Aston Commercial Finance

What Aston Commercial Finance does

Aston Commercial Finance Ltd is a privately-held UK commercial finance broker (intermediary), co-founded by Jamie Bridson and Martine Catton, operating from Buckingham with a registered office in Leeds. The firm does not lend its own capital; instead it matches UK small and medium-sized enterprises with appropriate lenders from a broad panel spanning traditional high street banks, alternative lenders, and digital lenders, with no single-panel restriction.

Its product offering is organised across three categories: Business Finance (Invoice Finance, Unsecured Finance, Secured Loans, Merchant Cash Advance, VAT Loans, and Stock/Trade Facilities), Property Finance (Commercial Mortgages and Development/Bridging Finance), and Asset Finance (Hire Purchase, Lease, and Asset Refinance). The firm provides funding access from £0-£25,000 up to £1,000,000+ across SME borrowers including Limited Companies, LLPs, Partnerships, and Sole Traders from startup stage through to businesses exceeding £10m turnover. Operational infrastructure is provided through a partnership with The Broker Hub, with Credit Safe UK used for compliance and credit checks, and NACFB membership conferring industry credibility.

The revenue model is affiliate-referral: Aston earns commissions from lenders upon successful placement, with commission amounts varying by finance provider, product type, and other factors. The go-to-market is sales-led, driven by a website with an eligibility-check form, direct phone and email outreach, and educational blog content. No revenue is publicly disclosed, no funding rounds have been announced, and no proprietary technology or AI/ML capabilities are described in the source material.

Name

Aston Commercial Finance

Legal name

Aston Commercial Finance Ltd

Website

https://www.astoncf.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aston Commercial Finance is an independent UK commercial finance broker that matches SMEs with lenders across Business Finance, Property Finance, and Asset Finance products, earning commissions from placements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Finance Brokerage

NAICS

Nondepository Credit Intermediation (5222)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

SME Business Lending (Term Loans, Lines of Credit, Overdrafts) (FSABABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Merchant Cash Advance & Revenue-Based Financing Enablement (FSAGALAH), SME Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Lending (FSABABAG)

Keywords

• Commercial finance brokerage
• SME business loans
• Invoice finance solutions
• Asset finance leasing
• Property development finance

Headquarters

HQ city

Buckingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Broker Commissions: Aston Commercial Finance operates as a financial intermediary and earns commissions from lenders when they successfully place a business with a finance product. Commission amounts vary based on the finance provider, the product type, and other permissible factors. This is the primary revenue stream for the company.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Aston Commercial Finance is a UK commercial finance broker that arranges funding solutions for SMEs from a large panel of traditional, alternative, and digital lenders. The company matches businesses with products across business finance (invoice finance, unsecured finance, secured loans, merchant cash advance, VAT loans, stock and trade facilities), property finance (commercial mortgages, bridging/development finance), and asset finance (HP, lease, and asset refinance), earning commission from lenders on successful placements.

