Alastair Shephard

Content Writer

 birthday with an anniversary dinner held at Red Bull Racing’s Technology Centre.

Bumper started in 2014 as Auto Service Finance providing Buy Now Pay Later for car repairs and now operates in multiple locations across the UK, Spain, Germany, and Netherlands with a tech centre in Ankara, Turkey. 

Bumper now provides Europe’s leading dealership groups with a complete digital payment platform to cover any payment need.

The anniversary dinner brought together key partners, investors and Bumper staff to celebrate 10 years of automotive payment success.

Held at Red Bull Racing’s Technology Centre, the evening saw talks from Red Bull Powertrain’s Owen Carless, with insight into working as part of a top Formula One team, 

and Co-Founders, James Jackson and Jack Allman, about the history of the company and thanking early supporters, partner groups, investors, and employees.

Team Bumper would like to thank everybody who attended the evening for making it a night to remember.

Bumper celebrates 10th birthday with anniversary dinner 

Bumper has expanded its operations with the appointment of three new senior positions to support its ambitious growth plans in the UK and Europe. 

Alfie Sansom joins as finance director overseeing financial operations, credit and treasury management, tax structuring and capital allocation. He was previously head of finance at Conducktor and has worked at senior levels at PwC, Grant Thornton and Sky.

Jonathan Westwood has been appointed as Bumper’s head of legal and compliance. A general counsel with experience of international commercial contracts with Siemens and Experian, he joins from the Mortgage Advice Bureau where he was head of legal. He will spearhead Bumper’s risk, legal and compliance function 

as the company progresses towards regulated status.

Shreenidhi Subramanian joins as Bumper’s senior product manager. She has a background in fintech and will help scale and grow the business’ product portfolio.

Bumper is ranked at 281 in the FT1000 list of the fastest-growing companies in Europe and is the 49

 fastest-growing UK business across all sectors.

Headcount has grown significantly over recent years with 71 staff across t

he UK, Ireland, Spain, Germany and Netherlands and a further 16 in Turkey at the company’s dedicated 

Commenting on the appointments James Jackson, Bumper’s co-founder and CEO said: “We’re delighted to welcome Alfie, Jonathan and Shreenidhi to the team; all three bring a wealth of specialist and leadership experience to the business and we wish them every success in their new roles.

“As Bumper enters the next stage of its growth, which will see the number of repairs we help dealers to facilitate double this year to 500,000, we have created these new senior positions to support our expansion.”

Bumper announces new additions to management team as it accelerates growth plans

Bumper anuncia nuevas incorporaciones al equipo directivo

Millennials are the most likely car owners to use buy now, pay later (BNPL) services to cover their car repair, servicing and MoT bills.

The Millennial demographic typically covers people born between 1981-1996.

Research by Bumper, the automotive fintech payment specialist, has identified 43 as the average age of customers using BNPL, with these owners choosing to spread their costs rather than pay upfront or use credit cards.

This overall average was consistent across franchised dealers but dipped to 38 for independent workshops.

However, older Generation X owners (born between 1965-1980) are likely to use BNPL for more expensive bills. The study found 47 was the average age of buyers using deferred payments for bills costing £2,000-£4,000; 

The UK and Ireland have the youngest average users in Europe (43), followed by Spain (45), Germany (46) and the Netherlands (47). 

“When it comes to settling workshop bills, budget-conscious millennials have identified the benefits of spreading their outgoings with BNPL, rather than racking up credit card debt,” said James Jackson, CEO and co-founder of Bumper. 

“Car owners born in the early 1980s will typically be at a life stage where they have monthly mortgage or rent payments and have a young family; so choosing to spread their motoring costs, interest-free over several months, makes perfect sense. 

“Our research also shows BNPL is not restricted to Millennials as older Gen X owners are

likely to use it to cover more expensive bills,” he said. 

This year Bumper forecasts it will help car owners to fund over £460m worth of car repairs. 

Millennials most likely age group to spread car repair costs with buy now, pay later (BNPL)

Millennials: La Generación que Prefiere Reparar su Coche con "Compra Ahora, Paga Después" (BNPL)

Millennials streuen die Kosten für Autoreparaturen am ehesten mit "buy now, pay later" (BNPL)

Bumper’s fundraising team have successfully raised £1,400 for Ukraine’s Crisis appeal. 

