What Hilton Smythe does

Hilton Smythe is a UK-based M&A advisory and commercial finance brokerage firm headquartered in Manchester (Bridgewater House, Whitworth Street), founded in 2011 by Gareth Smyth and Craig Graham. The firm serves owner-managed SMEs and entrepreneurs in the £1M to £20M deal-value band, offering four core service areas: Exit Planning (business exit strategy and M&A consulting); Transactions (sell-side advisory, Employee Ownership Trusts, management buyouts, businesses-for-sale listings); Finance & Funding (a regulated suite of commercial finance products including acquisition finance, asset finance, business loans, commercial bridging loans, commercial mortgages, invoice discounting/factoring, development finance, Sharia-compliant finance, and structured finance); and Company Valuation (valuation reports, an online valuation calculator, and expert witness valuation services). The firm operates a Director-led sales model, manages a proprietary database of tens of thousands of active registered buyers, distributes listings across multiple business-for-sale portals, and holds FCA authorisation (number 786204) through its wholly-owned subsidiary Hilton Smythe Finance Ltd., enabling bundled advisory-plus-funding mandates. Named completed transactions span construction skills/training, HR consultancy, health and safety, motorcycle dealership, dental equipment, automotive, and recruitment sectors, with deal sizes ranging from several hundred thousand pounds to more than £2.2m. Hilton Smythe employs 40+ staff, has won Feefo and Best Companies awards, and was recognised by Dealsuite in 2025 as a leading UK and Ireland M&A advisor. Hilton Smythe is founder-owned and independent, with no disclosed external equity investment.

Name

Hilton Smythe

Legal name

Hilton Smythe Group Limited

Website

https://hiltonsmythe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hilton Smythe is a UK-based M&A advisory and FCA-authorised commercial finance brokerage founded in 2011, serving owner-managed SMEs and entrepreneurs with business sales, acquisitions, financing, and valuations in the £1M-£20M deal range.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Finance and M&A Advisory

NAICS

Miscellaneous Intermediation (52391)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

Succession & Exit Planning (Owner Exit Readiness) (FSAEAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

SME Equipment & Asset Finance (Leasing, Fleet, Capex) (FSABABAH)

Keywords

• Business brokerage services
• M&A advisory
• Commercial finance brokerage
• Company valuation services
• Exit planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Bolton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. M&A Advisory and Sales Services: Fees earned from advising business owners on exit planning, business sales, mergers and acquisitions, and related transaction advisory services. The firm manages the entire selling lifecycle from valuation through to completion.
2. Commercial Finance Brokerage: Arranging commercial finance solutions including acquisition finance, asset finance, business loans, commercial mortgages, and invoice finance for clients. Earns commissions or fees from lenders and financial institutions for facilitating finance arrangements.
3. Company Valuation Services: Provides business valuation reports and expert witness valuation services. Offers a free indicative valuation calculator as a lead generation tool, with full valuation services offered as a professional engagement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hilton Smythe is a UK corporate finance and exit advisory firm that helps owner-managed SMEs and entrepreneurs buy, sell, and finance businesses. The firm manages the entire transaction lifecycle — from exit planning and valuation, through buyer matching and deal structuring, to arranging commercial finance via its FCA-authorised subsidiary. It serves businesses typically valued between £1M and £20M, with revenue earned through advisory fees, finance broker commissions, and valuation engagement fees.

