Aviation and Tech Capital

Aviation and Tech Capital Ltd traded as Ablrate and was incorporated in February 2012. It operated a regulated peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform that facilitated crowdfunded loans to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The company entered administration on 15 January 2024; joint administrators Sean Bucknall, Brian Burke and Andrew Hosking of Quantuma Advisory Limited were appointed to manage the firm's affairs in the interests of creditors. The platform is no longer operating as a going concern and is not an active FCA-authorised platform for new business. Investors should treat the platform as closed to new investors and expect repayments only via the administration process.

Before administration, Ablrate aggregated capital from retail investors and used it to provide loans to SMEs — a standard P2P lending model. Administrators are now maintaining the platform in order to manage existing loan collections and to distribute recoveries to creditors according to the administration process.

Existing loan recoveries are handled by administrators and are subject to creditor ranking and the deduction of administration costs, so investors should not expect immediate or full recovery.

Prior to administration, Ablrate only offered crowdfunded P2P loans to SMEs; there is no evidence in public records that the business offered dedicated aviation- or technology-backed funds despite the corporate name.

Public records do not disclose fee schedules, minimum investment levels, historical returns, default rates, Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA) offerings, SIPP wrappers, or a secondary market for loans. The lack of available historical performance and fee data means investors cannot assess past risk-adjusted returns or cost competitiveness for this platform.

Before entering administration, the platform was targeted at retail investors willing to accept the illiquidity and credit risk inherent in P2P SME lending.

It is no longer open to new investors. Existing investors should engage directly with the appointed administrators (Quantuma) for updates on recoveries.

Strengths (historic): Ablrate was directly authorised by the FCA prior to administration, which meant it had to meet FCA conduct rules during its operating life.

Risks: The company entered administration on 15 January 2024 because the directors concluded it was insolvent and could not pay its debts; administrators now control the firm's affairs and will pay creditors in accordance with insolvency law. A Freedom of Information decision notice indicates the FCA stated the firm had lost "millions of pounds worth of investors' money", suggesting investor losses have occurred. Company accounts showed net assets of £444.4k and cash of £56.6k as of August 2022, indicating modest scale before administration.

Prior FCA authorisation is not protection against company failure; administration and reported investor losses mean recovery is uncertain and likely to be partial.

1) Administration: The firm entered administration on 15 January 2024 and is no longer an active, directly authorised FCA-regulated platform — the single biggest indicator that investor access and platform operations have ceased.

2) Reported investor losses: The FCA has indicated significant investor losses; recoveries depend on the administration process and creditor ranking.

3) Limited disclosure: Fees, minimum investments, historical default rates and IFISA/SIPP eligibility are not available in the public record.

4) FSCS coverage: P2P investments are generally not protected by the FSCS for losses arising from borrower default or platform failure; this point is unverified for Ablrate specifically and investors should consult the administrators or FCA for a definitive position.