Raised through the sale of raffle tickets to colleagues, family and friends, prizes were donated by Bumper’s partners. Kwik Fit, Arnold Clark, Zuto, Fyber Agency, Parkers Branded, and our guest speaker for the evening Claire Lomas all kindly donated prizes for the raffle. 

Prizes included luxury hampers, a Cloud Nine hair care set, a bottle of champagne, a gift voucher, and a Bumper-branded poncho. 

The funds will support those affected by conflict in Ukraine where the level of humanitarian need remains staggeringly high. 

Over the last two years, the conflict has caused over 10 million people to be displaced and recent shelling and cold weather conditions have increased the suffering for those still living in the conflict. 

Funds raised by Bumper will go towards funding healthcare, psychosocial support, crucial heating stations, door-to-door welfare checks, safe accommodation and power for vital services. 

Bumper’s Georgie Jackson is the head of the fundraising team. She said, “The situation in Ukraine remains as pressing as ever and we’re proud to be supporting such an important cause. 

“Thank you to everyone who purchased a ticket to our raffle, the generosity of you and the partners who donated the prizes means so much to us and without it we wouldn’t have been able to raise such an impressive amount.” 

Bumper’s fundraising team has set ambitious plans for the year ahead and hopes to raise further funds for more important causes. 

Bumper raises £1,400 for the Ukraine Crisis appeal

We're pleased to announce that our Ankara office has been awarded the prestigious 'Best Small Size Workplaces 2024' award by Great Place to Work.

The award recognises the safe and collaborative environment Bumper has always strived to create across its locations. 

What is the Best Small Size Workplaces Award?

The 'Best Small Size Workplaces' award is granted by 

 a global organisation that evaluates and recognises the best companies to work for around the world.

This award is given to companies that have demonstrated an outstanding working environment, based on trust, respect and collaboration between all team members.

To earn this recognition, award-winning companies are evaluated through anonymous employee surveys and several in-depth analyses of the workplace's practices and policies.

Achieving this recognition has been no easy task, but at Bumper we have focused our efforts on creating an environment where our team feels valued and motivated, regardless of their location.

In 2023 we achieved Great Place to Work UK and Great Place to Work Turkey certifications for our offices in London, Sheffield and Turkey, but we wanted to go further!

This year our commitment was reflected through the 'Best Small Size Workplaces' thanks to the consistency in our values. Some of the key factors that helped us achieve this recognition include:

Receiving the 'Best Small Size Workplaces 2024' award is validation that we are on the right track. This award not only distinguishes us as a leading company in creating positive workplaces but also drives us to continue to improve and adapt to the needs of our team.

In addition, this achievement has a positive impact on our reputation and helps us attract and retain high-quality talent. According to Great Place to Work studies, recognised companies tend to outperform in their industry. 

A positive work environment can increase productivity by up to 20% and reduce staff turnover by 41%, which is a great benefit to both our employees and our customers.

We are extremely proud of our Ankara office for receiving the 'Best Small Size Workplaces 2024' award. This achievement would not be possible without the effort and dedication of our hard-working and committed staff.

Bumper's Turkey Office Awarded 'Best Small Workplace' Award

Nuestra oficina en Ankara logra el 'Best Small Size Workplaces 2024'

We’re excited to announce that Best4 has been named our winner of Partner of the Month for April 2024!

Part of the Autoguard group, Best4 Warranty is a top-rated warranty provider, dedicated to providing drivers with peace of mind, helping prepare for the unexpected. Since 2022, Best4 has utilised Bumper’s pay-monthly option to offer their customers more payment flexibility with their products.

The Camberley-based team just had their best month ever, with more happy customers driving away with warranties split into manageable monthly payments than ever before. With fantastic reviews on Trustpilot, Best4 presents a stellar 4.9-star rating. 

The team have received extremely positive feedback with their customer service, with one customer sharing “Great customer service! Lara Norris was really helpful and couldn’t do more to help!” Another added, “Excellent professional service from Shaneil, very detailed and thorough.”

A previous Best4 customer who used Bumper through Best4 Warranty stated, “Took out a 3-year warranty for my Citroen and the finance was handled by Bumper. It was easy to set up, giving me peace of mind with my new car.”

We extend a huge congratulations to Callum and the entire Best4 team for an outstanding month!

Best4 awarded partner of the month

We're thrilled to have been awarded the Overall Judges' Award at the Northern Tech Awards 2024.

