Behind the Scenes at equipal: Get to know Matt Price

We interviewed our Product and Operations Associate, Matt Price, on his journey with equipal. 

Matt has been with the company for almost three years, watching it grow from a small start-up at Somerset House to a thriving business in the heart of Islington. He has played a crucial role in building products and tech that improve the asset finance journey for both customers and vendors, equipal’s core mission. He joined equipal last winter after previously working as a product intern before our launch in 2020. 

Matt also helps out at his family’s coffee roasting and distribution business, Mill Bank Coffee Co., who are also registered on our platform. This puts Matt in a unique position. Having insight into the inner workings of an equipment vendor, he directly sees the user journey that equipal’s tech is designed to support. As a product developer, he has the means to tailor and perfect this tech, knowing what vendors may value when searching for asset finance solutions.

We are lucky to have his valuable expertise on board! Find out more about Matt’s story with our quick Q&A below.

Tell us a bit about your journey with equipal – how you started and what the company was like when you first joined in 2019. 

I started working at equipal in late 2019 during my final year studying Automotive Engineering at Loughborough University. At the time I had a strong interest in a role in finance rather than engineering and was searching around for internships in various areas of finance. I began as an intern, which later turned into a product role focusing on installing trackers on financed equipment to provide both equipal and our on-app funders with usage and location information on these assets. 

Back then, equipal was based on side tables in the basement of Somerset House, surrounded by other innovative entrepreneurs and small businesses in Makerversity, a co-working space focused on engineering and design. Notwithstanding the darkness, damp, and occasional furry friends, it was an incredibly exciting time and my first experience of working in London!  

What does your role now involve, how have you seen the company develop?

In October ’23 I started back at equipal in a more advanced product role, with a bigger team all keen to push forward and make equipal flourish. Now focusing on delivering new functionality, adjustments, and fixes to our online app, I came back to a more developed, streamlined workplace. I now also help out in operations and aspects of development, which has helped give greater perspective to how different areas of equipal affect each other. 

With insight into equipment vendor’s experience and working with the tech team – how do you incorporate your unique perspective to tailor the solutions you develop?

Having a personal understanding of an equipment vendor’s operations offers a dual advantage.

What is your favourite part of working at equipal?

It would have to be the product lifecycle, there is something very rewarding about taking a concept and helping guide it into reality. Whether it is a new idea or an improvement for a current functionality. I find it rewarding to provide solutions to problems. Being involved with a registered vendor, I can also see how my input on the product side improves the user processes going out to business like Mill Bank Coffee Co.

What is one improvement you are implementing to help improve the asset finance journey for equipal users?  

Currently, I am working on a new quote upload feature for admins. This will allow the equipal team to send indicative and firm quotes directly through the platform to our customers’ profiles. It is a strong step towards further streamlining the financing process, allowing customers to accept quotes in the platform and speeding up the initial finance request process. 

What is one thing you would tell a vendor looking for equipment funding?

Looking for the right equipment funding can be a complicated stint. You have to navigate through rates that are always fluctuating, fees which are always stacking up, and time going back and forth with a Customer.

My advice is that if your firm would benefit from having an all-in-one solution for equipment funding, then equipal’s platform is a great example of a clean, fast service that can help.

I have found having a centralised platform for every deal, that customers and Mill Bank Coffee can refer to, ensures everyone is on the same page and that deals can go through more efficiently. This is especially important for growing businesses because it helps lower your operational cost, provides more time for sales and support of your clients and you don’t need to worry about extra, hidden fees on top.

If you’re a vendor looking for fast, fair and affordable equipment financing, get in touch with us today to learn about how equipal can help streamline the process for your business.