Compass Business Finance

What Compass Business Finance does

Compass Business Finance is a UK-based hybrid independent lender and finance broker, founded in 2005 by brothers Mark and Jamie Nelson and headquartered in Tonbridge. The company provides asset finance, asset-based lending, unsecured loans, M&A finance, professions finance, and commercial mortgages to UK small and medium-sized enterprises, operating both as a direct lender from its own loan book and as a broker introducing customers to its panel of approved lenders. It serves mid-market customers across specialist verticals including print and packaging, engineering and manufacturing, construction, professions, and renewable energy, with active presence at sector exhibitions (MACH, FESPA, Hillhead, Southern Manufacturing) and membership of FESPA UK, the Manufacturing Technologies Association, and the Construction Plant-hire Association.

The firm's core products include Asset Finance (Hire Purchase, Finance Lease, Operating Lease), Asset Based Lending (Capital Release, Invoice Finance, Factoring), Unsecured Loans, M&A Finance, and Commercial Mortgages. It is FCA authorised and regulated (FRN 619678), a Cifas member for fraud prevention, and an accredited delivery partner for the British Business Bank's government-backed schemes—CBILS, RLS, and the Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS, launched July 2024). Its technology footprint is modest: a Quick Quotation Tool that allows equipment suppliers to generate instant finance illustrations at the point of sale, and standard CRM/digital-marketing infrastructure. The April 2026 acquisition of Industrial Equipment Finance added machine damage and breakdown insurance to the product portfolio.

Revenue derives from three streams: interest income on the own-book lending portfolio, broker commissions calculated as a percentage of amount financed from panel lenders, and arrangement fees on complex deals such as MBOs and multi-component ABL packages. Distribution combines direct field sales (finance specialists and area sales managers), an approved intermediary/broker network, and equipment supplier partnerships. The company employs 11–50 people and has secured £30m in institutional commitment from British Business Investments across 2020 and 2022, plus a £20m debt facility from Leumi ABL in 2026. Ownership remains with the founder-Nelson family and director David Bunker (who joined with an equity stake in 2019), alongside institutional backing from British Business Investments.

Name

Compass Business Finance

Legal name

Compass Business Finance Ltd

Website

https://compassbusinessfinance.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Compass Business Finance is a UK-based hybrid independent lender and broker, founded 2005, providing asset finance, asset-based lending, unsecured loans, and M&A finance to mid-market SMEs across print and packaging, engineering, manufacturing, and construction sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Asset Finance

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

Direct Lending — Specialty Finance (Consumer/SME Lending Platforms) (FSAHAJAF)

Keywords

• Asset finance
• Business lending
• Invoice finance
• SME funding
• Commercial mortgages

Headquarters

HQ city

Tonbridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Interest Income from Own Loan Book: As an independent lender, Compass provides direct financing to customers, earning interest on the loans extended from their own loan book.
2. Broker Commission: When introducing customers to other lenders, Compass receives commission payments. Commission is calculated as a percentage of the amount financed and is included in the Total Amount Payable.
3. Arrangement Fees: Fees charged for structuring and arranging finance facilities, particularly for complex deals like MBOs, ABL packages, and multi-component funding solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Compass Business Finance operates as a hybrid independent lender and finance broker, providing asset finance (Hire Purchase, Finance Lease, Operating Lease), asset-based lending (Capital Release, Invoice Finance, Factoring), unsecured loans, M&A finance, professions finance, and commercial mortgages to UK SMEs. The company also delivers government-backed schemes including the Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS) and previously CBILS, with its own loan book and panel of approved lenders.

