Ciaran Burke: Where Should Business Owners Go for Funding?

Ciaran Burke is the co-founder of Swoop, and we spoke about the real pain points business owners face when trying to access finance—and why so many are stuck in outdated assumptions. With over 250,000 businesses using their platform across multiple countries, Ciaran has seen firsthand the huge shift in how funding works today.

We discussed why access to capital is still one of the most intimidating and misunderstood parts of running a business—even though there are more options than ever before. As Ciaran puts it:
“There's such stigma that money equals bank... Whereas actually today it's quite far from the truth.”

Some key themes from our conversation:

• How funding myths are hurting businesses. Many founders still believe banks are their only option. But as Ciaran says, “If the bank says no, it can completely just wipe away that option to access funding or to grow.”
• Getting smart with your numbers. Business owners don’t need to become accountants, but they do need to understand what lenders see. Connecting accounting tools and getting a clear credit picture is the first step to discovering what’s truly possible.
• A new way to save and fund at the same time. Ciaran shares a sharp example where a business was rejected for a loan—until his team recalculated their expenses. By switching FX providers and energy suppliers, “the repayments on the loan were the exact same amount as what we'd saved them.”
• Why chasing VC money too early might be a trap. Founders often obsess over big investment rounds—but, as Ciaran says, “It can take a humongous amount of time out from growing the business.”
• Respecting time and automating the grind. Business owners are time-poor. Swoop’s philosophy? Use existing data, avoid repeating forms, and get money moving fast. Sometimes even “within 24 hours they'll have dollars in their bank account.”

From equity to lending, grants to cash flow tricks, this episode is packed with practical insight—and a few hard truths—for anyone trying to build and fund a business today.

Key takeaways:

• Don’t stop at the bank’s “no”—there are more funding doors than ever.
• Your financial data is your superpower—use it to unlock options.
• Equity isn’t always the answer—sometimes smarter borrowing wins.
• Speed, flexibility, and automation are now part of modern finance.
• A good funding decision starts with understanding your real position.

This one’s for the founders juggling ambition, reality, and that eternal question: “How do I get the money I need—without losing control?”