Small Business Funding Report 2026: Approval Rates by Industry

Key finding: Across 6,440 small business funding applications processed by Fundmerica from January 1 through July 26, 2026, 41.9% resulted in funding — roughly triple the approval rates commonly reported at large banks. Manufacturing and construction businesses were the most fundable; restaurants and trucking the least. Average recorded advance: $41,881.

Data: real, anonymized application outcomes from Fundmerica’s funding marketplace, Jan 1 – Jul 26, 2026. Journalists and bloggers are welcome to cite any figure on this page with attribution and a link (see “Citing this report” below).

Headline Numbers

• 6,440 funding applications processed (Jan 1 – Jul 26, 2026)
• 2,697 businesses funded — a 41.9% funding rate
• $36M+ in recorded fundings; $41,881 average advance
• Funding rates by industry ranged from 31.4% (restaurants) to 48.3% (manufacturing)

Funding Approval Rates by Industry (2026)

*Average among funded deals with recorded amounts. Industries with fewer than 30 applications excluded from the table.

What the Data Says

1. “High-risk” industry labels don’t match funding reality

Construction — an industry banks routinely tag high-risk — was the second most fundable industry in our data at 44.0%, and drew the largest share of applications (over a third of all files). Revenue-based underwriting reads steady deposits and contract backlogs where bank models see volatility.

2. Even the “hardest” industries fund at ~2x bank rates

Restaurants, the lowest-approving category at 31.4%, still funded at roughly double the approval rate that large banks report for small business loans overall. The gap between bank and alternative approval odds is widest exactly where bank risk labels bite hardest.

3. Healthcare gets the biggest checks

Medical & healthcare businesses averaged $61,187 per funding — nearly 3x the automotive average — reflecting stronger revenue bases and larger working-capital needs.

4. Funding held steady through 2026

Monthly funded volume ran between 302 and 436 deals every month January through July, with average advance size trending up — from ~$12.5K in January to ~$19.8K in July — suggesting lenders grew more confident in larger positions as the year progressed.

Methodology

Figures are drawn from 6,440 anonymized, aggregated funding application records processed through Fundmerica’s marketplace between January 1 and July 26, 2026. “Funding rate” is the share of processed applications that resulted in a funded advance or loan. Industry classification follows the application’s self-reported industry, grouped into the categories above; applications without an industry classification are included in totals but not in industry rows. Average funded amounts are calculated among funded deals with recorded amounts (860 deals, $36.0M).

Citing This Report

This data is free to cite for journalism, research, and commentary. Please attribute to Fundmerica and link to this page:

Source: Fundmerica Small Business Funding Report 2026 — https://www.fundmerica.com/small-business-funding-report-2026/

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