What Braemar Finance does

Braemar Finance is a UK specialist asset finance and lending provider operating as a trading style of Close Brothers Limited, a diversified UK merchant banking group authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority (firm number 124750). Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Dundonald, Scotland, with a regional office in Dublin serving the Republic of Ireland, the company offers a unified portfolio of seven core finance products — Business Loans, Tax Loans, Hire Purchase, Refinance, Consolidation Loans, Personal Loans, and Leasing — and nine profession-specific solutions tailored to dental, optical, accountancy, care home, funeral, veterinary, legal, medical, and pharmacy professionals. The firm does not disclose a proprietary technology platform and operates a relationship-led, in-house underwriting model rather than algorithmic decisioning.

The business model centres on originating secured and unsecured loans directly to UK and Irish professional practices and their principals, with revenue derived from interest, fees, and rental income on hire purchase and leasing arrangements. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with all lending subject to status, eligibility, and lending criteria. The go-to-market combines dedicated UK and Ireland sales teams with broker, equipment supplier, and business introducer referral networks, supplemented by content marketing through an SME Data Hub research partnership with Censuswide (annual surveys of 1,200+ senior UK professionals), trade events (e.g., The Pharmacy Show 2026), and vertical-specific case studies. Customer satisfaction metrics reported by the company include 92% overall satisfaction, 97% rating the firm as easy to deal with, and eight out of ten customers willing to recommend.

Braemar Finance also participates in the UK government's Growth Guarantee Scheme to support SME access to finance and maintains CIPS Corporate Certification for Ethical Procurement. As a subsidiary of Close Brothers Limited, the firm benefits from the parent's balance sheet, regulatory standing, and broader commercial finance platform, while operating with a specialist proposition focused exclusively on the borrowing needs of UK and Irish professional practices and their owners.

Name

Braemar Finance

Legal name

Close Brothers Limited

Website

https://braemarfinance.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Braemar Finance is a UK and Ireland specialist asset finance provider, founded in 1992, offering hire purchase, leasing, business, tax, and personal loans to professional practices across dental, veterinary, funeral, legal, accountancy, care home, optical, medical, and pharmacy sectors under Close Brothers Limited.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialist Asset Finance

NAICS

Sales Financing (52222), Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)

SIC

Finance Lessors (6172), Personal Credit Institutions (6141)

akta.pro primary industry

Equipment & Asset Finance Brokerage (FSAEAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Large Purchase & Lifestyle Personal Loans (Unsecured Installment) (FSAKAAAG)

Keywords

• Specialist asset finance
• Professional practice lending
• Equipment hire purchase
• Commercial business loans
• Profession-specific finance

Headquarters

HQ city

Dundonald

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Asset Finance: Provides equipment, vehicles and technology financing to help businesses operate without compromising cash flow. Includes hire purchase and leasing arrangements.
2. Business Loans: Flexible funding solutions for various purposes including buying a business, renovations, and covering overheads. Tailored to individual business needs.
3. Tax Loans: Unsecured loans designed to help manage cash flow by spreading tax bill costs into manageable monthly repayments. Covers personal tax, corporation tax, capital gains, crossover tax and inheritance tax.
4. Personal Loans: Unsecured loans for individuals for virtually any non-business purpose such as home improvements, weddings, school fees, and buying into a practice.
5. Refinance: Restructures existing credit agreements with new terms to suit individual circumstances, including interest rates and payment schedules.
6. Consolidation Loans: Combines several existing agreements including credit card balances and other regular finance repayments into one agreement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Braemar Finance provides specialist asset finance and lending products to professional businesses and associated individuals, primarily through Hire Purchase, Leasing, Business Loans, Tax Loans, Refinance, Consolidation Loans, and Personal Loans. Its products are tailored to nine professional sectors — dental, optical, accountancy, care home, funeral, veterinary, legal, medical, and pharmacy — covering equipment, vehicles, practice purchases, refurbishments, and cash-flow management. The business operates a direct UK and Ireland sales force supported by broker and equipment-supplier referral networks, with in-house underwriting for credit decisions.

Product overview

Braemar Finance is a specialist asset finance provider offering a unified portfolio of loan and financing products designed for professionals across multiple sectors. The core product suite comprises seven main finance products: Business Loans, Tax Loans, Hire Purchase, Refinance, Consolidation Loans, Personal Loans, and Leasing. These products are complemented by nine profession-specific financing solutions tailored for dental, optical, accountancy, care home, funeral, veterinary, legal, medical, and pharmacy professionals. The company also operates an SME Data Hub research initiative and participates in the UK government's Growth Guarantee Scheme. All products are backed by Close Brothers and delivered through a network of UK and Ireland offices with in-house underwriting teams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Loans

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of customers are happy with the overall service they receive
• +2 more outcomes

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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.

• CensuswidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with specialist independent researcher Censuswide to conduct annual surveys of 1,200+ profession business owners across the UK. The research covers topics including investment outlook, business performance expectations, and challenges faced by customers. This shapes Braemar Finance's approach and keeps them informed about opportunities and challenges in their target markets.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Aldermore Bank: UK challenger bank providing asset finance, invoice finance, and business loans to SMEs across multiple industries; broader portfolio than Braemar but overlaps in equipment and practice lending.
• Siemens Financial Services: Captive equipment finance arm financing capital assets and technology purchases, including healthcare and dental equipment; overlaps with Braemar's vertical-specialist equipment finance model at larger deal sizes.
• Close Brothers Asset Finance: The parent brand and broader Close Brothers asset finance division; shares regulatory infrastructure and product DNA with Braemar and operates a wider (non-professional-only) origination footprint.
• Mitsubishi HC Capital UK (formerly Hitachi Capital): Major equipment and asset finance provider in the UK offering hire purchase, leasing, and business loans to corporate and SMB customers; directly comparable product set to Braemar's leasing and asset finance lines.
• DLL: Global vendor and equipment finance partner owned by Rabobank; competes in UK asset finance and has deep relationships with equipment suppliers, mirroring Braemar's supplier referral channel.
• Bibby Financial Services: UK provider of invoice finance, asset finance, and commercial loans to SMEs; competes for the same SMB customer wallet Braemar targets, though across a broader industry mix.

Direct peers

• Henry Howard Finance Group: UK specialist asset finance and lending provider focused on SMEs and professional businesses; directly comparable to Braemar in vertical specialism, hire purchase/leasing product mix, and relationship-led origination model.
• Funding Circle: UK-listed SMB lending platform offering unsecured and asset-backed business loans to small businesses, including professional services firms; represents the digital-native competitive pressure on Braemar's specialist origination.
• Allica Bank: UK challenger bank serving established SMEs with asset finance, business loans, and professional-practice banking; competing digital-first SMB platform against Braemar's relationship-led specialist lending model.
• Medifinance: UK specialist lender providing asset finance, loans, and funding specifically to dental, medical, and veterinary practices; overlaps with Braemar's core professional segments and product set.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BraemarFinance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Braemar Finance