Praetura unites five lending brands under single identity

SME lender Praetura has announced plans to bring five specialist lending brands together under a single identity, simplifying access to finance for UK businesses, brokers and introducers.

The move will see Kingsway Finance, Praetura Asset Finance, Praetura Commercial Finance, Praetura Invoice Finance and Zodeq operate under the Praetura name, combining their specialist expertise and funding products into one offering.

The transition, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, is designed to make it easier for SMEs to access funding solutions, particularly where their requirements are complex or involve multiple finance products.

Praetura’s offering spans asset finance, business loans, invoice finance and recruitment finance, supporting businesses with asset purchases, acquisitions, succession planning, refinancing and working capital.

Based in the North West, with offices in Wilmslow and Blackburn, Praetura employs more than 150 people across the UK and has supported over 10,000 businesses nationwide.

The lender has deployed almost £2bn in funding across sectors including manufacturing, construction, transport, healthcare, recruitment, retail and hospitality.

Its current lending book stands at £650m, having increased five-fold since 2020.

Peadar O’Reilly, Chief Executive at Praetura, said the increasing range of finance products and providers available to SMEs had created additional complexity for businesses seeking funding.

“As the financial services sector has evolved, UK businesses have gained access to an increasing variety of products and lenders. This evolution is largely positive, as it encourages lenders to innovate and develop their products and services, but it has also made access to finance complex and disjointed.

“Many SMEs are now burdened with facilities that solved a short term problem, or were right for that moment in time, but do not necessarily set them up for stability and growth long term.”

O’Reilly said bringing the brands together would enable Praetura to take a more integrated approach to SME funding.

“We believe that a more solution-led approach to SME lending, where multiple products are available from a single funder, means we can align more closely with our clients’ needs, ensure we’re offering funding that sets them up for success and ultimately, change what’s possible for their business.”

Recent transactions across the group demonstrate the range of funding available, including a £1.9m invoice discounting facility supporting the management buy-out of licensed apparel specialist Brands In and an £800,000 loan to NHS supplier RM Medics.

Other deals include a £100,000 factoring facility for a recruitment business, a £75,000 hire purchase agreement for a Midlands transport operator and £25,000 of equipment finance for a machine tool supplier.

The five businesses have operated as part of the Praetura group for several years, with the latest announcement formalising their transition to a unified brand.

O’Reilly added: “Uniting the Praetura brands is the natural next step in enabling us to achieve this goal; it’s a project that we’ve been working on for a while, so we’re excited to share the news with our professional network, and to start 2027 as one Praetura.”

The transition will retain Praetura’s existing name and logo, alongside a refreshed visual identity and a single website at praetura.co.uk.

Praetura confirmed that the changes will not affect existing customer relationships or funding arrangements.