In January 2024, NatWest Group launched a groundbreaking lending proposition: The High Growth IP-backed loan, designed specifically for growing SMEs with valuable intellectual property (IP) assets.

This initiative, developed jointly with IP valuation specialists Inngot, aims to address the long-standing challenges faced by innovative businesses in securing debt financing. Traditionally, many SMEs struggle to access loans because they often lack sufficient tangible assets to offer as collateral for a loan, leaving them reliant on issuing more equity to finance themselves. NatWest's new approach seeks to close this gap by recognising the financial value of IP and allowing IP to be used as collateral for lending.

Loans are secured against up to 50% of the value of the firm’s qualifying intangible assets, as determined by Inngot’s sophisticated IP identification and valuation toolkit. Using Inngot's online IP identification and valuation tools platform keeps costs low and it can be done quickly. This means small loan sizes become competitive, opening up IP-backed finance for SMEs and scaleups. The starting loan size is £250,000.

The IP-backed loan targets growth companies which are rich in intangibles, but have few tangible assets, making it difficult for them to get traditional lending from banks. Software, patents, copyrights, trademarks, registered designs and other intangibles can be valued and used as collateral.

This marks a significant shift in how financial institutions perceive and so can utilise intangible assets, providing scaleups with a much-needed mechanism to fund their businesses and innovate further.

The partnership between NatWest and Inngot not only highlights the growing importance of intangible assets in today's economy but also positions NatWest as a pioneer in supporting IP-rich businesses. This initiative demonstrates a commitment to fostering growth and innovation by enabling scaleups to unlock the financial potential of their intellectual property.

2024 notable NatWest High Growth IP Loan deals

Sci-Net Business Solutions

Sci-Net, a Microsoft Dynamics and Azure Tier 1 Gold Partner, has developed software solutions that integrate key business functions such as warehouse management, supply chain, and sales for large retailers and distributors, including Tapi Carpets, Missoma, and Jessica McCormack. Sci-Net has enjoyed consistent 30% annual growth over the past three years, achieving £8 million in revenue with a team of 60 employees.

Challenge

• Required funding to support business expansion and accelerate the development of new software and didn’t want to dilute further with more equity

• Lacked physical assets to use as collateral for conventional bank loans.

Result

Sci-Net successfully secured a £700,000 loan through NatWest, representing the first-ever IP-backed loan issued under this new approach. The funding has allowed Sci-Net to continue investing in software development and scaling operations, enabling the company to grow further in key market sectors.

Duncan Ferguson, Sci-Net’s owner and managing director:

“Traditional loans can be limited as to how much you can borrow, unless you have a physical asset like a building. With IP loans, the IP is the collateral. That means if you don’t have tangible assets, you can still secure a loan at better rates and it’s more flexible.”

SixFive Networks

SixFive Networks offers a global cloud-based SMS gateway platform that enables businesses to optimise SMS traffic, reducing costs while maintaining high-quality service. Powered by Amazon Web Services, its platform employs AI-driven conditional routing technology to enhance message delivery efficiency. Serving over 500 companies worldwide, SixFive facilitates SMS delivery across 1,200 mobile networks in more than 180 countries.

Challenge

• Rapid scaling funded solely through internal resources.

• Sought external financing to accelerate growth without diluting shareholder equity.

Result

SixFive Networks secured a £1 million loan from NatWest, using its IP as collateral. This financing validated the company's investment in IT and provided the confidence to accelerate growth.

Haider Mawji, SixFive’s CFO:

“In business today, if you think about it, people are using cloud-based solutions rather than actual physical hardware all the time… if you look at the world’s biggest companies, they are all valued on their IP, not their tangible assets.”

EarthSense

Founded in 2016, EarthSense specialises in air quality monitoring solutions, assisting organisations such as councils, transport companies, and the construction industry in addressing pollution issues. The company has experienced 60% year-on-year growth and operates from Space Park, Leicester, with a team of 26 employees.

Challenge

• Required funding to scale up overseas operations and reinforce its intellectual property.

Result

EarthSense successfully secured a £264,000 loan from NatWest, using its IP as collateral. This financing enabled the company to:

• Continue investing in and expanding its IP asset base.

• Accelerate growth and bring air quality solutions to more countries.

Tom Hall, Managing Director of EarthSense:

“In terms of our business, we see IP as our most important asset. So when our NatWest Relationship Manager, Andy Edwards, mentioned the new IP-backed loan, we did snap his hand off!"

LoveAdmin

Founded in 2009 by CEO Dave Evans, LoveAdmin provides a software platform that automates administration and payment collection for children's activity providers, grassroots sports clubs, and membership organisations.

Challenge

• Required funding to cover working capital, recruit new staff, and execute a marketing campaign following significant investment in an upgraded online platform.

Result

LoveAdmin successfully secured a £250,000 loan from NatWest, using its IP as collateral. This financing enabled the company to:

• Invest in innovation and marketing of the refreshed LoveAdmin platform, which now features proprietary enterprise-level software.

• Cover working capital needs and recruit new staff to support business growth.

CEO Dave Evans:

"It's great that finally there are organisations that recognise there is real value in intangibles. It would cost a rival millions to build what we have created. Being able to use our IP as collateral is testament to the lasting value our dedicated team has created."

Hike SEO

Founded in 2017, Hike SEO is a digital marketing platform that enables small businesses to manage their own search engine optimisation (SEO) campaigns, enhancing their visibility on search engines like Google. The company also offers tools for smaller digital agencies, allowing them to provide SEO services to their clients. Currently, Hike SEO serves approximately 20,000 users.

