What FlexABL does

FlexABL (Flex ABL Limited) is a privately-held UK invoice finance lender serving small and medium-sized enterprises in England and Wales with annual turnover of at least £200,000. The company advances up to 90% of the value of unpaid invoices, typically within hours of submission, and offers both confidential facilities — where end customers remain unaware of the arrangement — and disclosed facilities with optional credit-control services. Its wholly-owned subsidiary BridgeABL Limited extends the offering with short-term bridging loans of £25,000–£250,000 for existing clients facing acute liquidity needs such as HMRC payments.

The operating model is built on a cloud-based platform providing real-time account access via PC, laptop, or mobile, with paperless e-document signing and direct API connectivity to seven major accounting software packages — Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, Clear Books, Exact, FreshBooks, and Zoho. Identity, credit, and fraud checks during onboarding are delivered through Creditsafe and TransUnion data feeds; underwriting is automated at the screening layer but subject to meaningful human review. Operations are run from Warwick (CV34 6RG) with the registered office in Rickmansworth (WD3 1JJ).

FlexABL earns revenue through a mix of service charges on assigned invoices (PayABL charges a flat ~2.5% of gross invoice value), discount charges calculated daily as a margin over Bank Base Rate, arrangement and drawdown fees, and interest on BridgeABL advances; AdaptABL offers 0.05%–0.1% daily usage-based pricing and ReliABL a fixed monthly subscription. Distribution runs through Director-led direct sales, an online self-serve application portal, and a structured introducer programme for commercial finance brokers — materially expanded via NACFB Patron membership secured in November 2024. The company is founder-owned by Director & Owner Paul Stokes alongside Director Kirsty Ibbotson, with a team of approximately eight people.

Name

FlexABL

Legal name

Flex ABL Limited

Website

https://flexabl.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FlexABL is a UK-based invoice finance lender that advances up to 90% of unpaid invoice value to SMEs in England and Wales, offering factoring, discounting, and short-term bridging loans via its BridgeABL subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Invoice Finance & SME Lending

NAICS

Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)

SIC

Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

Direct Lending — Asset-Based Lending (ABL) (FSAHAJAE)

Keywords

• Invoice finance
• Invoice factoring
• Invoice discounting
• SME working capital
• Bridging loans

Headquarters

HQ city

Rickmansworth

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Invoice Finance Service Charges: Ongoing fees calculated as a percentage of invoices assigned to FlexABL. The rate depends on facility size and level of service, including optional credit control management. PayABL offers an all-in fee of typically 2.5% of gross invoice value.
2. Invoice Finance Discount Charges: Cost of funds borrowed, calculated daily and expressed as a margin over Bank Base Rate. For stable predictable borrowing, ReliABL offers a fixed monthly fee with an annual daily discount rate.
3. Additional Fees: Arrangement fees on facility commencement and payment fees on drawdowns. AdaptABL offers daily borrowing fees between 0.05%-0.1% for businesses wanting to pay only for what they borrow.
4. BridgeABL Bridging Loan Interest: Short-term cashflow loans from £25,000 to £250,000 for existing FlexABL invoice finance clients, repaid over terms agreed at credit approval. Interest earned on bridging advances.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FlexABL provides invoice finance solutions (factoring and discounting) to UK SMEs, advancing up to 90% of the value of unpaid invoices within hours of submission. Offerings include disclosed and confidential facilities, flexible 30-day rolling notice contracts, and bespoke pricing structures (PayABL, AdaptABL, ReliABL). The BridgeABL subsidiary provides bridging loans of £25,000 to £250,000 for existing FlexABL clients needing short-term liquidity.

Product overview

FlexABL is an invoice finance lender offering a suite of cashflow solutions for small businesses. The core FlexABL Invoice Finance product enables businesses to release up to 90% of cash locked in unpaid invoices within hours. The BridgeABL sub-brand provides complementary bridging loans (£25,000–£250,000) for existing FlexABL clients facing short-term liquidity needs. The offering is differentiated by flexible, contract-free terms and multiple pricing structures (PayABL, AdaptABL, ReliABL) tailored to individual business needs. The company connects with major accounting software packages (Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, Clear Books, Exact, FreshBooks, Zoho) and provides both confidential and disclosed facility options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BridgeABL: Bridging loan product offering cashflow loans from £25,000 to £250,000 for existing FlexABL invoice finance clients or businesses looking to fund receivables with FlexABL.

