Claratus

What Claratus does

Claratus Commercial Finance Limited is a UK-based commercial finance broker, incorporated in November 2014 and operating from Hildenborough, Tonbridge. The company is FCA-authorised (FRN: 675461) and acts as an intermediary that matches UK businesses with suitable lenders from a panel of more than 50 commercial and property finance providers, spanning asset finance, invoice finance, property finance, working capital loans, bridging loans, development finance, tax funding, and government-backed schemes (CBILS, RLS, Bounce Back Loans). Its customer base is concentrated in UK small and medium-sized enterprises and professional practices (solicitors, accountants, medical and dental), with secondary segments in property investors/developers and asset finance clients; individual deal sizes range from £50k working capital facilities to £6.6m property development term loans.

The business model is commission-based intermediation. Claratus earns broker commission from lenders on completed deals, with structures disclosed to clients including fixed fees, fixed commission rates, percentage of facility value, and risk-rated pricing. GTM is sales-led via a dedicated account manager model rather than a call-centre or self-serve platform: each client is guided end-to-end from initial eligibility check through application, lender matching, paperwork, and drawdown. Demand generation combines content marketing (an active News & Views blog, email newsletter), organic social, referral programmes, intermediary/introducer relationships (accountants, business centres), and in-person finance clinics. There is no proprietary technology platform; the offering is a relationship-and-expertise-led service supported by a public website with an online eligibility checker and quote form.

Commercially, Claratus is independent and founder-owned, with no disclosed institutional capital, acquisitions, or external funding rounds. The company has operated for 11 years (as of November 2025), won the NACFB SME Champion award in 2020, and has incrementally expanded its product catalogue and partnership ecosystem (e.g., Lightbulb Credit for credit insight reports, a Personal Guarantee Insurance provider, and Asset Advantage as a specialist asset finance lender). Headcount sits in the 11–50 range, reflecting a deliberately capital-light, organically-grown broker model.

Name

Claratus

Legal name

Claratus Commercial Finance Limited

Website

https://claratus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Finance Brokerage

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Mortgage Brokerage (FSAEAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Construction & Development (C&D) Lending — Commercial/Multifamily (FSALADAH), Commercial & Multifamily Correspondent Lending (FSALACAH), Mini-Correspondent / Table Funding Programs (FSALACAC), Equipment Financing / Leasing (Venture-backed) (FSANAIAE), Debt & Structured Finance / Mortgage Brokerage (BPAJABAK)

Keywords

• Commercial finance brokerage
• Business lending solutions
• Asset finance broker
• Invoice finance broker
• Property development finance

Headquarters

HQ city

Hildenborough

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 (Credit Broking): Claratus acts as a credit broker matching businesses with lenders from its panel. It receives commission from lenders on completed deals. Commission models include: fixed fee, fixed rate of commission, percentage of the amount borrowed, and rate for risk (based on the risk profile of the business). The company is authorised and regulated by the FCA (FRN: 675461) to carry on regulated activities including credit broking, debt adjusting, debt-counselling, and entering into regulated credit agreements as lender.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Claratus is a UK commercial finance broker that arranges business funding by matching SMEs, professional practices, property investors, and asset buyers with a panel of 50+ UK lenders. Services span Commercial Finance, Professions Finance, Asset Finance, Invoice Finance, and Property Finance (including bridging, development, commercial mortgages, and BTL), plus specialist modules such as tax funding, VAT funding, working capital, and government-backed schemes (CBILS, RLS, Bounce Back Loans). The firm is FCA-authorised (FRN: 675461) and earns broker commission from lenders on completed deals.