Held at Manchester Central and hosted by GP Bullhound, the awards celebrate the top 100 fastest-growing companies in Northern England, with categories such as Fastest Growing Company of the Year, the Innovation Award and the Entrepreneur Award. A Northern Stars category shines a spotlight on younger companies with potential for growth in tech.

The Overall Judges' Award recognises the company with the highest achievements for growth, innovation, global ambition, cultural excellence and leadership. 

GP Bullhound's ranking of fastest-growing companies comes at a remarkable time for Bumper, having recently closed a $50m Series B funding round. The funding will aid further growth of Bumper's automotive payment platform across Europe. 

Managing Director of GP Bullhound Javed Huq, said, “Congratulations to all the winners of the 2024 Northern Tech Awards. Their success is a testament to the remarkable determination and entrepreneurship, which have enabled their businesses to thrive in a challenging market landscape. 

"We are immensely proud of the dedication and innovation within the Northern tech ecosystem and believe it is important to celebrate these achievements at tonight’s awards. We are honoured to champion these leading tech businesses, and look forward to their continued growth and contribution to the UK economy.”

Over the course of the evening, a wide range of tech companies were recognised, from leading industry experts in AI to digital product development agencies. Amongst those recognised were xDesign, Opencast, Cassie, ProofID, IDHL Easyfundraising, Robiquity and Answer Digital. 

We'd like to say a big thank you GP Bullhound for recognising Bumper with this prestigious award and congratulations to all the other winners.

Bumper Wins Overall Judges' Award at Northern Tech Awards 2024

Bumper gana el premio del jurado en los Northern Tech Awards 2024

We’re pleased to announce we’ve raised a further £2 million in a Series B extension round, with Suzuki Global Ventures and Marubeni Ventures joining as investors.

With Suzuki’s strong European dealer network and Marubeni’s RRG Group, HPL Motors Group and Norton Way Motors in the UK, the new investors are strategically important for further accelerating Bumper’s scaled growth across the UK and Europe. 

Suzuki’s UK dealer operation recently ranked as the top-performing automotive brand in the Institute of Customer Service’s 2024 UK Customer Satisfaction Index. 

The latest investment follows last year’s £40 million Series B fundraise with Autotech Ventures, Shell Ventures, JLR’s InMotion Ventures and Porsche Ventures. Total investment in Bumper has now reached £55 million. 

The new investors are joining after a record year of growth for the business with Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) growing 100% year on year and customer numbers up 80% in the last 12 months. 

James Jackson, Bumper Co-Founder and CEO said, “With Suzuki Global Ventures and Marubeni Ventures joining our growing portfolio of major automotive investors, we can accelerate our ambitious plans to be the dominant payment platform for car dealers in the UK and across Europe.

“We’re delighted that Suzuki Global Ventures and Marubeni Ventures see the value of what we’ve already achieved and our future potential. Unexpected and unbudgeted car repair bills are a universal problem requiring flexible payment solutions that benefit customers and dealers. With our investors’ support, we’re now ideally placed to invest in new products and increase our dealer footprint.”

Kinji Saito, Director and Senior Managing Officer at Suzuki said, “Bumper’s unique AI technology enables real-time financing decisions, thereby making it easier for customers to take their cars for repairs and services, and dealers to attract customers. 

“With this investment, made through Suzuki Motor Corporation’s corporate venture capital fund, we aim to enhance the convenience of customers through expanding Bumper’s services.” 

Tristan Jennings, Senior Associate of Marubeni Ventures said, “Bumper has clearly demonstrated an ability to address the unique financing needs of automotive repair customers, reduce friction at point of sale and improve the user experience, while seamlessly integrating into existing dealership IT infrastructure. 

“We aim to leverage Marubeni’s existing businesses in the automotive and auto finance sectors to further expand Bumper’s reach and build upon its outstanding level of customer service.”

Bumper raises £2 million in Series B extension with Suzuki Global Ventures and Marubeni Ventures 

Bumper haalt £2 miljoen op in de serie B-uitbreiding, waarbij Suzuki Global Ventures en Marubeni Ventures zich aansluiten als investeerders

Bumper recauda 2 millones de libras en la ampliación de la ronda de financiación serie B gracias a Suzuki Global Ventures y Marubeni Ventures como nuevos inversores.

Bumper sammelt 2 Millionen Pfund in der Erweiterung der Serie B ein, wobei Suzuki Global Ventures und Marubeni Ventures als Investoren einsteigen

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