Competitive business finance made simple
Following its acquisition by Dutch-based bunq, Capitalflow is set to continue its growth in the Irish market with access to bank liquidity
Capitalflow has emerged over the last number of years as one of the key sources of SME finance for Irish business owners and property investors, and is now a market leader in providing solutions for across Asset & Equipment Finance, Commercial Property Finance, and Invoice Finance.
Founded in 2015 and led by CEO Ronan Horgan, Capitalflow offers competitive business finance through a team of highly experienced lenders who have a deep understanding of their customers’ needs across many sectors, including Construction, Transport, Retail, Hospitality, Services, Manufacturing, Agri and Commercial Property Investment.
Capitalflow offers nationwide coverage through its relationship managers, brokers and partners, and its team has grown by over 50% in the last 18 months.
Stephen Byrne, newly appointed Chief Commercial Officer, says: “2022 was a very strong year for our business and our customers. We have supported more new customers through 2022 than ever before, leading to a growth of 60% in new business lending. Against a backdrop of inflationary pressures and headwinds in the market, we continue to support our customers with access to vital finance to help them achieve their ambitions.”
PEOPLE-FIRST APPROACH
Capitalflow has built its reputation in the market by being an easy organisation to deal with. “We put people first in our organisation — be it our colleagues or our customers. This is the reputation that we have built our business on: offering a personal service, supported by digital tools and quick decisioning,” says Byrne. “The goal for us is to deliver funding directly to our growing customer base efficiently, making finance simple, and putting the needs of its customers first so that they can achieve their business goals.”
In July 2021, Capitalflow was acquired by Dutch-based bunq, a fully licensed European bank offering a digital banking service to individuals and small businesses. The bunq acquisition was a key moment for Capitalflow, enabling it to continue scaling in the Irish market, with the benefit of the bank’s access to lower-cost liquidity.
Byrne says: “With bunq, Capitalflow continues to scale by offering competitive business finance at a time when many other lenders are either exiting the market or struggling with the increased funding costs driven by recent inflationary pressures.”
Capitalflow supports SMEs with the broadest range of Asset Finance, covering plant, fleet, and specialist machinery and equipment.
The company provides Commercial Property Finance for trading businesses and professional property investors and in 2022 financed many exciting deals across trading businesses and investments. Their Invoice Finance team addresses working capital/cashflow needs for SMEs through Invoice Finance and Cashflow Loans.
Last year, the team added Green Business Finance to their product suite, supported by the government-backed Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme offered through the SBCI. Capitalflow is offering lower-cost Green business loans and asset finance, enabling SMEs to reduce energy costs and initiate a vital journey towards reduced carbon emissions.
PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME
The team also launched their Partnership Programme last year, setting aside €200m in funding, designed to drive greater opportunity for Capitalflow’s partners — dealers, suppliers, business introducers — to help them grow their businesses and support their customer bases by making fast, simple finance readily available to them via our dedicated online partner portal.
Byrne says: “If you’re an SME or sole trader or a supplier of assets and trying to navigate financing options, just call us or go to Capitalflow.ie — we’d be delighted to talk to you.”
Despite recent uncertainty in the economy and higher inflation, Capitalflow continues to grow with ambitious plans for 2023 and beyond, working in partnership with its customers.