What Ultimate Finance does

Ultimate Finance Group Limited is a UK specialist asset-based lender headquartered in Bristol, founded over twenty years ago and backed by international private investment organisation Tavistock Group. Through three operating subsidiaries — Ultimate Finance Limited, Ultimate Asset Finance Limited and Ultimate Bridging Finance Limited — the company provides four core product lines to SMEs: Invoice Finance (facilities up to £10m), Asset Finance (up to £3m per customer / £750k per asset), Bridging Finance (up to £4m, 75% LTV) and Structured Finance combining receivables, plant, machinery and property (up to £10m). Sector-specialist variants cover Construction, Recruitment and Trade Finance. Distribution is exclusively intermediated: an in-house team of Regional Directors and Relationship Managers supports a UK-wide network of commercial finance brokers and NACFB members, with no direct-to-end-consumer channel.

Underlying technology is a mix of in-house credit and legal process engineering and third-party integrations rather than a proprietary AI stack. The asset finance workflow uses Verifi's AI-powered virtual asset inspection platform for self-inspections and fraud detection, while Experian supports credit and KYC checks. Process differentiators include One Touch Underwriting for asset deals, in-house credit and legal handling for bridging (24-hour decisions in principle, 72-hour credit-backed offers), and a recently launched digital-first bridging product called Optimise.

The revenue model is asset-based lending economics: interest income and transaction/usage-based fees on drawn facilities, with loan book size and origination volumes as primary drivers. The book reached £413m in Q1 2026 (23% YoY growth) with record quarterly new business of £72m, funded in part by a £145m Lloyds securitisation facility. To date the company has lent over £17bn to more than 4,000 SMEs, sustains a Trustpilot 4.9/5 'Excellent' rating, an overall NPS of 79, and average Working Capital client retention of 8 years. Customer mix is fragmented across UK small and mid-market SMEs, with no disclosed concentration in any single counterparty.

Name

Ultimate Finance

Legal name

Ultimate Finance Group Limited

Website

https://ultimatefinance.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Ultimate Finance is a UK specialist asset-based lender offering Invoice Finance, Asset Finance, Bridging Finance and Structured Finance facilities up to £10m to more than 4,000 SMEs, distributed exclusively through a nationwide broker and intermediary network and backed by Tavistock Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Asset-Based Lending (UK SME Commercial Finance)

NAICS

Sales Financing (52222)

SIC

Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153), Asset-Backed Securities (6189)

akta.pro primary industry

Direct Lending — Asset-Based Lending (ABL) (FSAHAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) & Revenue-Based Financing (FSAKAGAD)

Keywords

• Asset-based lending
• Invoice finance
• SME lending
• Bridging finance
• Structured finance

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Asset-Based Lending Interest and Fees: Ultimate Finance generates revenue through interest income and fees on its lending products including Invoice Finance, Asset Finance, Bridging Finance, and Structured Finance facilities. As a specialist asset-based lender, revenue is driven by the size of the loan book and new business origination volumes.
2. Invoice Finance / Receivables Financing: Revenue generated from advances against unpaid invoices, with fees charged on the value of receivables financed, typically on a usage/facility basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ultimate Finance is a UK specialist asset-based lender that provides four core funding products to small and medium-sized enterprises — Invoice Finance (working capital against receivables, up to £10m), Asset Finance (hire purchase, leasing and refinance of plant, machinery and vehicles, up to £3m per customer / £750k per asset), Bridging Finance (short-term secured property funding, up to £4m, 75% LTV) and Structured Finance (multi-asset facilities up to £10m combining receivables, plant/machinery and property). Lending is originated via commercial finance brokers and introduced through a UK-wide team of Regional Directors and Relationship Managers.

Product overview

Ultimate Finance is a specialist asset-based lender offering a comprehensive suite of funding solutions for SMEs. The portfolio comprises four core products: Invoice Finance (up to £10m) and Working Capital solutions including Construction Finance, Recruitment Finance, and Trade Finance as sub-products; Asset Finance (up to £3m per customer, £750k per asset); Bridging Finance (up to £4m, 75% LTV) including a Semi-Commercial Bridging Loan variant and the digital-first Optimise product; and Structured Finance combining multiple asset classes up to £10m with a Commercial Property Loan component. The offering is unified by a relationship-led service model with dedicated Relationship Managers and online portal access, supporting businesses across England, Wales and Scotland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Invoice Finance Releases cash tied up in unpaid invoices for UK SMEs. Facilities up to £10m with optional Cashflow Loan up to £500k, dedicated Relationship Manager, online portal access, and optional Debtor Protection and Credit Control. Specialist variants available for Construction, Recruitment and Trade sectors.
• Asset Finance Enables UK SMEs to invest in plant, machinery and vehicles without the upfront cost. Facilities up to £3m per customer and £750k per asset, balloon payments up to £150k, cars funded up to £200k (inc. VAT), terms up to 84 months, with hire purchase, leasing and refinance options. Set-up within one working day.
• Bridging Finance Short-term secured funding for UK property transactions and business needs. Facilities up to £4m, up to 75% LTV, including residential and semi-commercial options. Available for Purchase Bridge, Development Exit, Re-Bridge, BMV purchases (up to 100% of purchase price), and equity release (Development Finish & Exit / Refurbishment). 24-hour decisions in principle and ongoing specialist relationship support.
• Structured Finance Combines receivables, plant and machinery and/or property with cashflow loans into a single relationship for UK SMEs. Facilities up to £10m, dedicated deal team, single point of ongoing relationship support for all facilities, no restriction on single line assets. Commercial property loan component up to £3m on first charge with 5-year term on 15-year amortisation profile and interest-only repayments for first 12 months.
• Construction Finance Releases funds tied up in outstanding applications for payment for UK construction businesses. Facilities up to £2m with a dedicated Relationship Manager from the specialist construction sector team and online portal access. Rolling contract.
• Recruitment Finance Cash advanced against placements for UK recruitment agencies to fund wage bills on time. Access to RSM's Pay & Bill services and personal dedicated Relationship Manager. Rolling contract.
• Trade Finance Bridges the gap between paying suppliers and being paid by customers for UK SMEs. Facilities up to £1m, up to 120 days trade credit, with a dedicated Relationship Manager. Rolling contract.
• Semi-Commercial Bridging Loan Semi-Commercial Bridging Loan for mixed-use UK properties combining residential and commercial elements. Short-term funding up to £4m supporting purchases, refinancing, refurbishment and development exit strategies. Launched June 2026 after a trial with select broker partners.
• Optimise Digital-First Bridging Loan Optimise is Ultimate Finance's digital-first Bridging Loan built for speed, offering rapid decision-making for short-term UK property funding. Launched December 2025 after a successful trial with select broker partners.
• Commercial Property Loan (within Structured Finance) First-charge commercial property loan offered within Ultimate Finance's Structured Finance proposition. Up to £3m on first charge against commercial property, with a 5-year term on 15-year amortisation profile and interest-only repayments for the first 12 months. Launched July 2025.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record loan book of £413m in Q1 2026, up 23% year-on-year
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and minor.

