UK-based specialist lender Shawbrook Group is assessing the prospects of an initial public offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange.  

The lender, backed by investment companies BC Partners and Pollen Street, intends to apply for its ordinary shares to be listed on the Financial Conduct Authority’s Official List and to commence trading on the Main Market. 

From the end of 2013 to mid-2025, Shawbrook’s loan book expanded from £1.4bn ($1.8bn) to £17bn.

Its statutory profit after tax for the first half of the year rose to £119.5m, an increase from £94m in the corresponding period of the previous year, as reported in its interim financial statement. 

Shawbrook has set a target to nearly double its loan book to around £30bn by the end of 2030, known as the ’30 by 30 Target’.  

The group has completed 24 acquisitions to date, including the purchase of ThinCats Group most recently. 

For the IPO endeavour, Shawbrook has enlisted Ardea Partners International as its financial adviser and Goldman Sachs International as the sponsor, joint global coordinator, and joint bookrunner.  

Barclays Bank will act as joint global coordinator and joint bookrunner, with Stifel Nicolaus Europe, Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch, and UBS AG serving as joint bookrunners. 

The proposed IPO is aimed at enhancing Shawbrook’s market presence and recognition, supporting the retention of its key personnel, and broadening the group’s access to diverse capital sources. 

Previously, Shawbrook was listed on the London Stock Exchange from 2015 until 2017, when it was taken private by a consortium led by BC Partners and Pollen Street, reported Bloomberg. 

Shawbrook CEO Marcelino Castrillo said: “When Shawbrook was founded, we saw that large parts of the UK economy were unable to access the capital needed to grow.  

“We have achieved real scale, and our current markets are large and growing, supported by attractive tailwinds. We also see a significant opportunity to bring Shawbrook’s offering to new types of customers.”