Automated storage and retrieval finance
Goods-to-person storage that takes the walking out of picking, from a single vertical lift module to a full robotic cube.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Can you finance an automated storage and retrieval?
Yes, and interestingly some automated storage funds better than the racking it replaces. A vertical lift module is a self-contained, serialised machine that can be unbolted and moved, which funders like. A large shuttle or cube system is the opposite: a building-scale installation with robots, grids and software that is hard to value independently. Both are financed, but the structures differ. Expect funders to ask how modular the system is, because that single question drives how much of the project they will treat as a real asset.
Used kit: Yes for vertical lift modules, which are refurbished and resold; rarely for large installed shuttle or cube systems, which are effectively bespoke.
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What would an automated storage and retrieval cost per month?
Business asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what this shows — with the equivalent APR underneath, because the two are not the same number. A quick guide only; your actual rate depends on the asset, term, deposit and lender.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 6.0% flat rate (equivalent to 11.5% APR representative), you would repay around £646 a month; total amount repayable approximately £31,000, of which £6,000 is the cost of finance. This calculator is for illustration only — it is not a quote or an offer of finance, and the rate and repayments you are offered will depend on the asset, term, deposit and your circumstances. CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and may receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval. CW Asset Finance is an Appointed Representative of Rural Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 630701).
How lenders treat it
Two quite different conversations under one heading. Vertical lift modules and carousels are discrete machines with model numbers, a manufacturer network and a modest used market, so they are funded much like heavy plant and some funders are genuinely comfortable. Cube storage and multi-shuttle systems are projects: grid steelwork, hundreds of bins, robots, charging and a large software component, installed over months. The robots themselves hold value and are portable, which helps, but the grid and integration do not. Expect a funder to look at your contracts, your growth and the building term, and to probe the software share of the quotation. Manufacturer and vendor finance is active in this space, and staged payment terms need to be agreed before the order is signed rather than afterwards.
Makes and models we fund
Examples of the machines we are asked to fund. This is not an exhaustive list — if what you are buying is not here, it does not mean we cannot fund it. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.
| Machine | What it is |
|---|---|
| Kardex Shuttle XP | Vertical lift storage module |
| Kardex Horizontal Carousel | Horizontal carousel picking system |
| Modula Lift | Vertical lift module for small parts |
| Modula Slim | Compact vertical lift storage unit |
| AutoStore Grid | Cube storage robot picking system |
| Dematic Multishuttle | Automated tote shuttle system |
| Exotec Skypod | Climbing robot goods to person system |
| Mecalux Vertical Lift Module | Automated vertical storage unit |
| Knapp OSR Shuttle Evo | Automated shuttle storage and picking |
| Ferretto Vertimag | Vertical lift module with picking bay |
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Who buys one
Spare parts operations, electronics and pharmaceutical distributors and online retailers with thousands of small SKUs, plus manufacturers storing tooling and components close to the line. The trigger is typically floor space running out while the SKU count keeps climbing, a pick accuracy problem that manual shelving and paper lists cannot fix, or the sheer difficulty of recruiting and keeping enough pickers in a tight local labour market.
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
How it is treated for tax
Bought on hire purchase, business plant and machinery normally qualifies for capital allowances on the full cost even though you pay for it monthly, which is a large part of why hire purchase is the common structure. On a finance lease you generally set the rentals against profit instead. The rules change between budgets and your position depends on how you trade, so treat this as the direction of travel and get your accountant to confirm the detail before you commit.
Automated storage and retrieval finance questions
Why is a vertical lift module easier to fund than a cube system?
Because it is a machine rather than a project. It arrives, is bolted down, has a serial number and can be unbolted and sold to another business. A cube system is grid, robots, bins, software and months of installation, and only part of that is recoverable, so funders assess it very differently.
Do the robots count as separate assets?
Increasingly funders look at them that way, because robots are serialised, portable and reusable across sites, which makes them the most secure part of a cube installation. Asking the supplier to itemise robots, grid and software separately in the quotation gives a funder something concrete to lend against.
Is a software subscription fundable?
No. Ongoing licence and support subscriptions are operating costs, not assets, and finance agreements do not cover them. A one-off perpetual licence bundled into a capital quotation sometimes rides along within a wider package, but funders will usually identify it and treat it as soft.
Can we start with one module and expand later?
Yes, and it is a sensible route both operationally and financially. A single vertical lift module is a manageable first agreement, proves the business case, and makes the second application easier. Modular expansion also avoids committing to a building-scale project before you know how the storage profile develops.
How long do approvals take on a project like this?
Longer than on a truck, realistically. Funders want to understand the system, the supplier, the payment profile and your growth plans, which means questions rather than a same-day decision. Starting the finance conversation while the specification is still being finalised, rather than after signing, saves a great deal of time.
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
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Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
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Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
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