Ultimate Finance reports record H1 with £126m in new lending

Ultimate Finance has announced a record-breaking first half of the year, reporting £126 million in new lending – the highest half-year origination result in the lender’s history.

The figure marks a 15% increase compared to the same period in 2024 and highlights the company’s growing role in supporting UK SMEs with tailored asset-based lending solutions.

The strong performance comes as Ultimate Finance continues to deliver on its strategy of ensuring all three core product areas – Working Capital, Asset Finance, and Bridging Finance – are operating in unison to meet the evolving needs of businesses. As a result, the company’s lending book reached an all-time high of £357 million, reflecting increased scale and diversification across its portfolio.

In response to growing demand, Ultimate Finance has raised the maximum facility size for its Invoice Finance offering from £7 million to £10 million, allowing it to better support larger funding requirements. Its Bridging Finance proposition has also been significantly enhanced during the first half of the year, with pricing reductions on Development Exit facilities, the launch of a new Light Touch Refurbishment product with up to 85% day-one loan-to-value, and greater flexibility on both the release of net sales proceeds and personal guarantee terms – particularly on multi-unit developments.

The Asset Finance division has seen rapid growth, with an expanded team, a move to a larger office space, and an increased securitisation facility to support the rising volume of business. These developments reflect the company’s proactive response to market demand and its continued investment in infrastructure to support long-term growth.

Client satisfaction remains a core focus for Ultimate Finance, with the business maintaining a market-leading Net Promoter Score of 79 and a consistently high Trustpilot rating of 4.9 out of 5. The lender has also made 16 new hires across the business in the first half of 2025 and introduced a refreshed brand identity to reinforce its regional reach and relationship-led service model.

“Our performance in the first half of 2025 is a clear demonstration of the success of our business strategy and represents another step towards realising our growth ambitions,” he said. “Having all three areas of the business – Working Capital, Asset Finance, and Bridging Finance – working in unison is delivering real strategic value.”

He added, “We’ve built strong momentum, and our results reflect the strength of our team, the resilience of our local relationship-based model, and the increasing demand for our tailored finance solutions. Looking ahead, we are set to launch further developments in our Structured Finance product to address growing demand in the asset-based lending space. We remain as committed as ever to delivering tailored funding solutions through our growing network of introducers.”