Gripvan (london) Ltd
Gripvan (London) Ltd is a founder-led London-based B2B rental company that provides custom-converted mobile grip vans, lighting and camera equipment, crew, and shoot logistics to photographers, filmmakers, advertising agencies, and production companies on UK and international locations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Gripvan (london) Ltd does
Gripvan (London) Ltd is a privately-held, founder-led B2B equipment rental and shoot logistics company headquartered at Unit B08 Leyton Industrial Village, London (E10 7QP). Founded by Andrew Howe — a UK Lighting Director with 30 years of industry experience — the company operates a small fleet of custom-converted vans (GV01–GV04, comprising Renault Master LWB and Renault Trafic Sport chassis) configured with bespoke kit storage designed by working practitioners. Its core commercial offering centres on two pre-configured mobile grip packages: the Standard Grip Package (£600/day plus driver) and the Mini Grip Package (£400/day plus driver), each bundling comprehensive grip, electrical, and location equipment with mileage, congestion charge, and generator fuel into a single daily rate.
The product surface extends beyond the van packages into separate lighting, camera, and grip rental; a Production/Location Kit (EZ-UPs, tables, heaters, walkie-talkies, craft services); a Styling Package (wardrobe rails, steamer, makeup mirror, changing tent); a Tailor Made custom equipment sourcing service leveraging relationships with Europe's largest rental houses; trained driver/assistant personnel (from £200/10-hour day); on-set consultancy; and international shoot logistics spanning Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Recent inventory additions include zero-emission battery power solutions (EcoFlow, PessEnergy, OnPower, FX Lion, Hawkweeds), Dedo Lightbridge CRLS reflective systems, Aputure and Lightstar LED fixtures, and Profoto Pro-10 flash.
Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales via the gripvan.com website, phone, and email, supplemented by content marketing (blog, Instagram), an email newsletter, PR through industry bodies such as the AOP, and prominent display of named-client logos (Budweiser, Puma, On the Beach, Sage, Jaguar Land Rover, Vodafone, Ogilvy, Lululemon, ITV, Sky, BBC, Potboiler). Customer segments span professional photographers, Directors of Photography, advertising agencies, and production companies requiring on-location grip, lighting, and crew support. With a five-person full-time team and no external funding disclosed, Gripvan operates as a tightly-scoped specialist within the UK commercial production services market.
Gripvan (london) Ltd firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gripvan (london) Ltd
- Legal name
- Grip Van (London) Ltd
- Website
- https://gripvan.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Gripvan (London) Ltd is a founder-led London-based B2B rental company that provides custom-converted mobile grip vans, lighting and camera equipment, crew, and shoot logistics to photographers, filmmakers, advertising agencies, and production companies on UK and international locations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gripvan (london) Ltd industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Photography and Film Equipment Rental Services
- NAICS
- Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing (5321)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Production Equipment & Technical Services (Camera/Lighting/Grip, Virtual Production) (MPAAAMAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Studio Lighting & Grip Infrastructure Services (MPADAIAF)
Keywords
Where Gripvan (london) Ltd is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Gripvan (london) Ltd business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Equipment Rental: Rental of photographic and moving image equipment including lighting (LED, HMI, flash, tungsten), grip equipment, camera gear, and production supplies. Equipment sourced from extensive rental stock and through ability to source obscure items.
- Grip Package Hire: Pre-configured van-based grip packages (Standard and Mini) rented with or without driver/assistant. Includes comprehensive equipment sets at discounted rates versus list prices.
- Crew Services: Provision of trained driver/assistant personnel for shoots. Driver/assistant rates from £200 including 10 hours door to door, with overtime rates for additional hours.
- Equipment Sourcing: Custom kit sourcing service working with largest equipment rental houses in Europe. The company collects, stores, and delivers sourced equipment ready for use.
- Consultancy: Advisory services on equipment needs before and during shoots to ensure smooth operations.
- International Shoot Logistics: Logistics services for international shoots across Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Grip Package - Full complement of grip, electrical, and location equipment in custom van |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mini Grip Package - Essentials package in compact van format |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Driver/Assistant |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Styling Package |
| Other | Quote-based | Location/Production Kit |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Damage Waiver |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Gripvan (london) Ltd product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gripvan (London) Ltd provides custom-designed mobile grip vans equipped with lighting, stands, camera gear and storage for professional photo, film, and TV location shoots. The company supplements its van fleet with a broader catalogue of lighting, camera, and grip equipment rentals, plus experienced crew support, styling packages, and tailor-made equipment sourcing for productions of any scale.
