Portman Finance Group

What Portman Finance Group does

Portman Finance Group is a UK-based specialist business-to-business finance broker and lender serving small and medium-sized enterprises. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Northampton, the company operates a hybrid model: it brokers facilities on behalf of a panel of more than 60 lenders and also originates direct lending on its own balance sheet, supported by a £10 million funding line from Shawbrook Bank secured in October 2025. Deal sizes range from £5,000 to £5 million, with a dedicated account manager assigned to each client; the company reports having facilitated over £1.5 billion in funding to UK SMEs across more than 20 industry verticals since inception, serving 20,000+ businesses.

The firm's go-to-market combines direct inbound with a Partners Hub introducing-partner network, and it participates in the British Business Bank's Growth Guarantee Scheme, giving it access to government-backed lending capacity. The product set includes standard SME finance products (asset finance, invoice finance, business loans, commercial mortgages) and was extended in 2026 with a syndicated finance capability for larger multi-credit-provider structures. Revenue mechanics are primarily commission-based on brokered deals plus net interest income on the direct lending book.

Operationally, Portman has scaled rapidly: headcount has more than doubled in two years into the 101–250 range, supported by a permanent headquarters acquisition ("Portman House"). A March 2026 C-suite reorganisation added a CFO (Mark Craigen), CLO (Ryan Magee), and CCO (Simon Williams), and the company was named one of the Financial Times' 1000 fastest-growing companies in Europe for 2026. No AI/ML capabilities, proprietary technology platforms, or external equity funding rounds are disclosed in the available data.

Name

Portman Finance Group

Legal name

Portman Finance Group Ltd

Website

https://portmanfinancegroup.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Portman Finance Group is a UK specialist B2B finance broker and lender for SMEs, operating a 60+ lender panel and direct lending book across 20+ sectors, with deal sizes from £5,000 to £5 million and over £1.5 billion facilitated since 2007.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Finance & SME Lending

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310), Sales Financing (52222)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163), Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Mortgage Brokerage (FSAEAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Supply Chain Finance (Trade Credit, PO/Inventory Financing) (FSAKAGAE), Warehouse Lending / Mortgage Warehouse Facilities (FSALACAI)

Keywords

• SME business loans
• Asset finance broker
• Commercial finance
• Equipment leasing
• UK SME lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Northampton

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: Commission earned from introducing customers to their panel of 60+ lenders for financed transactions
2. Interest Income from Direct Lending: Interest earned from providing their own exclusive funding facilities to SMEs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Portman Finance Group is a specialist UK commercial finance broker and direct lender serving small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It sources business loans from £10,000 to £2 million, asset finance (hire purchase, leasing, equipment refinance), and government-backed loans, drawing on a panel of 60+ lenders and its own balance sheet. Each enquiry is handled by a dedicated account manager who structures the deal from initial application through to funding, with the ability to syndicate finance across multiple lenders for larger transactions.

Product overview

Portman Finance Group operates as both a direct lender and credit broker, offering a comprehensive portfolio of commercial finance products to UK SMEs. The core offering includes business loans (ranging from £10,000 to £2 million), asset finance products (hire purchase, lease finance, equipment refinance), and government-backed schemes like the Growth Guarantee Scheme. As a broker, they access a panel of over 60 lenders to find optimal financing solutions. Their unique syndicated finance capability allows them to structure multi-lender deals for larger funding requirements. The company also provides sector-specific financing across construction, manufacturing, hospitality, IT, medical, and other industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Asset Finance
• Hire Purchase
• Lease Finance
• Equipment Refinance
• Equipment Finance
• Business Loans
• Flexible & Short Term Business Loans
• Corporation Tax Loan
• VAT Loans
• Merchant Cash Advance
• Growth Guarantee Scheme
• Start Up Loans
• Commercial Bridging Loans
• Commercial Vehicles Finance

Quantifiable outcome

• £54 billion in missed opportunities for UK SMEs due to lack of confidence in external finance (Portman research, July 2026)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Funding Circle: UK-based SME lending platform that both originates directly and distributes via a network of partners/institutional investors, serving the same UK SME borrower segment with comparable loan products. Directly comparable as a dual-channel SME finance operator.
• iwoca: UK fintech providing direct SME lending and working capital facilities, with a strong technology-led origination stack serving similar SME customer profiles. Closest tech-enabled peer competing for the same short-term SME funding demand.
• Capify: UK-based SME finance provider offering business loans and merchant cash advance, operating both directly and through partner introductions. Closely comparable business model — small business lending with broker-style distribution.
• Rangewell: UK commercial finance broker for SMEs providing business loans, asset finance and tailored funding solutions. Directly comparable as a service-led broker addressing the same UK SME funding gap Portman targets.
• Simply Asset Finance: UK asset finance broker facilitating equipment, vehicle and commercial asset financing for SMEs via a panel of lenders. Highly comparable on the asset finance and hire purchase product line that is core to Portman's offering.

Others

• Shawbrook Bank: UK specialist lender and Portman's October 2025 funding line provider (£10m) and panel member. Not a direct competitor on Portman's core SME broker business, but an ecosystem partner whose risk appetite and panel participation materially shape Portman's product economics.

Broad incumbents

• Close Brothers Asset Finance: Asset finance and SME lending arm of Close Brothers Group, one of the largest UK asset finance providers operating through broker and direct channels. Comparable as a scale incumbent in the same asset finance and business loan space Portman addresses.
• Bibby Financial Services: Long-established UK provider of invoice finance, asset finance, and business loans to SMEs. Operates in the same SME finance category as Portman but with a wider portfolio (invoice discounting, foreign exchange), not specialising in Portman's asset/lending mix.
• Aldermore Bank: UK challenger bank providing asset finance, SME loans, and commercial mortgages to small businesses. Established full-stack lender across the same asset finance and business loan categories Portman brokers, with broader deposit-funded capabilities.

Emerging players

• Liberis: UK-headquartered fintech providing revenue-based finance and embedded funding to SMEs via partner integrations. Compares as an emerging alternative for SME working capital, potentially disintermediating brokers like Portman on smaller-ticket deals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Portman Finance Group