Product overview

Aston Commercial Finance is a financial intermediary offering a comprehensive suite of commercial finance products for UK SMEs. The company operates across three main product categories: Business Finance (working capital solutions including Invoice Finance, Unsecured Finance, Secured Loans, Merchant Cash Advance, VAT Loans, and Stock/Trade Facilities), Property Finance (Commercial Mortgages and Property Development/Bridging Finance), and Asset Finance (Asset Finance HP/Lease and Asset Refinance). Rather than being a single unified platform, the company acts as a broker accessing a broad panel of lenders ranging from traditional high street banks to alternative and digital lenders to match businesses with appropriate financing solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Invoice Finance Allows UK businesses to receive 80-95% of invoice value on the same day the invoice is raised, enabling cashflow for operational costs or overcoming late payment challenges. Available through both invoice finance (IF) and invoice discounting (ID) on ongoing and spot basis.
• Unsecured Finance Quick access to capital for UK businesses without requiring collateral or putting assets at risk. Offers flexible repayment terms with fixed or variable interest rates and no early repayment fees, with funding decisions in as little as 24 hours.
• Secured Loans Business loans accessed by using UK property (owned by directors or the business) as collateral. Enables higher capital amounts and longer repayment terms, with fixed or variable interest rates and interest-only payment options available.
• Merchant Cash Advance Provides upfront lump sum cash advance for UK businesses accepting credit and debit card payments, repaid through a percentage of future card sales. No fixed repayment terms or interest rates, with facilities renewable after 70% payback.
• VAT Loans Enables UK businesses to spread the cost of their VAT bill over a fixed term with fixed interest rates, helping maintain cash reserves for operational costs.
• Stock and Trade Facilities Provides capital to purchase inventory and raw materials up to an arranged limit, designed to manage cash flow at the front end of operations. Often works in conjunction with invoice finance facilities.
• Commercial Mortgages Loans for purchase or refinance of commercial property, allowing businesses to access larger amounts of capital with repayment terms often up to 25 years. Interest rates can be fixed or variable.
• Property Development / Bridging Finance Development finance for construction or renovation of property projects including new builds, conversions, or refurbishments. Bridging loans are secured against property with interest-only monthly payments.
• Asset Finance (HP and Lease) Finance for purchasing assets such as equipment, vehicles, and machinery. Hire purchase (HP) agreements allow ownership after repayments with VAT due upfront or on 3rd payment. Lease agreements provide use of assets for fixed terms with option to purchase at end.
• Asset Refinance Releases cash from existing assets already owned or consolidates debt across multiple encumbered assets. Uses equipment, vehicles, and machinery as collateral with lenders taking a charge over assets. Can achieve 100% LTV on assets purchased in last 90 days including soft assets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Funding decisions in as little as 24 hours available for certain products like unsecured finance and merchant cash advance
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The Broker HubcoreTechnology or IntegrationAston Commercial Finance is powered by The Broker Hub (company registration 14237830), a financial intermediary business platform that provides operational infrastructure for the broker.
• UK Lending Panel (Traditional, Alternative, and Digital Lenders)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAston Commercial Finance has access to a large panel of UK lenders including traditional high street banks, alternative lenders, and digital lenders. As they are not tied to a specific panel, they can search the whole UK lending market to source the best rates, service, and products for their SME clients.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• MarketFinance: UK SME finance provider offering invoice finance, business loans, and asset finance both directly and via brokers. Overlaps with Aston in the products offered and SME customer base.
• Tide: UK digital business banking platform offering SME current accounts and integrated finance access. Adjacent to Aston as a tech-enabled SME finance provider, though not a broker.

Broad incumbents

• Bibby Financial Services: Large UK and international invoice finance and SME lending provider. A direct lender rather than a broker, but operates in the same SME finance products Aston arranges.
• Funding Circle: UK public-listed SME lending platform offering business loans. A direct lender competing for the same SME customers Aston serves, but operates a scale platform model.

Direct peers

• Rangewell: UK commercial finance broker offering business loans, asset finance, and property finance to SMEs. Operates as a whole-of-market broker similar to Aston.
• 1st Commercial Credit: UK commercial finance broker arranging business loans, asset finance, and invoice finance for SMEs. Direct competitor in the traditional brokerage channel.
• Clifton Private Finance: UK commercial finance broker arranging property finance, business loans, and asset finance. Comparable to Aston in serving UK SMEs with a multi-product brokerage offering.
• Funding Options: UK-based online business finance broker connecting SMEs with a panel of lenders. Direct competitor to Aston in SME finance matchmaking across business, property, and asset finance.
• Capitalise: UK business finance platform connecting SMEs with lenders and brokers. Comparable to Aston as a finance intermediary in the UK SME lending market.
• Swoop Funding: UK and global business finance broker with a digital platform helping SMEs find loans, asset finance, and equity. Comparable to Aston in arranging multiple finance products across a lender panel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aston-commercial-finance-ltd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Aston Commercial Finance