Ultimate Finance reports £190m in new lending at end of Q3

Specialist lender Ultimate Finance has reported £190 million in new lending at the end of the third quarter, marking a record level of new business and surpassing the total achieved across the whole of 2024.

The figure represents a 33% increase compared to the same period last year, with growth recorded across all areas of the business, including Working Capital, Asset Finance and Bridging Finance. The lender’s loan book has now reached an all-time high of £370 million.

Ultimate Finance said more than 1,400 new facilities had been provided so far in 2025, as it continues to expand its lending activity to support small and medium-sized enterprises.

Key developments during the third quarter included the appointment of Paul Hansen as Sales Director to lead the firm’s broker-focused growth strategy in the Asset Finance market. The company also enhanced its Structured Finance offering by introducing a new commercial property loan product and increasing the maximum Invoice Finance facility to £10 million. In addition, Bridging Finance rates were reduced to further support property developers and investors.

“After a record-breaking first half of 2025, we’re building on that momentum with another step-up in activity which reflects the strength of our proposition and the trust we’ve earned from brokers, advisers and their clients,” Levy said. “Our focus remains on delivering our growth ambitions through our continued commitment to supporting UK SMEs with tailored, asset-based lending solutions that provide speed, clarity and certainty.”

The company said it expects all major lending divisions to close the year with significant annual growth.