Van Monkey swings into 500k investment from BGWM Investment Readiness
Published: 08 October 2025
Carl Smith founded Van Monkey Limited with a simple goal - to keep British businesses on the road. Based in the West Midlands, the company supplies and manages commercial vehicles for organisations that need reliable vans without the hassle. Whether through sales, leasing or rental, Van Monkey makes it easy for companies to access the vehicles they need.
As customer demand evolved, vehicle rental became one of the company’s fastest-growing services. But growth brought a challenge: to rent out more vans, Van Monkey first needed to buy more vehicles, and that required the right finance solution- quickly.
Finding the right finance
Like many small and medium-sized businesses, Carl knew there were lots of funding options available - and just as many potential pitfalls. What mattered most was flexibility. In the rental business, vans need to be refreshed regularly, so any finance deal had to allow early exits without expensive penalties.
Rather than learning through trial and error, Carl turned to the Business Growth West Midlands Investment Readiness Programme, delivered by Oxford Innovation Advice.
Turning insight into action
Through a focused two-day workshop and specialist masterclasses, Carl gained a much clearer view of the business finance landscape. These sessions go well beyond start-up funding - they explore every stage of growth finance, explaining how each option works in practice and what to look out for.
Working with Business Finance Specialist Sharn Haywood-Higgs, Carl mapped Van Monkey’s growth plans against different funding structures, stress-tested his assumptions, and identified what would best support the business.
The answer was asset finance, specifically a hire purchase agreement with a variable rate and the option to exit early. This approach meant Van Monkey could quickly buy vehicles, add them to its rental fleet, and replace them as needed - all without paying penalties for settling agreements ahead of time.
The workshops helped us decipher the different types of finance, and what could be available to us and what may or may not work. The expertise from the team helped us narrow down our focus into exactly what it was that we needed.
Securing the deal
The Oxford Innovation Advice team then helped Carl put this new knowledge into practice and introduced him to suitable funders. Van Monkey went on to secure just over half a million pounds in credit facilities dedicated to vehicle purchases.
With flexible finance in place, the company can now adjust its fleet size in line with demand, improving cash flow and profitability while reducing risk. By refreshing its vehicles earlier, Van Monkey keeps reliability high for customers and resale values strong for the business.
Building for the future
Growth at Van Monkey hasn’t just been financial - it’s also organisational. With a clear plan in place, Carl expanded his team, bringing in an operations manager to strengthen fleet management and a marketing manager to enhance social media and brand visibility.
Being part of the programme’s cohort environment also made a big difference. Spending time with other ambitious business owners brought fresh ideas and motivation - invaluable when growing a company in a fast-moving market.
Practical support that delivers
Looking back, Carl says the real value of the Investment Readiness Programme lies in its expert guidance and focus. Business finance can be complex, and making the wrong choice can cost time, money, and opportunity. The programme helped Van Monkey cut through the noise, understand its options, and secure the right finance first time.
As Carl recommends:
“This isn’t just for start-ups. It’s designed for established businesses that want to scale. It’s practical, targeted and delivers immediate results.”