Challenge

• Required funding to promote a newly enhanced platform and highlight its unique AI-driven features.

• Aimed to secure financing without further diluting existing shareholders' equity.

Result

Hike SEO successfully secured a £250,000 loan from NatWest, using its IP as collateral. This financing enabled the company to:

• Accelerate the development of its AI-driven automated marketing platform.

• Launch significant new features and expand its product offerings.

• Achieve growth without further equity dilution for existing shareholders.

Andy Allen, Co-founder and CEO of Hike SEO:

"We're thrilled that Hike has secured this IP-backed loan from NatWest, which is crucial in helping us accelerate the development of our AI-driven automated marketing platform tailored specifically for small businesses. Over the next 12 months, this funding will enable us to launch significant new features and expand our product offering, allowing us to further build on and expand our existing IP asset base. Importantly, this loan allows us to achieve this growth without further diluting equity for existing shareholders."

Propello Cloud

Founded in 2020 as a spin-out from integrated marketing agency Workhouse, Propello Cloud is a customer loyalty platform that enables business-to-business and business-to-consumer clients to create fully branded, plug-and-play rewards and partnership programmes. Users include retailers, financial services providers, insurers, telecoms companies, utilities, health and fitness operators, and membership bodies.

Challenge

• Significant cash tied up in rewards such as vouchers, held temporarily on behalf of clients.

• Needed to free up cash to accelerate expansion plans without pursuing another equity funding round.

Result

Propello Cloud successfully secured a £250,000 loan from NatWest, using its IP as collateral. This financing enabled the company to:

• Free up cash to accelerate expansion plans.

• Invest in product development and recruit additional staff, increasing headcount to over 20.

CEO Mark Camp:

"The NatWest IP-backed loan is the perfect sort of stepping-stone funding, allowing us to get the money to grow without having to have another funding round and founders or existing investors having to sacrifice any more equity at this point. This is absolutely the best solution for companies that won’t traditionally get standard debt – and the cost of getting the IP-backed loan is cheap money in this day and age. Plus, if we further invest in our IP, there is the potential to use the added value to borrow more if we want in the future."

Utelize Mobile

Founded in 2012, Utelize Mobile is a managed services provider specialising in the professional deployment and management of end-user devices - such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops - and mobile connectivity for large UK and multinational firms. The company's proprietary mobility management platform, Inview Mobile, and Global Enterprise Mobile Data service, SureSIM Global, enable organisations to significantly reduce corporate mobile network costs while alleviating IT teams from the complexities of supporting mobile technologies.

Challenge

• Required funding to simultaneously accelerate the development of the Inview Mobile platform and complete a strategic acquisition to enhance skills and expand the team.

Result

Utelize Mobile successfully secured a £600,000 loan from NatWest, using its IP as collateral. This financing enabled the company to:

• Accelerate the development of the Inview Mobile platform.

• Complete a strategic acquisition, enhancing skills and expanding the team, with headcount increasing by 10%.

Matt Atkinson states:

"For Utelize Mobile, the IP-backed loan meant that we secured better financial terms, avoided the need for personal guarantees, and the professional review of our IP from Inngot has confirmed that the continued development of our IP is not only helping us to differentiate from competitors, but it is also increasing our business valuation."

Open Bionics

Founded in 2014, Open Bionics is a UK-based prosthetics company dedicated to making advanced bionic arms accessible to individuals with limb differences. Its flagship product, the Hero Arm, is a custom-made, 3D-printed prosthetic controlled by EMG (ElectroMyoGraphy) sensors activated by muscles in the forearm. This technology enables below-elbow amputees to perform everyday activities such as holding a bag or brushing teeth. The Hero Arm features moveable fingers and thumbs, allowing users to pinch and grasp objects. Advanced manufacturing techniques, including 3D scanning and 3D printing, provide innovative features like ventilation and adjustable fit.

Challenge

• Aimed to increase accessibility for advanced bionic arms for the 70% of amputees who are believed to currently sit "outside the system" - such as patients who abandoned their first prosthesis, were never referred to an appropriate care provider, or were turned away.

• Required funding to open six additional clinics in the US to provide greater access to its prosthetic products to amputees.

Result

Open Bionics successfully secured a £600,000 loan from NatWest, using its IP as collateral. This financing enables the company to open six additional clinics in the US, expanding access to its life-changing Hero Arm for more patients.

Samantha Payne, Co-founder and CEO (USA) of Open Bionics:

"We’re really excited to use this funding to supercharge growth in the USA and make it much easier for our patients to access specialist care within their state by visiting their Open Bionics clinic."

Ripstone

Ripstone is a highly successful UK games company launched in 2011 and based in Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter. It has a track record of creating and publishing popular games, particularly computer versions of classic games such as chess, pool, and poker. It also develops games based on its own proprietary IP. In 2023, it worked with streaming platform Netflix to publish a chess game based on the hugely popular Netflix series, The Queen’s Gambit.

Challenge

Ripstone was looking for funding to help support the development of a number of key projects, including the development of new IP as well as other projects based on classic games.

Result

Ripstone successfully negotiated a £600,000 finance package from NatWest using its IP as collateral, and will be using the funding to support the development of a range of new games projects.

Amy Wall, Ripstone’s Finance Director, says:

“In the games industry, there’s a heavy reliance on every launch. That creates a cyclical effect. Having this IP-backed loan fills a hole for us and smooths things over – it means we can keep working on new IP to drive future earnings. So a key benefit for us of the new IP-backed loan is the ability to take a one year capital repayment holiday, which is really helpful given the way the games industry works… Having Inngot, as an IP specialist, alongside helps both the lender and the borrower understand the real value of the IP involved.”