Property lender Invest & Fund gains FCA approval
INVEST & Fund has announced that it has gained full authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The peer-to-peer property finance platform said on Thursday that it had achieved “a key milestone” by receiving the City watchdog’s approval.
A spokesperson told Peer2Peer Finance News via email that Invest & Fund is considering whether to launch an Innovative Finance ISA. There has been a lot of interest from the company’s investors but it is still early days, the spokesperson added.
Invest & Fund helps residential property developers secure development and bridging loans of up to £5m from individual and institutional lenders. It offers investors annual returns ranging between seven and 11 per cent.
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Its board members, who have extensive experience in the financial services sector, include chairman Robert Burgess, former MD of Barclays Capital Mark Kibblewhite and former MD of Nomura Global Markets Brian Lynch.
“We are 100 per cent focused on residential property, supporting developers and brokers at a time when the housing market needs new sources of investment and lenders are searching for better returns,” said chief executive and co-founder David Turner. “FCA authorisation shows we’re operating at the highest standards and building a trusted, specialist lending platform.”
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Burgess added: “FCA authorisation helps us explore more ways to unlock funding for property developers operating at the underserviced, smaller end of the market. And it builds even greater confidence across our lender base that we’re delivering a trusted, transparent service.”
Invest & Fund completed a round-two fundraising this year, joined the National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers and expanded its team in the business development, credit assessment, loan servicing and marketing divisions.
