About First Circle

Our Story

Learn about First Circle, how it started and what it stands for.
First Circle's mission is to provide fast, fair and flexible business loans to SMEs

Our Mission

Our mission is to enable businesses to achieve their full potential through fast, fair, and flexible financial partnership.

Why we exist

Supporting our customer’s growth

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) exist in a pre-internet economic ecosystem. This is true for their interaction with trading partners and financial institutions. Both require enormous manual administration and have unpredictable outcomes. This inhibits their growth and development which have a great opportunity as the economy expands.

At First Circle, we believe that strong businesses deserve to succeed based on the merit they possess, instead of the resources that they currently have. We believe that you deserve honesty, transparency, and convenience. This is best served through a mobile or web-only experience and supported by our dedicated Relationship Managers, who will take care of your needs every step of the way.

Small businesses are the life-blood of the economy. With the right resources and support, they can drive the nation’s development and improve the livelihoods of millions of people.

This culture of supporting our customer’s growth is at the heart of everything we do. This is what gets us excited about coming to work every day.
First Circle supports business growth through their Revolving Credit Line
First Circle can be relied on as a source of short term and long term financing
Who we are

A FinTech company financing your business possibilities

First Circle was founded to help empower Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in growth markets by financing their business-to-business (B2B) trade transactions. This is in hopes of bridging the big credit gaps to help grow businesses by providing convenient and flexible financial services. First Circle believes that strong businesses should have access to capital based on meritocracy or the mere relationships and connections one may have.

Since our public launch in 2016, we have significantly grown our customer base. Led by a team of ex-Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, Amazon, and Web Summit management members with experience in technology, financial services, and e-commerce, we are currently providing SMEs from various industries with millions of dollars worth of financing, through products that meet the businesses where they are. This is a clear confirmation of the trust we have earned from businesses nationwide.

As we are looking forward to the future with financial optimism, we gear toward partnering and empowering more and more SMEs in the Philippines - and soon the rest of Southeast Asia!

Trusted by the Philippine government, First Circle is an official finance partner of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). We are also one of the first FinTech companies to be licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the Philippines.

We are supported by local and international advisors

RJ Ledesma for First Circle
“First Circle is a startup that helps SMEs better understand the risks of lending and will also want to be with them in helping them grow their business.”
RJ Ledesma
Co-Founder, Mercato Centrale
Teresita Herbosa for First Circle
“SMEs should only borrow from registered lenders, like First Circle. They ensure welfare of borrowers by being compliant to the Truth in Lending Act.”
Teresita Herbosa
Former Chairperson Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)
Phillip Riese for First Circle
“I have seen many business models and First Circle has adopted an award winning approach to attract a large customer base with potential across Southeast Asia.”
Phillip Riese
Former Chairman, Zopa
Sergio Ortiz for First Circle
“First Circle is new and worth looking at because it can address the issue of small businesses who cannot get finance from banks.”
Sergio Luis Ortiz
President, Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PhilExport)
Farouk Meralli for First Circle
“First Circle has one of the strongest and hardest working teams in Southeast Asia, addressing a very large market across the region.”
Farouk Meralli
CEO, mClinica
"First Circle is worth looking at because it can address the issue of small businesses who cannot get finance from banks.”
Sergio Luis Ortiz
President, Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PhilExport)