From scale to speed: PEAC’s UK strategy takes shape in 2026

When economic confidence is fragile, asset finance providers feel it fast. Businesses only borrow to fund investment when they are ready to buy – and in 2025, that willingness was inconsistent across the UK market.

For Steve Bolton, last year was “hard work… but constructive”: a period defined by cautious customer behaviour, but also by decisive strategic moves designed to set PEAC up for the next growth cycle.

“We operate in an environment where the economy has a very significant impact on the amount of investment that businesses want to make,” Bolton said. “It does feel now that we may be most of the way through that cycle of bumping along the bottom before confidence starts to lift again. But one thing is for certain, it always does.”

Against that backdrop, PEAC spent 2025 strengthening its UK platform through acquisitions – and in early 2026, moved quickly to turn that strategy into a new, tech-led proposition for the channel.

2025: Building scale and relationships

In September 2025, PEAC Solutions UK acquired ABN AMRO UK’s leasing book positioning it as a move that strengthens PEAC’s UK market presence and broadens its equipment leasing and asset-based lending capability – while ensuring continuity for existing ABN AMRO UK leasing customers.

Bolton points to the acquisition as a key milestone for PEAC in the UK, expanding balance-sheet capability and bringing in customers aligned with PEAC’s existing sector footprint.

“The acquisition of the ABN AMRO Asset Finance book… worked very well because there was a strong overlap with our existing customer base,” he said. “And it gave us some new customers to build relationships with, which we’re doing.”

2026: From acquisition to activation

If the ABN AMRO UK transaction expanded PEAC’s core platform, Bolton sees the acquisition of Berlin-based fintech topi as the catalyst for something more transformational: true incremental growth in a rapidly evolving technology finance space.

“We acquired topi… which is a business that we intend to invest in and grow,” he said. “We’ve already launched the offering in the UK. So that’s very exciting… and allows us to diversify into a space that’s rapidly growing – and a space that we’ve not really been present in.”

That speed is not incidental. The topi digital finance platform was launched in the UK just four months after completing its acquisition – with the rollout described as one of the fastest fintech deployments of its kind in the UK.

topi’s proposition is designed around digital-first, subscription-based hardware – helping IT resellers and vendors move from quote and credit approval through to contract completion “within minutes,” and enabling an embedded and “slick, consumer-style checkout experience” in a B2B environment.

Bolton believes the platform supports the circular economy by design, and he sees potential beyond technology in time.

“There is really no reason why the topi platform couldn’t be used to fund any catalogue of assets,” he said, suggesting that categories such as gym equipment could eventually be enabled through the same digital catalogue-and-checkout experience – once topi is scaled in tech first.

A new Technology Channel team to match the ambition

PEAC’s acceleration in tech is not only about platform capability; it is also about building specialist distribution strength.

In August 2025, PEAC reported the launch of a new Technology Channel team, created to expand its presence in technology finance across the UK and Europe and to respond to “rapid change in IT consumption and investment models.”

The UK team is led by Jordan Lisle, supported by Paul Fletcher and Karen Davies, with PEAC stating priorities that include driving adoption of financing models for software, hardware and services, and supporting partners with “flexible and sustainable payment structures.”

For Bolton, that channel focus connects directly back to what customers want, and what lenders must protect.

“What has not changed is the speed and ease of service that customers require,” he said. “That’s a combination of systems and people and mindset.”

The 2026 balancing act: speed, fraud risk, and digital capability

One of Bolton’s strongest warnings for 2026 is that “fast” must be balanced with “safe”.

He described a rise in sophisticated, AI-enabled fraud attempts across the market – including a deepfake impersonation attempt aimed at triggering a payment authorisation.

“If you’re that quick, the fraud’s already happened, the asset’s gone, you’ve lost your money,” he said. “Part of what the fraudster is playing on is our desire to serve customers quickly.”

At the same time, PEAC is investing in data, AI and internal capability – rolling out tools, testing specialist AI propositions, and pushing for adoption so teams can make better decisions faster.

“It’s a game changer,” Bolton said, describing how AI tools help him arrive at legal, risk or asset management conversations with better questions and a stronger baseline understanding.

Leadership: “Values are standards – service and excellence are a choice”

Asked about leadership and culture through disruption – from the financial crisis to PEAC’s 2021 transition into private credit ownership – Bolton repeatedly returned to consistency, accountability and trust.

He outlined PEAC Solution’s UK values as: partnership, respect, accountability, integrity, service and excellence – drawing a clear line between what he sees as non-negotiables and what differentiates a business.

“Partnership, respect, accountability, and integrity… you just have to do those,” he said. “But service and excellence are a choice and they need constant investment.?”

Bolton also described practical rituals designed to embed culture at PEAC’s current scale in the UK (around 140 people), including new starter lunches led by senior leadership to explain not only what the values are, but why they matter, so people “belong from day one”.

His advice to future leaders was straightforward: “Be authentic.” In a more anxious workplace environment, he believes resilience is built through relationships – inside the business and across the industry – especially as senior roles can become more isolating.

The year ahead

For Bolton, the story of 2026 is not just about doing more of the same – it is about combining PEAC’s traditional strengths with a new engine for scalable growth.

“We’ve got great people, strong partnerships, strong customer relationships,” he said. “We’ve got exciting opportunities, for example, the likes of topi… to do something new that is scalable.”

With topi now live in the UK and a dedicated Technology Channel team in place, PEAC’s direction is clear: embed the platform, grow its technology finance proposition, and capture demand as subscription-led IT investment becomes a mainstream buying behaviour – while ensuring the speed customers want doesn’t compromise the risk discipline lenders need.

And, as Bolton puts it, when confidence returns – as it always does – PEAC is ready.