If 2024 set the pace for us at Ultimate Finance, in 2025 we accelerated and took it to the next level. We started the year looking back and celebrating a landmark 2024 with a loan book reaching £342m and record new facilities of £183m, with new business up 11% across Invoice Finance, Asset Finance and Bridging Finance. As CEO Josh Levy put it at the time, “our commitment to tailored asset-based lending delivered through a high-quality, relationship-led model meant we were well placed to back investment and cashflow needs in 2025”. And that’s exactly what we did.
Today we look back at how we supported the ambitions of businesses throughout the year by taking a walk down memory lane in our lookback through our news releases of 2025.
Growing the team to support more ambition
January saw us expand in key areas to meet growing demand, appointing four new Regional Sales Directors nationwide and a new Client Relationship Manager to support our growing base of Scottish clients. The message was clear: more expertise on the ground, more support for introducers and their clients.
Sharper Bridging for a faster market
In February, we sharpened our Bridging Finance proposition with pricing reductions for Development Exit facilities, enhancements to Light Touch Refurbishment, and the introduction of Limited Personal Guarantees. Head of Bridging Finance, Liam Cavanagh, summed it up: “these improvements were driven by insight from our introducer partners and a clear view of what their clients needed to move quickly on opportunities”.
Bigger capacity to fund growth
March brought a major milestone in Asset Finance as we increased our securitisation facility with Lloyds from £100m to £145m on the back of a strong start to the year. CFO Neil McMyn said, “Comparing the first quarters of 2025 and 2024, Asset Finance origination was up 70%… powering our Asset Finance loan book above £120m for the first time.” More capacity. More momentum. More funding for SMEs across the UK.
Q1: Record origination, growing demand
By the time April came, we had delivered more than 500 new facilities, with £62m in origination and a record monthly high for Asset Finance. It set a confident tone for the months ahead.
Raising the ceiling for Working Capital, refreshing our brand, and scaling our presence
June was a big month. We increased our maximum Invoice Finance facility size from £7m to £10m, following investment in pricing and a larger Cashflow Loan size. “Our incredible Working Capital NPS of 91 is testament to the excellent service we provide,” said Josh Levy, “and I am confident that this increase… will ensure we achieve our growth ambitions.”
We also celebrated a triple nomination at the 2025 Asset Finance Connect Summer Awards – Asset Finance Provider of the Year, Lender of the Year and CEO of the Year. As Andrew Ribbins, Group Sales Director and Managing Director – Asset Finance, said, it was recognition of “record performances month after month,” enhancements to our proposition, and the strong relationships we’ve built with introducers.
To match our growth, we unveiled an updated brand identity – bold, distinctive and designed to stand out for introducers and clients. CMO Yvonne Balfour said the evolution “better reflects our market position… In a crowded marketplace, it is vital for us to differentiate our proposition and be noticed.” We showcased it at the NACFB Commercial Finance Expo, where early feedback confirmed the impact. And with demand growing, our Lutterworth Asset Finance team moved into larger premises to accommodate our growing team and keep service levels high.
Half-year: Records across the board
By July, momentum translated into record results: £126m in new lending in H1, up 15% year-on-year, and a record lending book at £357m. Our overall NPS hit 79, with a standout 91 from Working Capital clients. We also welcomed 16 new hires across the business in the first six months of the year.
We unveiled further developments to our Structured Finance offering to meet rising Asset Based Lending demand – and we made fast progress, launching a new Commercial Property Loan as part of this solution, alongside funding against receivables, hard assets and plant and machinery.. Since then, existing and new clients have already benefited from the solution to increase their funding potential and meet their ambitions.
Backing the broker community, strengthening industry leadership
In August, Josh Levy joined the NACFB board as a non-executive Patron Director for a three-year term – the latest step in strengthening industry leadership and championing the broker community we’re proud to serve.
In September, we deepened our introducer-first strategy with the appointment of Paul Hansen as Asset Finance Sales Director. With over 30 years’ experience, Paul’s focus is clear: elevate our profile with existing introducers and forge new relationships.
We also reduced pricing across our Bridging range for the second time, reflecting our strong appetite to support more transactions for developers and investors. As Liam Cavanagh said, we listened, we sharpened, and we acted so clients can move with confidence.
Q3: Surpassing last year’s total – before the year’s even out
By October, we had delivered a record £190m of new business across 1,400 facilities – surpassing the total for the whole of 2024, and up 33% on the same period last year. We also became a signatory of the government-backed Investing in Women Code, reinforcing our commitment to broadening access to finance. As CMO Yvonne Balfour noted, improving access for women-led businesses unlocks untapped potential and strengthens the UK economy.
Finishing strong with industry recognition and the launch of our new Bridging Loan
In November, we were named Intermediary Advocate of the Year at the NACFB Commercial Lender Awards, alongside nominations in five categories including Marketing Team of the Year, Industry Leader of the Year, Invoice Finance Lender of the Year and Asset Finance Lender of the Year. The win recognised a year spent going above and beyond for our introducers – supporting their clients with fast, flexible funding and unwavering relationship-led service.
Early in December, we launched Optimise, our new digital-first Bridging Loan aimed at introducers working with experienced residential property developers and investors who require speedy funding. Built around an online application form, a streamlined legal process and simplified underwriting, the Bridging Loan offers between £100k to £750k (capped at £500k outside Greater London) and decisions within as little as 24 hours.
Looking ahead
2025 was about momentum – built on service, scale and genuinely tailored solutions. We grew our capacity, strengthened our products, expanded our team, refreshed our brand, and doubled down on our introducer-first approach. Most importantly, we helped more businesses invest, adapt and keep moving.
In 2026, we’ll continue to evolve our Structured Finance offering, deepen our regional relationships, and keep delivering decisions, funding and support with pace and precision.
Because ambition deserves a funding partner that keeps up.
