Castle Trust

What Castle Trust does

Castle Trust Bank is a UK-regulated challenger bank operating three business lines from offices in Basingstoke and London. Its savings division takes retail deposits via a direct online platform and mobile app across fixed-rate, notice and Cash ISA products, holding approximately £1.5bn across c.36,000 customers as at September 2025 and protected by FSCS up to £120,000. Its property finance division originates bridging loans (light and heavy refurbishment, including an EPC Uplift product tied to 2030 energy-efficiency rules) and Buy-to-Let mortgages (TermTen), with a £648m loan book at September 2024, distributed exclusively through mortgage brokers and intermediaries via the PULSE digital portal built with Finova's cloud lending platform.

Revenue is generated from net interest spread between its £648m property finance book and £958m deposit base at September 2024, supplemented by interest and fee income from a £210m+ retail finance book (Omni Capital Retail Finance) used by 2,000+ partner retailers and 140,000+ customers at point of sale. The bank is authorised by the FCA and PRA (reference 541910), holds £120.1m of equity against £1,102.1m of total assets as at September 2024, and is principal-owned by J.C. Flowers & Co., a US private equity firm. The bank's technology roadmap includes a 2026 migration of the savings platform to Monument Technology's Banking Platform-as-a-Service (running on Mambu's core banking engine), targeted to complete in early 2027, alongside the PulSE broker portal and DocuSign-integrated 48-hour Dual Rep refinance service.

Name

Castle Trust

Legal name

Castle Trust Capital plc

Website

https://castletrust.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Castle Trust Bank is a UK-regulated challenger bank providing retail savings accounts (fixed-rate, notice and Cash ISAs), specialist property finance through mortgage brokers, and point-of-sale retail finance via its Omni Capital subsidiary. It serves UK retail savers, property investors, and partner retailers from Basingstoke and London.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Property Finance Lending: Castle Trust Bank generates interest income from bridging loans and buy-to-let mortgages extended to property investors and landlords. The property finance loan book stood at £648 million as at September 2024, with continued focus on bridging for property purchases, light and heavy refurbishments with drawdown facilities.
2. Savings Deposits: The bank accepts fixed-term, fixed-rate, and notice account savings from retail customers, with approximately £958 million in savings deposits as at September 2024. Interest is paid to savers while the bank deploys these funds into lending activities.
3. Retail Finance: Omni Capital Retail Finance provides point-of-sale consumer finance through partner retailers, generating interest and transaction income. The retail finance loan book stood at over £210 million as at September 2024, working with over 2,000 partner retailers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Castle Trust Bank is a UK-regulated challenger bank that takes retail savings deposits (fixed-rate accounts, notice accounts, and Cash ISAs) and lends the proceeds to property investors via bridging loans and Buy to Let mortgages, distributed exclusively through mortgage brokers. It also operates Omni Capital Retail Finance, a point-of-sale consumer finance business serving over 2,000 partner retailers across the UK.