Product overview

Compass Business Finance operates as a hybrid independent lender and finance broker, providing a comprehensive portfolio of flexible and competitive funding solutions to UK SMEs. The core offering consists of Asset Finance (Hire Purchase, Finance Lease, Operating Lease), Asset Based Lending (Capital Release, Invoice Finance, Factoring, Commercial Mortgages), Unsecured Loans, M&A Finance, and Professions Finance. The company delivers these products through two channels: directly from its own loan book, and through its panel of approved lenders when brokering solutions. Government-backed schemes including the Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS) and legacy CBILS and RLS programs provide additional support options. The recent acquisition of Industrial Equipment Finance (IEF) has expanded the portfolio to include machine damage and breakdown insurance. A digital Quick Quotation Tool supports equipment suppliers in providing financing options to their customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Asset Finance Finance solutions for investing in new or used equipment including Hire Purchase (ownership transfer at end), Finance Lease (option for second rental period), and Operating Lease (option to return or continue rental). Suitable for UK SMEs across all sectors.
• Asset Based Lending
• Unsecured Loans
• M&A Finance
• Professions Finance
• Commercial Mortgages
• Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS) Government-backed scheme (70% guarantee) supporting access to finance for UK SMEs with term loans (£25,001 to £2m), asset finance (£1,000 to £2m), asset-based lending, and invoice finance (85%-90% of invoice value).
• Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) Government-backed loan scheme (now closed to new applications) providing term loans (£50,001 to £500,000 with first 12 months interest-free), sale and HP back, and asset finance with first 12 months interest-free for businesses impacted by Covid-19.
• Machine Damage and Breakdown Insurance Insurance product added to portfolio through acquisition of Industrial Equipment Finance (IEF), covering machine damage and breakdown for engineering sector customers.
• Quick Quotation Tool

Quantifiable outcome

• Decisions typically given within 48 hours from submitting required information
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Industrial Equipment Finance (IEF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026Acquisition of IEF from its directors Steve Ackerman and Rob Tootell, who joined Compass as part of the transition. Strengthens engineering finance offering and expands portfolio to include machine damage and breakdown insurance. Both directors bring decades of experience and deep industry relationships.
• Construction Plant-Hire Association (CPA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2026Joined CPA in February 2026, strengthening long-held commitment to construction and plant-hire sectors. CPA brings together 1,900+ members with common commitment to high standards.
• FESPA UKmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2019Member since 2019. Builds stronger relationships with wide format print, packaging and converting markets. Offers free consultations to members regarding investment financing.
• Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2019Associate membership since 2019. Part of commitment to grow asset-based finance to manufacturing and engineering sectors. MTA members access Compass financing including Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG).
• Metal Forming and Machinery Makers Association (MMMA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliated partner at MACH exhibitions. Located in same hall, potentially for co-marketing and shared industry presence.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Shire Leasing: Shire Leasing is a UK-based independent leasing provider serving SMEs and intermediaries across multiple equipment categories. Its equipment-finance focus and combination of direct and intermediary-sourced opportunities closely match Compass's core activities.
• Time Finance: Time Finance is a listed UK specialist-finance group providing asset finance, business loans and invoice finance to SMEs. It is a close public-market comparator for Compass's multi-product, relationship-led finance model.
• Unity Asset Finance: Unity Asset Finance is a UK asset and business-finance provider serving SMEs through a range of equipment and commercial funding solutions. Its target customer base and arranged-finance capabilities materially overlap with Compass.
• Ultimate Finance: Ultimate Finance provides asset finance, business loans and invoice-discounting facilities to UK SMEs. Its product breadth and direct customer model make it highly comparable to Compass's own-book and third-party funded offering.
• Haydock Finance: Haydock Finance is a UK direct lender focused on equipment finance and business loans for SMEs. It competes for similar capital-expenditure and growth-financing customers through a relationship-led sales model.
• Kew Leasing: Kew Leasing is a UK equipment-finance intermediary focused on arranging leases and loans for businesses. It is comparable to Compass's broker arm because it connects SME equipment buyers with suitable lenders.

Broad incumbents

• Close Brothers Asset Finance: Close Brothers Asset Finance is an established UK provider with a larger balance sheet, sector relationships and broad equipment-finance capabilities. It overlaps with Compass directly and also participates in larger blended transactions through Compass.
• Bibby Financial Services: Bibby Financial Services is a large international business-finance provider with substantial invoice-finance and working-capital capabilities. It is comparable through its SME focus and overlap with Compass's invoice finance and asset-based lending products.
• Lombard: Lombard is a major UK business asset-finance provider associated with NatWest, offering leasing and hire-purchase solutions to companies and equipment suppliers. Its scale and broader institutional funding base place it as an incumbent comparator to Compass.
• Shawbrook: Shawbrook is a UK specialist bank serving SMEs through business loans, asset finance and commercial mortgages. It has substantial product overlap with Compass but operates with a much broader institutional balance sheet and customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/compassbfl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/compass-business-finance

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Compass Business Finance