Iron Bridge Finance

What Iron Bridge Finance does

Iron Bridge Finance is a London-based, owner-managed specialist financier that provides mezzanine, equity and bridging loans to UK property developers, deploying its own balance sheet rather than third-party capital. The firm, founded in 2009 by Lance Joseph, has funded 300+ projects representing £330m+ of mezzanine and equity investments and £2BN+ in cumulative Gross Development Value, with mezzanine facilities ranging from £250k to £10m at up to 75% LTV and 90% Loan to Cost (blended interest from 8% PA), equity finance covering up to 100% of development costs via loans or joint ventures, and 1st/2nd charge bridging loans spanning the full project lifecycle from site acquisition through construction and sales.

The firm's core differentiator is an in-house Project Success Team of surveyors, architects, designers and planners that supports developer clients across planning, design, construction and sales — an operational value-add unusual for a capital provider and central to its equity partnerships. The 1–10 employee organisation is self-funded, with senior leadership carrying institutional credit and real estate backgrounds (Lloyds, Octopus Real Estate, Silbury, CapitalRise, Shawbrook ecosystem). Distribution operates on two tracks: direct enterprise engagement with named principals (CEO, COO, Director of Credit, Development Director, Associate Director) and a curated broker channel restricted to "experienced" finance brokers who understand development finance deals.

Revenue is generated through interest income on mezzanine and bridging loans and through equity returns on JV and equity-loan structures, supplemented by early-repayment optionality. The business model emphasises speed ("quick in-principal decision"), rate transparency, and flexible structuring, with award recognition (2023 B&C Awards Mezzanine Lender of the Year) supporting broker-led origination. Geographic scope is UK nationwide, and the January 2020 acquisition of Orlandis Capital added a dedicated JV equity capability without expanding the product footprint beyond the existing debt-equity continuum.

Name

Iron Bridge Finance

Legal name

Iron Bridge Finance

Website

https://ironbridgefinance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Iron Bridge Finance is a London-based, self-funded specialist financier providing mezzanine, equity and bridging loans to UK property developers, deploying its own capital across 300+ projects with £330m+ in cumulative investments. It combines capital provision with an in-house team of surveyors, architects and planners, serving experienced developers and finance brokers nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Property Development Finance

NAICS

Nondepository Credit Intermediation (5222), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310), Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (5223)

SIC

Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162), Loan Brokers (6163), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

Mezzanine / Subordinated Debt (FSANADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bridge & Short-Term Real Estate Loan Intermediation (FSAEAEAG), Spec/Tract Builder Construction Financing (FSALAHAC), CRE Bridge & Transitional Lending (FSALADAC)

Keywords

• Mezzanine finance
• Property development loans
• Equity development finance
• Bridging loans
• UK real estate lending

Headquarters

HQ city

London

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Mezzanine Finance: Second charge loans providing additional debt on development projects, typically used for site acquisition. Ranks junior to senior loan in the capital stack. Blended interest rate alongside senior from 8% PA. Facilities from £250k to £10M with loan terms of 6-36 months.
2. Equity Finance: Up to 100% of all development costs (acquisition and build). Structured through loan agreements or joint ventures. Reduces developer equity contribution while providing access to in-house development expertise.
3. Bridging Loans: 1st and 2nd charge bridging loans to support developers across the entire project lifecycle from site acquisition through construction and sales. Typically used for site acquisition or funding holding periods before development starts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Iron Bridge Finance is a specialist UK property development finance provider offering mezzanine loans (typically 2nd charge, ranking junior to senior debt), equity finance (up to 100% of development costs structured via loan agreements or joint ventures), and 1st and 2nd charge bridging loans to support developers across site acquisition, construction and sales. The firm uses its own capital to fund deals and supplements financing with in-house development expertise covering planning, design, construction and sales/marketing.

Product overview

Iron Bridge Finance is a specialist UK property development finance provider offering a portfolio of debt and equity products. The core offerings include Mezzanine Finance (a 2nd charge loan providing up to 75% LTV and 90% Loan to Cost with rates from 8% PA), Equity Finance (providing up to 100% of development costs via loans or joint ventures), and Bridging Loans (1st and 2nd charge short-term finance). The company also acquired Orlandis Capital in January 2020 to expand its real estate JV equity capabilities. These products work together to support developers throughout the full project lifecycle from site acquisition through construction and sales completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mezzanine Finance 2nd charge mezzanine loan for UK property developers providing additional debt typically used at site acquisition; up to 75% Loan to Value, up to 90% Loan to Cost, facilities from £250k to £10m, loan terms of 6–36 months, blended interest rates from 8% PA alongside senior debt.
• Equity Finance Equity finance for UK property developers providing up to 100% of development costs (acquisition and build), structured through loan agreements or joint ventures, reducing developer equity contribution and providing access to in-house development expertise.
• Bridging Loans Short-term bridging finance offered as 1st and 2nd charge loans to support developers across the project lifecycle from site acquisition through construction and sales.
• Orlandis Capital JV Equity Joint venture equity finance for property development projects, delivered under the Orlandis Capital brand which Iron Bridge Finance acquired in January 2020 to expand its equity finance capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 75% Loan to Value on mezzanine finance
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 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

One partnership is on record.

• Orlandis CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020In January 2020, Iron Bridge Finance acquired Orlandis Capital, the real estate JV equity provider. This acquisition expanded Iron Bridge's capabilities in joint venture equity provision for property development projects.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hampshire Trust Bank: A UK specialist bank offering property development finance, bridging, and structured finance products to SMEs and developers. Highly comparable to Iron Bridge given shared focus on UK development lending and specialisation outside the high street.
• Maslow Capital: A UK development finance specialist focused on residential and mixed-use schemes. Closely comparable niche player serving experienced developers through broker channels, mirroring Iron Bridge's go-to-market.
• United Trust Bank: A UK challenger bank with established bridging and development finance divisions serving property professionals. Directly comparable as a specialist non-depository lender competing for the same broker-sourced UK development mandates.
• Bridgestone Capital: A boutique UK real estate development financier providing senior and stretch/mezzanine loans. Comparable specialist lender competing for the same broker-introduced development mandates.

Broad incumbents

• Shawbrook Bank: A specialist UK challenger bank with a sizable development finance and bridging book. Shawbrook is both a competitor (senior development finance) and a recognised partner that publicly endorses Iron Bridge as a leading mezzanine provider, making it the closest broad incumbent peer in the same UK specialist lending space.
• Fortwell Capital: A specialist UK real estate development and bridge lender (now backed by ICG). Directly comparable as a development-focused lender to brokers and developers nationwide.
• OakNorth Bank: A UK specialist bank focused on lending to SMEs and property developers, with significantly larger capital base. Competes in the upper end of the development finance market and sets a benchmark for challenger-bank specialist lending.
• Allica Bank: A UK challenger bank serving SMEs with property-backed lending among its product mix. Comparable as a non-depository specialist lender serving UK SMEs and developers, though broader in product scope.

Emerging players

• Atelier Capital Partners: A privately funded UK real estate development financier providing senior and stretch loans. Comparable specialist lender in the boutique segment with overlapping broker channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iron-bridge-finance
• Facebookfacebook.com/ironbridgefinance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Iron Bridge Finance