Praetura’s asset finance division hits £60m lending record in Q3

Praetura’s asset finance division has announced record quarterly results, lending more than £60 million to UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during Q3 2025, its strongest quarter since launching in 2013.

The division, which includes Praetura Asset Finance and Kingsway Finance, provides adaptable asset finance and loan funding solutions to support growing businesses across the UK. The combined funding figure represents a 61% year-on-year increase, with finance provided across 540 individual facilities spanning industries including construction, manufacturing, transportation, entertainment, healthcare, retail and hospitality.

Both companies are now on course to exceed annual funding records for the fifth consecutive year, with Praetura’s asset finance loan book now standing at more than £340 million. This milestone has been achieved amid rising UK-wide deal volumes, as more SMEs turn to alternative lenders to support their growth ambitions.

Praetura’s asset finance division offers a comprehensive range of funding options, including hard and soft asset finance and commercial and professional term loans, typically ranging from £10,000 to £5 million.

Ric Simmons, managing director of Praetura’s asset finance division, said:

“These fantastic growth figures are testament to the fact that SMEs need flexibility and adaptability when it comes to finding funding for their business. When Praetura Asset Finance was founded back in 2013, our premise was to put the needs of SMEs first, and this is still very much the case.

“The talented team of experts we have working across the division has played an enormous part in this success. Working with a growing network of brokers and advisors, our team consistently provides ‘funding with understanding’. We are led by the relationships we build, not whether computers or algorithms say yes or no, and our funding can be adapted to suit the needs and nuances of each individual business.”

Peadar O’Reilly, CEO of Praetura, added: “The growing prominence of Praetura as a funding partner for UK SMEs is proof that relationship-led funding is both necessary and needed.

“Businesses throughout the country are facing a number of macro challenges, and they need funding that can align not just with their immediate needs but help their plans for the future be achievable too.

“The sector we’re part of is termed ‘alternative’, but it’s increasingly playing an integral role in supporting SMEs across a wide range of sectors. The growth of our asset finance division and Praetura as a whole, as bigger institutions continue to limit their provisions and accessibility, shows that the scales are tipping and it is funding provided by ‘alternative lenders’ that should be considered the norm.”