Product overview

Claratus Commercial Finance is a UK commercial finance broker that operates as a unified intermediated lending platform connecting businesses with a panel of 50+ lenders. Rather than a single product, the offering comprises multiple finance categories—Commercial Finance, Professions Finance, Asset Finance, Invoice Finance, and Property Finance—that serve as the core product lines. These are complemented by specialized funding modules including Tax Funding, Development Finance, Bridging Loans, Buy-to-Let Mortgages, Commercial Mortgages, and government-backed schemes (RLS, CBILS, Bounce Back Loans). The platform also includes VAT Funding, EPC Improvement Finance, Refurbishment Finance, Working Capital Solutions, and acquisition finance (MBOs/MBIs). Supporting services include Free Company Credit Insight Reports and partner finance services. The broker differentiates through speed (24-48 hour turnaround), access to 50+ lenders, and dedicated account managers rather than call centres.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Finance Flexible funding solutions tailored to UK businesses, from working capital to expansion loans, matching borrowers with suitable lenders from the Claratus panel.
• Professions Finance Specialist finance for professionals including solicitors, accountants, and medical practices, offering tailored funding with competitive terms to support cash flow.
• Asset Finance Enables UK businesses to spread the cost of new equipment, vehicles, or machinery over time without draining cash reserves, arranged via the lender panel.
• Invoice Finance Unlocks cash tied up in unpaid invoices to boost working capital, ideal for improving cash flow without taking on additional debt, arranged via specialist lenders.
• Property Finance Funding for commercial property purchases, developments, or refinancing, including bridging loans, commercial mortgages, BTL, and development finance arranged through the Claratus panel.

Quantifiable outcome

• Offers in 24–48 hours from application submission
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Asset AdvantagecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 2 June 2026Claratus partnered with Asset Advantage to arrange a £154,136 CapEx Term Loan facility for a Central London leisure venue fit-out. The two companies have worked together successfully on previous transactions. Asset Advantage is described as a specialist asset finance lender providing funding for equipment, air conditioning, specialist lighting, kitchen modifications, and electrical works.
• Lightbulb Credit LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2023Claratus partnered with Lightbulb Credit Limited to help clients know, understand, and improve their business credit ratings. Lightbulb Credit provides free Credit Insight reports showing ratings from Creditsafe, Experian, Equifax, Red Flag Alert, and D&B. The partnership enables Claratus to offer credit improvement services as part of its funding readiness offering.
• Personal Guarantee Insurance Specialist (UK's only current provider of Personal Guarantee Insurance)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2023Claratus partnered with the UK's only current Personal Guarantee Insurance (PGI) provider to offer insurance coverage for personal guarantees signed in relation to business loans. The PGI policy can cover up to 80% of the value of a guarantee, with maximum cover of £400,000 for secured loans and £300,000 for unsecured loans. Claratus can consider personal guarantees retrospectively.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Capify: UK-based alternative finance provider offering working capital and small business loans; overlaps with Claratus' SME working capital and asset finance proposition.
• Rangewell: UK commercial finance broker matching SMEs and property borrowers with lenders across multiple product lines, using a panel-based approach analogous to Claratus.
• Clifton Private Finance: UK commercial finance broker specialising in property, bridging and development finance for SMEs and investors — overlaps directly with Claratus' property and bridging loan offerings.
• Nucleus Commercial Finance: UK commercial finance broker offering multi-product lending (asset, invoice, property, working capital) to SMEs via a panel of lenders. Closely comparable business model and customer base to Claratus.
• MarketFinance (now Resolve): UK invoice finance and business funding platform serving SMEs with working capital solutions; directly overlaps with Claratus' Invoice Finance vertical.
• Fleximize: UK fintech providing flexible business loans to SMEs; competes for the same SME working capital and growth finance customer as Claratus' panel route.
• Alternative Business Funding: UK commercial finance broker connecting SMEs with a panel of lenders for working capital, asset and commercial mortgages; closely comparable panel-broker model.
• Swoop Funding: UK and global SME finance broker connecting businesses with lenders and investors for loans, equity and grants. Same intermediated brokerage model serving similar SME and mid-market customers.

Broad incumbents

• Funding Circle: UK-listed direct SME lending platform and one of the largest alternative lenders; competes for the same SME borrower base as Claratus, but via direct balance-sheet lending rather than broker intermediation.
• Lloyds Bank Business Banking: UK high-street incumbent bank providing SME commercial loans, asset finance and property finance; competes with Claratus for SME working capital and asset finance demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/claratusCF
• Instagraminstagram.com/claratuscf
• Xx.com/ClaratusCF

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Claratus