Simply recognised for AI innovation transforming customer finance

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping specialist finance, but the Finance Connect Summer Awards 2026 recognised organisations that are delivering practical innovation rather than simply talking about AI’s potential.

Simply Asset Finance was named the inaugural winner of the Finance Connect AI & Data Innovation in Finance Award, sponsored by Resilient Management Solutions, for its pioneering use of AI to transform both customer experience and internal operations.

As Finance Connect continues its series highlighting this year’s Summer Awards winners, we spoke to Andy Trimmer, Director of Technology at Simply Asset Finance, about the company’s AI journey, the development of its virtual assistant Kara and why successful innovation is ultimately about putting people first.

For Trimmer, the award reflects a strategy that has been years in the making.

“Simply coined the phrase ‘technology with a handshake’ back in 2017 with the aim of creating a people-first business, supplemented by market-leading technology to create an optimal customer experience when accessing finance,” he said.

“We have invested heavily to ensure we’re keeping up with the ever-evolving technological landscape, especially in digital and AI, so it is an honour to be recognised in this category as it solidifies the notion that we’re doing what we set out to do from the start.

“We’re also extremely proud of the team for their hard work and for contributing to a culture of innovation that allows us to drive change and be agile.”

At the heart of Simply’s AI strategy is Kara, the company’s AI-powered business assistant, introduced in 2025 and now embedded across multiple functions including finance, credit, sales, business support, customer services and collections.

Rather than acting as a demonstration of AI, Kara has become an operational part of the business.

“Since she joined last year, she has had multiple promotions,” Trimmer said.

Among her daily responsibilities are loading broker proposals, generating automated customer letters and processing finance payments. To date, Kara has automated more than 5,000 payments, produced over 20,000 customer letters and processed more than 400 broker proposals, significantly improving operational efficiency.

Building on that capability, Simply has recently launched Money in Minutes, an end-to-end automated lending journey that enables customers and partners to complete an application through to payout in under eight minutes.

Powered by Kara and underpinned by Simply’s API-first architecture, the platform analyses information across sales, underwriting and payout processes while completing the required compliance checks automatically.

According to Trimmer, the innovation is already delivering measurable benefits.

“Early proof points of Simply’s ‘Money in Minutes’ suggest the functionality will reduce payout times by as much as 85%, reducing rework and enabling businesses to keep operations moving quickly while avoiding disruption typically experienced while waiting for funds,” he said.

Importantly, Simply views AI as a way to strengthen customer relationships rather than replace them.

“Kara is a 24/7 resource that allows our people to spend more time understanding our customers and their journeys, which means we can ensure they are at the centre of everything we do,” Trimmer explained.

Simply also recently announced a partnership with Lombard, part of the NatWest Group, to combine the unique strengths of each business. Simply’s digital platform, supported by Kara, backed by the institutional strength of Lombard creates opportunity to help more businesses access the funding they need quickly, supporting UK growth.   

Reflecting on the wider AI journey, Trimmer believes successful adoption depends on solving genuine business problems rather than implementing technology for its own sake.

“We believe successful AI adoption starts with using the technology where it genuinely adds value,” he said.

“While leadership provides the vision and mandate, the best ideas often come from across the business, with innovation thriving when people and AI work together rather than in competition.

“The most effective approach is to start small, build incrementally and focus on outcomes. Beyond simple process automation, AI’s real potential lies in the speed and insights it delivers, enabling organisations to rethink risk, uncover new opportunities and enhance the customer experience.”

Looking ahead, Trimmer expects AI to play an increasingly important role in making finance more flexible and personalised.

“Over the next few years, AI’s biggest impact in asset finance will be enabling providers to keep pace with rapidly evolving customer expectations while delivering greater flexibility and personalisation at scale,” he said.

“It will help unlock new product and funding options tailored to individual customer needs, making complexity less of a barrier for both lenders and borrowers.

“There is a possibility that the greatest transformation may not even come from how finance providers use AI themselves, but from how their customers adopt it to reshape their businesses and financing requirements.”

Presenting the award, Colin Tovey, Managing Director of Resilient Management Solutions, said Simply had demonstrated exactly the type of innovation the category was created to recognise.

“Sponsoring this award mattered to us because AI and data innovation is where the real competitive edge in asset and equipment finance will be won or lost over the next few years,” he said.

“Simply Asset Finance stood out for turning that ambition into something tangible – they’ve shown real, practical innovation rather than just talking about it. Congratulations to Ylva Oertengren, Andy Trimmer and the team. Their approach is a genuine example of where this space is heading.”