Product overview

Castle Trust Bank operates as a multi-product financial services provider with three core divisions: Savings (fixed rate accounts, notice accounts, and Cash ISAs), Property Finance (bridging loans and Buy to Let mortgages distributed through brokers), and Retail Finance (through Omni Capital Retail Finance). The bridging portfolio includes Light Refurb Bridge and Heavy Refurb Bridge products, alongside the recently launched EPC Uplift Bridge for energy efficiency improvements. The TermTen Buy to Let product provides longer-term mortgage funding. All property finance products are distributed exclusively through brokers via the PULSE digital platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fixed Rate Savings Accounts Fixed-term savings accounts with guaranteed interest rates over a range of fixed terms, available to UK retail savers online and via the Castle Trust Bank mobile app.
• Notice Accounts Flexible savings accounts that allow additions at any time and withdrawals subject to a notice period, with interest rates varying by notice period.
• Cash ISAs (e-Cash ISA) Tax-free Cash ISA savings accounts available as fixed-term or notice products, with transfers of existing ISAs accepted.
• Light Refurb Bridge Short-term bridging finance for property investors undertaking light refurbishment of properties, including auction purchases.
• Heavy Refurb Bridge Bridging loan for heavy refurbishment projects with a drawdown facility that releases funds in stages aligned to construction phases.
• EPC Uplift Bridge Specialist bridging loan for landlords to finance energy efficiency refurbishments of rental properties to reach EPC ratings A-C, in advance of the 2030 minimum EPC requirement.
• TermTen Buy to Let Longer-term Buy to Let mortgage product for individual and portfolio landlords, including complex borrower structures such as SPVs, foreign nationals, and portfolio landlords.
• 48-Hour Dual Rep Completion Service Fast-track refinance completion service for bridging and BTL applications, completing from offer to completion within 48 hours using dual legal representation, title insurance, and digital documentation.
• Omni Capital Retail Finance Point-of-sale consumer finance offered through partner retailers, enabling customers to spread the cost of purchases across multiple retail sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 48-hour offer-to-completion service for qualifying refinance applications
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BondsmithcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 15 July 2026Castle Trust Bank partnered with Bondsmith to join its banking panel, bringing Castle Trust's savings products to clients across Bondsmith's network of wealth managers, platforms and advisers. This partnership broadens distribution opportunities and provides clients with seamless access to attractive savings solutions.
• Monument TechnologycoreTechnology or Integration · 1 April 2026Castle Trust Bank is migrating its entire savings business (approximately 36,000 customers with £1.5 billion in deposits) to Monument Technology's Banking Platform-as-a-Service (BPaaS). The migration, expected to complete in early 2027, will make Castle Trust the first regulated bank in the UK to adopt Monument's platform, which runs on Mambu's core banking technology.
• FinovacoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Castle Trust Bank launched PULSE, an upgraded application and processing platform for brokers, developed in collaboration with Finova. PULSE uses Finova's cloud-based core banking system, Finova Lending. The long-standing relationship enables brokers to obtain instant pricing, terms, and credit-backed DIP decisions.
• Russell Cooke SolicitorscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRussell Cooke Solicitors serves as dual representation solicitor for Castle Trust Bank's property finance transactions, enabling fast completions. Used in the 48-hour Dual Rep completion service and across complex refinance cases. The partnership streamlines legal processes and reduces turnaround times.
• EcologiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCastle Trust Bank partners with Ecologi for its tree planting initiative. For every new savings account opened, a tree is planted. Over 70,130 trees have been planted to date. Local villagers are paid to plant and nurture trees, providing income and supporting communities while restoring ecosystems.
• Destination BasingstokeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCastle Trust Bank renewed its Core Sponsor support for Destination Basingstoke for another three years. The not-for-profit organisation celebrates the best of Basingstoke and Deane, bringing together businesses, community groups and charities, and delivering high-profile events.
• Charleston Financial ServicesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMortgage broker that facilitated the £4.8m MUFB refinance deal in Dover. An example of Castle Trust Bank's broker network partnerships.
• GPS FinancialminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMortgage broker that facilitated the £481,286 guest house to holiday let conversion deal. Praised Castle Trust Bank's willingness to find solutions for complex cases.
• Tapton CapitalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProperty finance broker that partnered with Castle Trust Bank for a Grade II listed property auction purchase with complex light refurb requirements, completing in just two weeks.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Shawbrook Bank: UK challenger bank focused on specialist property finance (bridging, BTL, development), commercial lending and savings. Comparable specialist lender serving brokers with bridging and BTL products distributed through intermediaries.
• Aldermore Bank: UK challenger bank offering BTL mortgages, bridging finance, savings and asset finance. Directly comparable on the combination of specialist property lending with a retail savings franchise and similar challenger-bank profile.
• Hodge Bank: UK specialist challenger bank offering bridging, BTL and development finance alongside savings. Comparable scale, specialist property focus and broker-led distribution model.
• Atom Bank: UK digital challenger bank offering savings and residential/buy-to-let mortgages. Comparable as a smaller UK-regulated bank pursuing a digital-first, app-led savings and mortgage proposition.
• Allica Bank: UK challenger bank with a specialist lending focus on SME and property-backed lending, funded by retail and business savings. Comparable challenger-bank profile with modern technology stack and broker partnerships.
• Together Money (Together Financial Services): UK specialist lender in bridging, BTL, development and refurbishment finance, with retail savings funding. Closely comparable specialist property lender targeting complex borrower cases via brokers.
• Cynergy Bank: UK challenger bank serving small businesses, property investors and consumers with savings and specialist lending products. Comparable mid-sized specialist UK bank with similar funding and lending profile.
• OneSavings Bank (Kent Reliance): UK challenger bank with a leading buy-to-let mortgage franchise alongside savings and specialist lending. Highly comparable on the BTL/savings dual-engine model and broker distribution.
• Paragon Bank: UK-regulated bank specialising in buy-to-let and bridging lending alongside retail savings. Closely comparable in product mix (BTL term, bridging, fixed-rate savings) and target customer segments (landlords, property investors, retail savers).

Broad incumbents

• Metro Bank: Larger UK challenger bank with retail savings and mortgage products. Comparable as a UK-regulated alternative to high-street banks, but materially larger and broader in scope than Castle Trust's specialist focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/castle-trust
• Xx.com/castletrust

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Castle Trust