LendInvest

High-Level Overview

LendInvest is a UK-based fintech company operating as a non-bank mortgage lender and online marketplace for property finance and investing. It provides loans to property professionals, SMEs, developers, landlords, and homeowners while enabling investors—from individuals to institutions—to fund these secured property-backed loans, having facilitated over £2 billion in investments since 2008 across more than 7,000 properties.[1][3] Its proprietary technology platform, including the Genesys loan origination system and Loan Engine, streamlines applications, automates loan matching, and delivers data transparency, targeting underserved segments like bridging finance, development loans, buy-to-let mortgages, and specialist homeowner products for self-employed borrowers.[1][2][4][6] With strong growth—such as £320 million lent in its early years, 20% revenue increase to £40 million by 2017, and public listing on the London Stock Exchange's AIM in 2021—LendInvest positions itself as a disruptor in the £300 billion UK mortgage market dominated by slow banks.[1][2][3][4]

Origin Story

LendInvest was founded in 2013 by Christian Faes and Ian Thomas, who identified a market gap during the 2008 financial crisis when traditional banks retreated from specialist property lending. They initially launched Montello, a short-term property finance lender, before spinning out LendInvest in 2012-2013 to modernize the sector using technology.[1][3][4] Faes, the CEO, has emphasized disrupting the regulatorily burdened, legacy-system UK mortgage market, starting with bridging loans and expanding into development loans (2015), buy-to-let (2017), and specialist mortgages (2022).[2][3][4][5] Early traction included £17 million from Atomico in 2016, the launch of a Luxembourg-domiciled Real Estate Opportunity Fund in 2014, and its first fintech-led £259 million securitization in 2019, culminating in its 2021 public listing.[1][4]

Core Differentiators

• Technology Platform: Proprietary systems like Genesys (end-to-end online loan origination with instant quotes and dashboards) and Loan Engine (automated loan allocation, investor matching, and reporting) enable faster, data-rich experiences compared to banks' outdated processes.[2][6]
• Diversified Funding Model: Sources capital from institutions, high-net-worth individuals, regulated funds, retail bonds (£90 million raised via LSE-listed issues), and securitizations, creating a resilient £760+ million capital base.[1][4][5]
• Product Breadth and Speed: Focuses on high-margin, underserved niches—bridging (80% unregulated market), development, buy-to-let, and complex homeowner loans—with quick origination for professionals and SMEs.[1][4]
• Investor Accessibility and Track Record: World's largest online property investment platform per early claims, backed by top VCs like Atomico and Tiger Management (c.$1BN raised), with transparent data for all investor types.[2][3]
• Market Leadership: First fintech to securitize its own assets and issue listed bonds, operating UK-wide with audited growth (e.g., £40M revenue in 2017).[1][5]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

LendInvest rides the fintech disruption wave in property finance, capitalizing on post-2008 bank retrenchment, regulatory pressures on incumbents, and rising demand for agile non-bank lending in a £300 billion market. Its timing aligns with digital transformation trends, enabling faster funding for UK homebuilders and investors amid housing shortages and volatile rates, while diversifying into mainstream products like buy-to-let and homeowner mortgages.[1][2][3][4] By democratizing access—pairing retail/institutional capital with loans via tech—it influences the ecosystem by challenging bank dominance, fostering property development (7,000+ projects), and setting precedents like fintech securitizations and bonds, accelerating sector innovation.[1][3][5]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

LendInvest is poised to expand as the UK's largest non-bank mortgage lender, scaling its marketplace model across niches to mainstream home loans via tech efficiencies and diversified funding. Trends like regulatory shifts favoring agile lenders, persistent housing demand, and institutional appetite for stable real estate yields will propel growth, potentially through more securitizations, bond issuances, and product launches. Its public status and VC backing position it to deepen ecosystem influence, blending fintech speed with property market resilience for sustained dominance.[1][3][5] This evolution from crisis-born disruptor to scale-up leader underscores its mission to reinvent mortgages for all stakeholders.[2]