Triple Point: Bridging Private Equity and SMEs With Certainty, Flexibility and Speed

In the fast-evolving world of business finance, agility, reputation, and deep relationships are increasingly prized by both private equity firms and ambitious small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs). UK-based investment manager, Triple Point, is one of a growing number of alternative lenders to have responded to this shift. Its Head of the SME Debt Finance team, Dominic Reason, tells Paul Francis-Grey exactly how Triple Point positions itself at the heart of private equity and SME financing in today’s volatile market environment.

An Evolving Relationship with Private Equity and SMEs

Triple Point Private Credit’s journey started with a focus on owner-managed businesses left underserved by high-street banks. Eight years ago, the company launched its direct lending proposition targeting businesses needing event-driven finance—transactions too complex or nuanced for traditional banks. Over time, Triple Point has enhanced its offering, capitalising on a growing reputation for delivering certainty and flexibility in debt transactions, Reason explains. This has established Triple Point as a trusted partner for private equity, who, Reason notes, are increasingly valuing deliverability over price.

A central pillar of Triple Point’s success is its relationship-led approach. By empowering originators with real credit decision-making autonomy and maintaining a flat organisational structure, Triple Point offers what high-street rivals often cannot: certainty of deliverability and rapid, reliable execution.

“We are seeing an ever increasing number of deals in the lower mid-market private equity space being conducted by alternative lenders,” Reason claims. This shift reflects a new set of priorities among both private equity sponsors and SMEs where price is no longer the top concern, but speed, certainty, and flexibility are considered key.

How Triple Point Operates: Culture and Structure

Triple Point has purposely designed its processes for rapid deal flow and dependable follow-through. Reason highlights how its flat structure, with close communication between front-line originators and investment committee members, enables deals to be assessed and signed off with speed.

This operational agility is not about sacrificing due diligence; rather, it ensures that Triple Point never becomes the bottleneck in a deal. The company is keenly aware that for many clients, especially private equity sponsors in competitive acquisition environments, being able to demonstrate certainty of funding and flexibility of terms is more valuable than shaving a few basis points from the interest rate.

Private equity clients often require “committed lines” to assist with acquisitions. Triple Point provides these facilities when warranted, especially for private equity backed businesses with proven management teams and robust equity.

Sector-wise, Triple Point’s SME Debt Finance team is primarily a cashflow lender, which favours asset-light, people-centric businesses including the likes of accountancy, wealth management, marketing, for example, rather than cyclical or retail sectors, avoiding exposure to discretionary consumer spending and economic volatility.

Market Trends: A Climate of Uncertainty and Opportunity

To date, Reason described 2025 as a “funny year”, characterised by slow transaction activity during H1 due to macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty. Tax changes, inflation, and shifting government budgets have all contributed to margin pressure and risk aversion among SMEs and their private equity backers.

“Despite this soft patch, the pipeline is now looking strong,” Reason says. With many private equity firms focused on value creation within existing portfolios rather than new acquisitions, refinancing and acquisition lines are popular products. Triple Point’s ability to move decisively in this environment provides the lender an advantage over larger, traditional banks’ restricted appetite for loans below certain thresholds.

More immediately, “the upcoming budget in November is a key moment for the industry, with uncertainty around capital gains tax and other fiscal changes prompting a drive among businesses to secure deals ahead of potential shifts,” Reason adds.

The Human Factor and Building for the Future

Triple Point boasts approximately £2.5bnunder management, with a loan book of £1.4bn across its private credit teams, from public sector lending to residential property development. Behind the numbers, Triple Point remains a business that puts relationships at the core. Referrals and reciprocity, where it connects clients with alternative financing when Triple Point is not the right fit, help solidify long-term partnerships and a positive industry reputation.

As the landscape continues to shift, Triple Point’s blend of speed, certainty, and personal touch positions it favourably among alternative lenders, serving both PE-backed companies and ambitious SMEs looking for more than just a source of capital.

In uncertain times, Triple Point’s formula is simple: empower people, commit to relationships, and deliver certainty, all of which resonate deeply with today’s most discerning borrowers.