Shawbrook Group, a UK-based savings and lending bank holding company, has agreed to acquire ThinCats Group for an undisclosed price.
Based in the UK, ThinCats is a specialist lender engaged in providing customised funding solutions to established, growth-oriented small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The acquisition is a strategic move by Shawbrook to expand its presence in the SME lending market and continue providing customised financial services to UK SMEs.
ThinCats will continue operating as a distinct brand within Shawbrook’s portfolio, It will maintain its focus on supporting owner-managed and sponsor-backed businesses requiring event-driven financing.
ThinCats CEO Amany Attia said: “Becoming part of Shawbrook represents an exciting step for ThinCats and a strong endorsement of our model, supporting established and growth-focused SMEs.
“Underpinned by the significant technology, data and capital resources of the wider Shawbrook Group, ThinCats will continue to offer the high levels of coverage, innovation, service, and ongoing borrower relationships that business owners, professional advisers and financial sponsors have come to expect.”
The integration aligns with Shawbrook’s existing operations, leveraging ThinCats’ technology-enabled business model and established distribution network. The transaction includes ThinCats’ loan book projected at approximately £700m, with risk-weighted assets around £600m.
Shawbrook’s current SME lending operations focus on meeting the complex funding needs of growth-focused businesses.
As of 30 June 2025, this segment constituted about 21% of Shawbrook’s total loan portfolio, showing increased activity levels compared to H1 2024.
ThinCats’ acquisition is anticipated to further expand lending opportunities while maintaining service levels and contact continuity.
Shawbrook CEO Marcelino Castrillo said: “ThinCats’ approach is aligned to our own strategy of leveraging technology, credit excellence and an entrepreneurial culture to deliver a premium proposition to established UK SMEs.
“This acquisition will serve to further scale-up and deepen our presence in the very large and growing SME market.
“As part of the Shawbrook Group, the ThinCats proposition will benefit from our platform, including distribution channels, investment and funding structure, which will allow us to scale the brand more efficiently and serve even more UK SMEs with highly tailored funding solutions.”
The completion of the transaction is projected by late 2025 and is expected to positively impact earnings per share in the first full financial year post-completion.
