Blog

As I look back on the last 12 months, I can only do so with pride at how Firenze has evolved.   Way back in April 2025, we raised a £2.5m seed round, which funded our ambitions for the rest of the year. Since then, we have onboarded 15 partners with a combined AuM of over £115bn, a clear vote of confidence that the solution we are providing is appealing to those firms and platforms looking to provide a more holistic approach to managing investments. With more partnerships in line to be announced next year, we are fast becoming the default for Lombard lending in the UK.  The demand is also being reflected on the client side, with the total loan book value, on average, quadrupling each quarter. To support this influx of demand, we announced a £160m credit facility in February. As we move into 2026, we are going to be announcing a new funding line in H1 that will enable us to keep pace with the demand we’re seeing, especially since expanding our product set to include ISAs and Offshore bonds, with plans to support non-GBP loans and lending in the Channel Islands in the next 12 months.   The more requests we receive, the more we recognise an element of seasonality in the use cases that Lombard lending provides.  In Q1, it was tax-driven, funding January tax bills and topping up flexi-ISAs in March, with enquiries we received up to the 30th March being completed by tax year-end.   In the spring, everyone was moving house. We joked about financing half of the bungalows in the UK, as many clients sought to downsize without the stress of being in a housing chain.    Summer allowed us a little respite to reset, but holidays were clearly on many people’s minds as we helped finance second homes and overseas properties.   While heading into Autumn and Winter, the speculation around Reeves’ budget encouraged investors to pay attention to their estate planning, increasing the amount of lending driven by financial planning, liquidity or gifting needs.  The year-round demand cemented a clear need to continue growing and supporting Lombard lending capability in the UK market, and this required a larger team. We have added six new team members to Firenze this year and also invested in our new London office, in the heart of the city, which may need to fit in more desks as we plan new roles for 2026. It’s not a bad problem to have!  As we wind down for the Christmas break in anticipation of another expansive year in 2026, I want to extend my thanks to each and every one of you for supporting Firenze as we grow and continue educating the UK market about the benefits of Lombard lending. If you want some light reading over the festive break, you can download our whitepaper to learn more about Lombard lending, here.