Bristol-based invoice finance provider Optimum Finance has been selected to take part in a government-backed programme that aims to help a small group of companies reach exponential growth.
The Innovate UK Scaleup Programme is designed to support innovative, ambitious and high-growth oriented companies. 
The businesses are already scaling, have innovations or business models with the potential to disrupt an existing market, and that are establishing or already implementing their international markets strategy.
Among the high-impact engagements in the programme is access to finance.
Optimum Finance was accepted onto the programme due to its innovative and ambitious future plans for the invoice finance market and following a rigorous three-stage screening process.
Optimum Finance CEO Ant Persse, pictured, said: “This is a huge win for Optimum. We have big plans for how businesses can access the funding they need for day to day running and growth, driven by improved service and technology. 
“We’re reinventing invoice finance with simplicity, speed and convenience at the heart of what we do.
“To be described as having the potential for exponential growth is fantastic and Innovate UK will accelerate us towards our future plans and products.”
Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government.
Since 2007, it has invested around £2.5bn to help businesses across the country innovate, with match funding from industry taking the total value of projects above £4.3bn.
“The inputs are varied and blend strategic thinking with invaluable hands-on tactical guidance, to create outcomes that deliver real commercial advantage.
“It’s a pleasure working with Ant and the team at Optimum at this pivotal time for their business.”
At the centre of the programme is a team of high-calibre scale-up directors who operate together as a board and provide each of the companies on the programme with a matrix of skills and connectivity.
The directors will support Optimum Finance structure itself for global growth and work with it to understand the particular set of needs that it faces on its scaling journey.
Optimum, which was launched in 2017 and is backed by London private equity group JRJ, provides a range of payment services to small and medium-sized enterprises across a range of sectors.
It has also been at the forefront of using the latest technology to assist firms in optimising operational efficiencies and effectiveness in areas such as working capital, growth and costs.
