Navigate Business Finance

What Navigate Business Finance does

Navigate Business Finance is a privately held, UK-based independent business finance broker (registered in England, company number 13130328) that connects small and medium-sized enterprises with funding solutions across four product lines: Cashflow Finance (Invoice Finance, Single Invoice Finance, Factoring, Trade Finance), Asset Finance (Hire Purchase, Lease Purchase, Finance Lease, Refinance Loans), Business Loans (secured, unsecured, VAT and tax loans, Recovery Loan Scheme), and Business Vehicle Finance. The firm operates a relationship-led, free-to-client advisory model and is compensated through referral commissions paid by its network of over 40 finance lenders.

The company's underlying technology consists of a real-time online invoice upload portal that allows SME clients to submit invoices and receive up to 90% of the invoice value within 24 hours, paired with a multi-lender matching platform that routes applications to appropriate providers. Core technology is workflow-oriented rather than AI-driven, focusing on ease of use and interoperability across lender integrations rather than proprietary underwriting or decisioning models.

The go-to-market is sales-led and direct: clients engage via phone, contact form, or website content, with no app presence and no API or SDK footprint. Marketing relies on educational blog content, organic social media, and direct outreach. Leadership comprises Co-founder/CEO Mark Riches (30 years business funding experience), Founder Andy Wise (also founder of sister brands Thames Valley Asset Finance and Fast Car Finance), and Regional Director Adarsh Shah (20 years business finance experience). The company is founder-owned, bootstrapped, and has no disclosed external funding, parent company, or institutional backing. It operates exclusively within the United Kingdom.

Name

Navigate Business Finance

Legal name

Navigate Business Finance

Website

https://navigatebusinessfinance.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Navigate Business Finance is a UK-based independent business finance broker that connects small and medium-sized enterprises with cashflow, asset, business loan, and vehicle finance solutions from over 40 lenders, earning referral commissions and offering its advisory service free to clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Finance Brokerage

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231), Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (5223), Sales Financing (52222)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

Working Capital Solutions (dynamic discounting, supply-chain payables/receivables) (FSABAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Supply Chain Finance (Trade Credit, PO/Inventory Financing) (FSAKAGAE)

Keywords

• Invoice finance
• Asset finance
• Business loans
• Cashflow finance
• Commercial vehicle finance

Headquarters

HQ city

Newbury

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. Broker Commission/Referral Fees: Navigate Business Finance acts as an intermediary between borrowers and finance lenders. The service is offered at no cost to customers, with revenue generated through commissions or referral fees paid by the lenders/finance providers they introduce clients to.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Navigate Business Finance is an independent UK business finance broker that connects SMEs with a network of more than 40 finance lenders. The company offers free advisory and brokerage across four core product lines — Cashflow Finance (Invoice Finance, Single Invoice Finance, Factoring, Trade Finance), Asset Finance (Hire Purchase, Lease Purchase, Finance Lease, Refinance Loans), Business Loans (Secured, Unsecured, VAT & Corporation Tax Loans, government-backed Recovery Loan Scheme), and Business Vehicle Finance (Hire Purchase, Lease Purchase Agreement, Conditional Sale). Revenue is earned through commissions paid by lenders on successful introductions, while the service itself is free to the business customer.

Product overview

Navigate Business Finance is a UK-based business finance broker offering a portfolio of complementary finance solutions: Cashflow Finance (Invoice Finance, Single Invoice Finance, Factoring, and Trade Finance) to bridge the gap between invoicing and payment receipt; Asset Finance (Hire Purchase, Lease Purchase, Finance Lease, and Refinance Loans) to spread the cost of equipment acquisition; Business Loans (Unsecured, Secured, VAT & tax loans, and Recovery Loan Scheme) for working capital and growth; and Business Vehicle Finance (Hire Purchase, Lease Purchase, Conditional Sale) for car and commercial vehicle fleets. The company operates as an independent broker with access to over 40 finance lenders and provides its services at no cost to the business.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cashflow Finance
• Asset Finance
• Business Loans
• Business Vehicle Finance
• Invoice Finance
• VAT Loans
• Recovery Loan Scheme
• Single Invoice Finance
• Factoring
• Trade Finance

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 90% of invoice value available within 24 hours
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Thames Valley Asset Finance (TVAF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTVAF is described as a 'sister company' to Navigate Business Finance. It provides Asset Finance and Business Loans, including Recovery Loan Scheme accredited lending. The companies appear to share expertise and cross-refer clients.
• Fast Car FinanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFast Car Finance is a sister brand under the same founder Andy Wise. It specializes in asset finance for business vehicles and personal car financing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fleximize: Fleximize is a UK business finance provider offering secured and unsecured loans, asset finance, and revolving credit to SMEs. It competes directly with Navigate's business loan and asset finance products and shares the multi-product SME wallet strategy.
• iwoca: iwoca is a UK fintech providing flexible short-term working capital loans to small businesses. It serves the same SME segment as Navigate with a direct-to-customer digital flow that competes with broker-led origination.
• ThinCats: ThinCats is a UK peer-to-peer business lending platform offering secured loans to SMEs. It serves the same UK SME borrower for growth and working capital needs and competes with Navigate's business loan brokerage.
• MarketFinance: MarketFinance is a UK-based direct provider of invoice finance, business loans, and asset finance to SMEs. It is a direct competitor to Navigate's core cashflow finance and business loan offering, though operating as a principal lender rather than a multi-lender broker.
• Funding Circle: Funding Circle is a UK-established digital platform providing business loans to SMEs. It targets the same UK SME borrower segment as Navigate, particularly for working capital and growth loans, and competes as an alternative to broker-arranged facilities.
• Capify: Capify is a UK and US business finance provider offering working capital loans and merchant cash advances to SMEs. It overlaps directly with Navigate's invoice finance and business loan products for similar SME customers.

Emerging players

• Liberis: Liberis is a UK-based embedded finance platform providing revenue-based financing to small businesses via partners. It targets SME working capital needs similar to Navigate's invoice finance, though distributed through embedded partner channels rather than direct brokerage.

Broad incumbents

• White Oak UK: White Oak UK is an established asset finance and loan provider serving UK SMEs. It overlaps with Navigate's asset finance and business loan brokerage and sits on the lender side of the panel Navigate draws from.
• HSBC UK SME Banking: HSBC UK provides traditional SME banking, loans, and asset finance products. It represents the incumbent bank channel that Navigate positions against for SMEs seeking alternative or faster-arranged finance solutions.
• OakNorth Bank: OakNorth Bank is a UK commercial bank specializing in SME and property-backed lending. It is both a competitor and a potential lender panel member for Navigate's business loan brokerage activity.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/navigate-business-finance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Navigate Business Finance