• verifisupportingTechnology or Integration · 16 October 2025verifi provides a virtual asset inspection platform with AI-powered asset verification and fraud prevention capabilities. Adopted by Ultimate Finance to enhance its digital service model for asset finance, enabling self-inspections by customers, brokers, and dealers.
• NACFB (National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 August 2025Josh Levy, CEO of Ultimate Finance, appointed as non-executive Patron director to the NACFB board for a three-year term. Ultimate Finance is a lender Patron of NACFB and participates in industry events including NACFB Expo.
• ExperiansupportingTechnology or IntegrationExperian is Ultimate Finance's preferred credit reference agency, used for creditworthiness assessments, KYC checks, fraud prevention, and identity verification as part of the pre-lending process.
• UK FinanceminorOthersUK Finance is the supervisory authority referenced in Ultimate Finance's complaint procedure for Invoice Finance disputes. Contact: Alex Waterman, 5th Floor, 1 Angel Court, London, EC2R 7HJ.
• Finance & Leasing Association (FLA)minorOthersThe Finance & Leasing Association is the supervisory authority referenced in Ultimate Finance's complaint procedure for Asset Finance disputes. Address: 11 Ironmonger Lane, London, EC2V 8EY.
• RSM (RSM UK Group LLP)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRSM's Pay & Bill services are accessible through Ultimate Finance's Recruitment Finance product, providing recruitment businesses with cash advanced against placements through a rolling contract arrangement.
• Investing in Women CodesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUltimate Finance is a signatory of the government-backed Investing in Women Code, committing to improving access to finance, reviewing internal practices, and sharing anonymised data to track progress for women-led businesses.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bibby Financial Services: UK-headquartered invoice finance and asset-based lender serving SMEs across multiple sectors. Closest direct peer to Ultimate Finance with overlapping product set including invoice discounting, asset finance and structured facilities, and a similar broker-led distribution model.
• Aldermore Bank: UK challenger bank with a strong asset finance and invoice finance proposition for SMEs and mid-market clients. Comparable specialist lender positioning with overlapping product set in hire purchase, leasing and working capital facilities.
• Together Money: UK specialist lender offering bridging, commercial and asset finance to SMEs and property professionals. Direct competitor in the UK bridging and asset-based lending market with similar broker distribution.
• Shawbrook Bank: UK specialist challenger bank focused on SME lending including commercial mortgages, asset finance and bridging. Comparable specialist positioning with overlapping product portfolio in property-backed lending.
• Close Brothers Asset Finance: Asset finance and invoice finance arm of Close Brothers Group serving UK SMEs. Direct peer with strong asset finance and hire purchase capability, similar broker-led distribution and SME customer base.
• OakNorth Bank: UK specialist bank providing bespoke lending to growing SMEs and property developers. Overlapping customer base in mid-market and property development segments with structured/specialist finance products.

Emerging players

• Funding Circle: UK-listed fintech platform providing term loans and invoice finance to SMEs. Partial overlap with Ultimate Finance's Working Capital products but operates a different digital-native model rather than broker-led.
• Allica Bank: UK challenger bank focused on established SMEs with asset finance and commercial mortgage products. Partial overlap in asset finance and bridging, with a more direct-to-SME distribution model.
• Capify: UK alternative SME lender offering invoice finance and small business loans. Comparable customer segment (UK SMEs) but with a more digital and smaller-ticket focus than Ultimate Finance.
• MarketFinance: UK fintech offering invoice finance, business loans and lines of credit to SMEs. Overlapping invoice finance product with smaller scale and digital-first positioning versus Ultimate Finance's broker-led model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/company/ultimate-finance
• Xx.com/ultimatefinance
• Facebookfacebook.com/ultimatefinance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Ultimate Finance