This year
With over 10 years experience funding the energy efficiency industry, during which time we have financed over 100 installers and £200m ECO Measures; we launched our latest embedded finance product, ECO Advance. ECO Advance has been specifically designed to support qualified SME installers who are leading retrofit programmes, crucial to helping the UK achieve its 2050 Net Zero targets. Our finance helps empower these businesses to strengthen their vital role in the nation's sustainability efforts. And the year is not over yet! We have more exciting announcements on the horizon, so please follow us as we continue this journey of growth and innovation. Stay with us to see what's next!
2013
Back then, the need was clear; strong SME businesses were struggling to secure the funding they needed to grow and prosper. Traditional banks, still recovering from the financial crisis, generally focused on funding larger organisations, leaving smaller businesses underserved. So, three friends, each with complementary skills and experience in Finance, Business Management and Supply Chain Management technology, had a vision to help underbanked, entrepreneurial companies. They got to work creating a plan and TradeBridge, and its software platform was born.
2014
This vision, to combine creative thinking, data, and technology to re-invent supply chain finance, resulted in us signing our very first client, a fish farm in Scotland! It was a busy year, building both the team and the technology platform to serve our predominantly corporate clients, across sectors such as energy efficiency, construction and manufacturing.
2015
This year saw the launch of our innovative, embedded eCommerce finance solution for online marketplaces, which was initiated by the signing of a joint venture agreement with a (now floated and famous) fast-growth fashion retailer. The leading-edge funding solution we developed for their Italian online sellers, marked the start of our strategic commitment to the broader development of embedded finance solutions, whilst the marketplace continued to thrive and achieved Unicorn status.
2016
Building on our experience with embedded finance for eCommerce SME’s, we recognised similar operational needs in the independent pharmacy sector. In response, we customised the product and launched RxBridge finance.Today, we support hundreds of independent pharmacy businesses across the UK and Australia, providing them with working capital and additional funds to invest in growth strategies such as expanding services, acquiring new premises or adopting advanced technology. Acknowledging the potential for incremental growth, our Primary Lender, ABN AMRO, expanded our funding from £15 million to £40 million, enabling us to assist an ever-growing number of SMEs.
2017
After three years of impressive growth across three sectors: eCommerce, pharmacy and corporate businesses - each with tailored product solutions – we focused on scalability. We refined our business processes and tapped into London's highly skilled and diverse talent pool. As our global client base grew, we began exploring options for opening TradeBridge's first offshore office.
2018
This year, we expanded into Singapore, a strategic gateway to the APAC region. We chose Singapore for its strong financial market, its reputation as a global hub for international businesses and for its advanced use of innovative technology. Our multi-lingual, multi-cultural team help clients with international supply chains. Whilst in the UK, the team moved to offices in Bloomsbury, an area recognised as the “intellectual heart” of London.
2019
Early in 2019, we reached a significant milestone and broke through the $1b funding mark, meaning $1b of our funds were supporting SME businesses worldwide. The continued success of our pharmacy product inspired us to extend the functionality of this embedded finance solution, to support a new UK sector - and our first dental finance clients were signed.
2020
The unforeseen impacts of COVID-19 placed the UK’s pharmacies, already on the front line, under significant additional pressure. As the UK GOVT rolled out financial support, our platform was leveraged to quickly deliver and manage critical, emergency funding to pharmacies. With unflinching commitment, the whole team helped us achieve Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan accreditation.
2021
Just two years after surpassing the $1 billion marker, we reached the $2b funding milestone. This achievement reflected both the loyalty and growth of our client base, and the strength of our product portfolio. Another milestone this year was securing an additional $100m facility to fuel further growth. These achievements marked a significant step in our global expansion.
2022
2022 was a year of newness. Our global ambitions advanced as we expanded our presence in the APAC region, opening a new office in Australia, further solidifying our commitment to growth. Two of the team, seasoned UK employees, brought their extensive TradeBridge business and healthcare sector expertise to Sydney, helping establish and lead our Australian office with deep industry knowledge and experience. The synergy between Australia’s PBS health service and the NHS made our pharmacy solution a natural choice for launch, aligning with the needs of the healthcare sector in Australia.
2023
Another milestone year. Two years after achieving the $2 billion mark, we deployed $4b of funds to support an impressive 1k SME businesses worldwide. This year presented a unique growth opportunity for entrepreneurial pharmacists when LloydsPharmacy revealed plans to sell off 1,294 of its pharmacies located in supermarkets, communities, and on High Streets. With RxBridge funding, independent pharmacists were able to secure deals ranging from single pharmacy acquisitions to adding an additional 100 locations to their business. In total we supported the acquisition of one third of the divested portfolio.