Product overview
Gripvan (London) Ltd operates as a specialized photographic and moving image equipment rental company offering mobile grip packages mounted in custom-designed vans. The core offering consists of two Grip Package tiers (Standard at £600/day and Mini at £400/day), which serve as fully-equipped mobile kit rooms. These packages can be supplemented with separate equipment rental (lighting, camera, grip), a Production/Location Kit for set essentials, a Styling Package for wardrobe and makeup, and Tailor Made custom sourcing services. The company also provides consultancy, crew services, and international logistics. All services are coordinated from the company's East London HQ near Lea Bridge Station.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Standard Grip Package
- Mini Grip Package
- Styling Package
- Equipment Rental
- Tailor Made Service
- International Shoot Logistics
- Production / Location Kit
- Consultancy
Quantifiable outcome
- 50% discount over list prices on Standard Grip Package
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Gripvan (london) Ltd
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Gripvan (london) Ltd technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Gripvan (london) Ltd partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- The Colour BalanceminorDiversity initiative partnership where Gripvan works with The Colour Balance to offer training opportunities to underrepresented assistants in the stills and moving image advertising industry. Gripvan provides warehouse time for training, learning about kit and van loading, with the aim of recruiting to their freelance crew. Training is paid at London Living Wage. Partnership founder Virgilia Facey and lead workshop facilitator Tom Cockram collaborate on training workshops.
- Pedal MeminorCargo bike delivery service partnership for eco-friendly deliveries and collections in London. Pedal Me provides electric cargo bike support to handle the majority of deliveries and collections between Gripvan, suppliers, and customers, reducing van journeys into central London.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Gripvan (london) Ltd competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Panavision: Global leader in camera, lighting, and grip equipment rental for film and high-end commercial production. Comparable as a one-stop rental supplier for professional film/photo productions; much broader portfolio and global footprint than Gripvan.
- VMI.TV: UK-based broadcast and production equipment rental business supplying cameras, lenses, lighting, and AV to broadcast and live-event customers. Comparable on equipment rental + crew model; serves broadcast/live events rather than on-location photo/commercials.
- Presteigne Broadcast Hire: UK broadcast rental business providing cameras, lighting, audio, and production equipment for outside broadcasts and studio productions. Comparable as UK equipment-rental + crew provider; broader broadcast/event focus than Gripvan's location-shoot specialty.
- ARRI Rental: ARRI's dedicated rental arm supplying camera, lighting, and grip equipment to feature film and commercial productions worldwide. Comparable on equipment breadth and customer base (DOPs, production companies); significantly larger scale than Gripvan.
Direct peers
- Hireacamera: UK online rental platform for cameras, lighting, and grip gear serving independent and commercial photographers/filmmakers. Comparable on equipment rental + consultancy for photo and video shoots; self-serve digital model vs. Gripvan's van-delivered concierge model.
- Hotcam Camera Rentals: London-based specialist camera and equipment rental for commercials, broadcast, and drama. Comparable on customer base (production companies, agencies, DOPs) and London location; narrower scope (camera-led) than Gripvan's grip-and-van focus.
- Procam: London-based camera rental house serving broadcast, commercials, and film productions with multi-vendor inventory and crew support. Most directly comparable UK peer on equipment rental plus crew/production services for advertising and TV shoots.
- Visual Impact UK: UK supplier of professional film and broadcast equipment including cameras, lighting, and grip for commercials and feature productions. Comparable London footprint and focus on commercial/advertising shoots with full equipment packages.
- Movie Tech AG: German manufacturer and supplier of specialized camera cars, grip vehicles, and motion-control equipment for film productions. Comparable on the niche of purpose-built production vehicles for film/commercial shoots; serves as both supplier and operator.
Regional players
- Cine Video Eclairage (CVE): France-based grip and lighting equipment rental specialist serving film and commercial productions with mobile grip vehicles and crew. Closest continental-European analog to Gripvan's mobile grip-van model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Gripvan (london) Ltd social profiles
Digital presenceGripvan (london) Ltd financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gripvan (london) Ltd leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Gripvan (london) Ltd funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gripvan (london) Ltd M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gripvan (london) Ltd
What does Gripvan (london) Ltd do?
Gripvan (London) Ltd provides custom-designed mobile grip vans equipped with lighting, stands, camera gear and storage for professional photo, film, and TV location shoots. The company supplements its van fleet with a broader catalogue of lighting, camera, and grip equipment rentals, plus experienced crew support, styling packages, and tailor-made equipment sourcing for productions of any scale.
Is Gripvan (london) Ltd a public or private company?
Gripvan (london) Ltd is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Gripvan (london) Ltd founded?
Gripvan (london) Ltd was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Gripvan (london) Ltd based?
Gripvan (london) Ltd is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Gripvan (london) Ltd make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Equipment Rental is the primary driver. The others are grip Package Hire, crew Services, equipment Sourcing, consultancy and international Shoot Logistics.
Who are Gripvan (london) Ltd's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Panavision, VMI.TV, Presteigne Broadcast Hire and ARRI Rental. Direct peers are Hireacamera, Hotcam Camera Rentals, Procam, Visual Impact UK and Movie Tech AG. Cine Video Eclairage (CVE) is listed as a regional player.
Does Gripvan (london) Ltd have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gripvan (london) Ltd.
What industry is Gripvan (london) Ltd in?
Gripvan (london) Ltd's product category is Photography and Film Equipment Rental Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAMAH, Production Equipment & Technical Services (Camera/Lighting/Grip, Virtual Production), with a secondary code of MPADAIAF, Studio Lighting & Grip Infrastructure Services. Its NAICS code is 5321.