Arbuthnot Latham
A long-established UK private and commercial bank whose commercial arm and dedicated asset-based lending division provide relationship-led, balance-sheet-supported debt to owner-managed and lower-mid-market companies.
What they do
Arbuthnot Latham is a private and merchant bank (founded 1833) and the principal subsidiary of AIM-listed Arbuthnot Banking Group. Its Commercial Banking arm provides relationship-led lending, real estate finance and treasury services to owner-managed UK businesses, typically those with turnover above £1m. Through Arbuthnot Commercial Asset Based Lending (launched February 2018), it offers full asset-based facilities built around a core of invoice discounting, alongside stock, plant-and-machinery, property and cash-flow lending, used to support acquisitions, refinancings, MBOs, cash-out and turnaround situations. Because the ABL book is funded by the bank's own balance sheet rather than external credit lines, it positions itself on certainty and speed of decision.
Where they fit in a lower-mid-market raise
Most relevant to a 3–15m raise where the borrower has tangible working-capital or fixed assets — a receivables book, inventory, plant and machinery, or owned property — that can anchor the facility. The ABL division's stated £1m-£35m range spans Solon's band, and the model suits event-driven needs: management buyouts, bolt-on acquisitions, refinancing an incumbent clearer, or releasing capital from the balance sheet. The bank-owned funding line and daily credit committee make it a credible choice where a borrower values deliverability and a single relationship counterparty over the keenest headline margin. The separate Commercial Banking and real estate teams also fit asset-backed and property-led corporates seeking a private-bank style relationship.
Where they are not the fit
Less suited to asset-light or pre-profit businesses with little to secure against — a pure cash-flow unitranche on enterprise value, with no asset base, is not the natural shape here. Borrowers seeking the largest hold sizes, deep institutional leverage, or a covenant-lite structure are better served by dedicated private-credit funds or larger clearers. The proposition centres on relationship banking for established, asset-owning companies rather than sponsor-led leveraged finance at the top of the mid-market.
On the record
Arbuthnot Latham & Co., Limited is authorised and regulated, holding FCA Firm Reference Number 143336.
Founded in 1833, Arbuthnot Latham is a British private and merchant bank and the principal subsidiary of Arbuthnot Banking Group plc, which is listed on AIM under ticker ARBB.
Arbuthnot Commercial Asset Based Lending provides full asset-based lending facilities from £1m to £35m to SMEs and mid-market corporates, structured around a core of invoice discounting plus stock, plant-and-machinery, property and cash-flow loans, supporting acquisition, refinancing, cash-out and turnaround scenarios.
Arbuthnot Commercial Asset Based Lending was launched on 26 February 2018 by Arbuthnot Latham to enter the SME asset-based lending market.
FundInvoice — Arbuthnot Commercial Asset Based Lending Launches
Arbuthnot Latham's Commercial Banking offers private-banking-style lending to UK owner-managed businesses with turnover above £1m, with real estate finance facilities typically from £1m to £20m.
Arbuthnot Latham — Real Estate & Commercial Property Finance
The ABL division has backed multiple lower-mid-market MBOs — for example ACL Engineering and Impact Control Systems — combining confidential invoice discounting, cash-flow loans and Growth Guarantee Scheme loans.
This profile is a curated reference note drawn from public sources, not financial advice or a recommendation. Appetite and terms change; a lender's fit for a given credit is established by approaching it, not inferred from a page.