee is charged for an initial enquiry or for the lender matching process. In standard transactions, the lender that writes the loan pays a commission to Valiant; the borrower does not pay a separate brokerage fee. For some complex transactions, an arrangement fee may apply and would be disclosed at the quote stage.
How long does the Valiant Finance process take?
For SME unsecured term lending on clean files, Valiant typically returns an indicative quote within 24 to 72 hours. Funds availability after acceptance depends on the lender that ends up writing the file. SME digital specialists often fund within 24 to 72 hours of acceptance; bank-secured and asset-finance products take 5 to 15 business days.
What lenders are on the Valiant panel?
The Valiant panel includes Big 4 business banks (where the file fits), tier-2 SME-focused banks (Bankwest, BOQ, Suncorp), SME non-banks (Prospa, OnDeck, Banjo, Moula, GetCapital), and major asset and invoice finance specialists. The exact panel evolves as new lenders enter and others exit the SME segment.
How does Valiant compare to its competitors?
In the Australian SME finance brokerage market, Valiant's main competitors include Lend, Capital Investments, BizCap, and a number of smaller boutique brokers. Each has a slightly different lender panel and product specialisation. For a specific file, the brokerage that has the strongest panel coverage for the matched product type typically wins.