Products and services

• FlexABL Invoice Finance
• BridgeABL Bridging Loans Bridging loan product for existing FlexABL invoice finance clients, providing additional cashflow support from £25,000 to £250,000. Designed for short-term liquidity needs such as HMRC bills, with flexible repayment terms typically over 3 months and up to 12 months revolving facility.
• PayABL A simple, all-in pricing option where clients pay a flat 2.5% fee on the gross value of each invoice assigned to FlexABL, covering service and discount charges. Suitable for businesses that want predictable, transparent per-invoice pricing.
• AdaptABL A pay-as-you-go pricing structure with a daily borrowing fee of 0.05%-0.1%, allowing clients to only pay for what they borrow. Suitable for businesses with variable cash flow needs that want to pay only for what they use.
• ReliABL A fixed-fee pricing structure for clients with stable, predictable borrowing requirements, combining a fixed monthly fee with an annual daily discount rate. Suitable for businesses with consistent working capital needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 90% of invoice value available within hours of upload
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (NACFB)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 November 2024FlexABL became a NACFB Patron in November 2024, reinforcing their commitment to the intermediary-led commercial finance sector. The membership connects FlexABL with NACFB's broad network of commercial finance brokers across the UK, enabling more SMEs to access invoice finance solutions. Norman Chambers, NACFB Managing Director, welcomed FlexABL, noting their flexible offering aligns well with broker needs for SME clients requiring working capital from unpaid invoices.
• Misool FoundationminorOthers · 1 April 2024FlexABL donated laptops to the Misool Foundation in Indonesia, an organisation dedicated to safeguarding biodiverse reefs through community empowerment. The donation supports the foundation's community outreach, educational initiatives, and administrative operations. One of FlexABL's key investors visited Misool in 2023 and initiated the partnership as part of FlexABL's environmental and sustainability commitments.
• CreditsafecoreTechnology or IntegrationCreditsafe is used by FlexABL to obtain consumer credit and identity data for creditworthiness assessment, identity verification, and fraud prevention during the application process. Creditsafe Business Solutions Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA (Firm Reference Number: 742313) and uses TransUnion as its data partner.
• TransUnion International UK LimitedcoreTechnology or IntegrationTransUnion is the underlying data partner supplying consumer credit and identity data via Creditsafe. Used for identity verification, credit scoring, fraud prevention, and affordability checks during customer onboarding. TransUnion International UK Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA (Firm Reference Number: 805757).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Time Finance: UK AIM-listed specialist lender offering invoice finance, asset finance, and loans to SMEs — directly comparable business model, customer base, and broker distribution.
• Bibby Financial Services: One of the largest UK invoice finance and factoring providers, directly competing with FlexABL for SME clients. Overlaps closely on product set (invoice discounting, factoring, asset-based lending) and broker-led distribution model.
• Aldermore Invoice Finance: UK challenger bank's invoice finance arm offering factoring and discounting to SMEs — directly comparable facility sizes, customer profile, and broker-led origination approach.
• Pulse Cashflow: UK-based fintech invoice discounting platform targeting SMEs with fast, tech-led onboarding — close comparator on technology-enabled service model and digital-first UX.
• Close Brothers Asset Finance: UK-listed lender with a substantial invoice finance and asset-based lending book targeting UK SMEs, competing head-to-head on facility size, broker relationships, and pricing.
• Independent Growth Finance (IGF): UK specialist invoice finance provider focused on SMEs, very similar in scale and target customer profile to FlexABL. Competes in the same broker channel and on flexible contract terms.

Broad incumbents

• HSBC UK Invoice Finance: Large UK bank offering invoice finance as part of a wider commercial banking portfolio. Competes for the same SME borrowers but with deeper capital reserves and broader relationship banking.
• Propel Finance (formerly Hitachi Capital Invoice Finance): UK asset finance and invoice finance provider with a broad SME offering, including bridging-style working capital products similar in concept to FlexABL's BridgeABL.
• Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance: UK high-street bank with a major invoice finance business serving SMEs and mid-market. Larger scale and balance-sheet capacity, but typically less flexible on contracts than FlexABL.

Emerging players

• Optimum Finance: Smaller UK invoice finance and working-capital specialist targeting SMEs — closely comparable in scale, target customer, and broker-led origination approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/flex_abl
• Facebookfacebook.com/FlexABL-100083282495347
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/flexabl
• Instagraminstagram.com/flex.abl
• TikToktiktok.com/@flexabl?lang=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 FlexABL