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Honey Badger + Bourn: Real-Time Risk Checks, Fewer Sleepless Nights

  • Writer: Matt Salisbury
    Matt Salisbury
  • Jul 8
  • 2 min read

We’re thrilled to announce a new partnership that’s fast, clever, and frankly a little bit magic: Honey Badger has teamed up with Bourn, the fintech that’s rebuilding working capital for the UK’s growth economy.

Together, we’re making SME lending smarter, faster, and significantly less prone to fraud (hooray!).


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So what’s the deal?

Bourn has embedded Honey Badger’s pre-KYC risk intelligence directly into its lending flow. That means banks and lenders using Bourn can now verify SME applicants, their contact details, and even their debtors in real time— in under 15 seconds.


It’s a big upgrade from the usual game of "wait for documents, squint at spreadsheets, pray for the best."


Why does this matter?

Most risk and fraud checks happen too late. They’re slow, manual, and often reactive. By contrast, Honey Badger works before onboarding, using just an email or phone number to surface thousands of signals—from breached credentials and digital footprint, to signs of financial stress.


It’s like having a superpowered sixth sense for dodgy data and risky behaviour.


This partnership means lenders can now:

  • Instantly verify contact details

  • Detect synthetic or manipulated identities before exposure

  • Spot financial distress in directors before it becomes a problem

  • Slash approval times with real-time debtor checks

  • Cut manual work and make faster, safer decisions


And for SMEs?

They get what they actually want:


✔ Faster access to funds

✔ Fewer hoops to jump through

✔ A better experience all around


The big picture:

SME finance is changing—and not a moment too soon. This partnership is about rebuilding the system with embedded AI, automation, and the kind of risk insight that doesn’t slow you down, but actually gives you an edge.


As Matt Salisbury, our CEO and Co-Founder, puts it:

“You don’t have to sacrifice speed for confidence. When risk is handled properly and early, it becomes a competitive advantage.”

We couldn’t agree more. And Bourn got it instantly.


Want to see what intelligent SME lending looks like?

 
 
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