Product overview

Hilton Smythe is a corporate finance and exit advisory firm providing a comprehensive suite of professional services for owner-managed SMEs and entrepreneurs. The firm operates as a unified service offering rather than a software product platform, organized around four core service areas: Exit Planning (including business exit strategy and M&A consulting), Transactions/M&A (covering business sales, Employee Ownership Trusts, Management Buyouts, and businesses for sale listings), Finance & Funding (offering commercial finance products including acquisition finance, asset finance, business loans, commercial bridging loans, commercial mortgages, invoice discounting/factoring, development finance, Sharia finance, and structured finance), and Company Valuation (providing business valuation reports, an online valuation calculator tool, and expert witness valuation services). The firm is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under number 786204.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Exit Strategy Strategic advisory service helping business owners plan and execute their exit from a business, including exit readiness assessment and timing optimisation. For owner-managed SMEs preparing to sell or transfer ownership.
• M&A Consulting Mergers and acquisitions advisory service guiding clients through the entire M&A transaction process from origination to completion. For SMEs and entrepreneurs pursuing mergers or acquisitions.
• Sales Advisory Sell-side advisory service managing the entire business selling lifecycle to maximise shareholder value. For business owners preparing to exit their businesses.
• Employee Ownership Trusts Advice Advisory service for transferring business ownership to employees through an Employee Ownership Trust structure. For owners considering succession via employee ownership.
• Management Buyout Advisory Advisory service facilitating management buyout transactions where existing management acquires the business. For SMEs with management teams pursuing buyouts.
• Businesses for Sale Listings Marketplace listing service connecting business sellers with qualified buyers across the UK via Hilton Smythe's proprietary database and listings on BusinessesForSale.com, Daltons Business, Rightbiz, Rightmove, and MergerVault.
• Acquisition Services Buy-side advisory service helping buyers identify and evaluate acquisition targets aligned with their growth plans. For acquirers and buyers seeking UK SME opportunities.
• Acquisition Finance Financing solutions arranged for business acquisitions, including debt and structured funding options. Brokered via FCA-authorised Hilton Smythe Finance Ltd. (FCA number 786204).
• Asset Finance Financing arrangements using business assets as collateral for loans, brokered through the FCA-regulated finance subsidiary.
• Business Loans General commercial lending products arranged for business growth and operational needs via the FCA-regulated subsidiary.
• Commercial Bridging Loans Short-term financing solutions arranged to bridge funding gaps during business transitions, via the FCA-regulated subsidiary.
• Commercial Mortgages Property financing solutions arranged for commercial real estate acquisitions via the FCA-regulated subsidiary.
• Invoice Discounting Arrangements that unlock cash flow from outstanding invoices through discounting facilities, brokered via the FCA-regulated subsidiary.
• Invoice Finance Financing solutions arranged using accounts receivable as collateral, via the FCA-regulated subsidiary.
• Development Finance Specialised financing arranged for property development projects via the FCA-regulated subsidiary.
• Sharia Finance Islamic-compliant financing solutions arranged in adherence to Sharia principles, via the FCA-regulated subsidiary.
• Structured Finance Customised financing structures arranged to meet complex transaction requirements via the FCA-regulated subsidiary.
• Company Valuation Reports Professional business valuation service providing detailed reports on enterprise value. For owners, buyers, and advisers requiring formal valuations.
• Expert Witness Valuation Professional valuation service provided for legal proceedings and dispute resolution, with named MEWI expertise on the team. For legal professionals, courts, and parties to disputes.
• Business Valuation Calculator Free online tool that produces an instant indicative business valuation based on user-submitted financial data. Used as a lead-generation and self-serve valuation entry point for prospective M&A and valuation clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sale of Competence Matters completed for £2.2m+, almost £400,000 above original valuation, in just six months with three serious offers secured within four weeks.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bolton Lads & Girls ClubcoreOthers · 1 January 2017Hilton Smythe is a Silver Patron of Bolton Lads & Girls Club, a youth club and registered charity based in Bolton, Greater Manchester established in 1889. The company has been proud patrons since 2017. Craig Graham, Group Operations Director, stated that supporting charities that help young people in their local area is something the company is very passionate about, and they have created more than 40 jobs since starting the company in 2011.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KBS Corporate: UK-based business sales agent and M&A advisor focused on owner-managed SMEs across a similar £1M–£20M+ deal range. Offers a directly comparable Director-led sell-side advisory service competing head-to-head with Hilton Smythe in the same segment.
• Knightsbridge Business Sales: UK business broker specialising in the sale of owner-managed SMEs, with a comparable Director-led, full-lifecycle advisory offering. Direct competitor in the lower-mid-market M&A advisory space.
• Christie & Co: UK-based specialist M&A advisor with deep sector coverage (hospitality, healthcare, leisure, childcare, retail, medical) for owner-managed and mid-market businesses. Comparable sell-side advisory model with similar Director-led engagement approach.
• Dow Schofield Watts: UK corporate finance advisor formed from a network of accountancy firms, advising on M&A, funding, and exits for SMEs. Closely comparable client base and full-lifecycle advisory model, with a stronger accountancy-led origination engine.
• RG Corporate: UK specialist corporate finance boutique providing M&A advisory, debt advisory, and valuation services to owner-managed businesses in the lower-mid-market. Directly comparable service mix and target client profile.

Broad incumbents

• FRP Advisory: Major UK-listed advisory firm offering corporate finance, restructuring, and transactions services to mid-market and larger SMEs. A broader incumbent with overlapping sell-side advisory capabilities but a much wider portfolio and larger deal sizes.
• Begbies Traynor Group: UK-listed professional services firm offering business recovery, advisory, and transactional services. Overlaps with Hilton Smythe's advisory and finance brokerage offerings across distressed and growth-oriented SME mandates.
• Aldermore: UK challenger bank providing commercial finance, asset finance, and business loans to SMEs. Comparable to Hilton Smythe Finance Ltd.'s product set, but as a principal lender rather than a broker.
• Bibby Financial Services: UK-based invoice finance and commercial funding provider. Comparable to the invoice discounting, factoring, and broader commercial finance products that Hilton Smythe Finance Ltd. brokers for SME clients.

Emerging players

• Funding Circle: UK-based online lending platform offering business loans to SMEs. Competes with the asset finance/business loan products arranged by Hilton Smythe Finance Ltd., but operates as a digital-first direct lender rather than an intermediary broker.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/in/gareth-smyth-hs
• Xx.com/hiltonsmythe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Hilton Smythe