Our Story

Finance, powered by people.

There’s always a light-bulb moment behind every great idea - and so it was with us.

Back in 2011, we were in the middle of the global financial crisis and bank funding for businesses had pretty much dried up, particularly for anything property related. At the same time banks had slashed rates on some accounts to near zero and people were struggling to get any kind of fair return on their money. Times were hard.

How could we join these two groups together, we wondered, and help solve these problems?

We realised how simple this relationship should be. We saw businesses who wanted to borrow, perhaps to build houses or invest in factories. And we saw people all around us - the man and woman on the street - who had money that could have been working harder for them.

The opportunity for growth was huge for everybody. There was money to help businesses invest and grow, and there was the chance for everyday investors to earn fair rates of interest. What's more, we felt that this growth could have a really positive impact on society.

We launched Assetz Capital in 2013 and since then our marketplace has become a simple and fair way to invest and borrow. We’re approaching our first £1bn lent to businesses and we’ve paid nearly £100m of gross interest to our lenders. Together we’re making a huge impact, funding the equivalent of 1 in every 100 new build homes in the UK last year.

In truth, none of this is 'new'. It's how finance always was. We've just taken things back to a simpler, smarter way, where growth happens for everybody.

It's always been possible - we've just opened the door again.

Our mission

Fairer growth for all.

To inspire and lead improvements to the financial system. Where a fair and rewarding experience is achieved for everyone, and their rewards remain in balance, as we all thrive and grow together.

Built for you

We designed our platform for everybody. You can manually pick your own loans or let our automated systems manage your investments for you. And if you need help, there’s real people here to talk.

Fair for all

When it comes to lending and borrowing, lenders make money from the interest they charge borrowers. Because peer-to-peer lending is a direct relationship, and because we take a lower percentage of the interest as our fee – lower even than building societies – you get more of that interest.

Good for society

We provide the platform. You provide the funding. Businesses get the support. Together, we’re growing our communities and our economies – funding housebuilding initiatives, powering new industry, and creating new jobs.

Our journey so far

Our directors

Meet our board of directors.

Stuart Law

CEO and Co-Founder

“ I really scaled up my involvement in financial services during the global financial crisis, wanting to build an alternative to what many felt was a broken banking system. I've been in business for what seems like forever, since a teenager in fact, and I’m deeply experienced in finance, software and property – so it’s easy to see how I ended up in FinTech! The vision I have for how the world could work differently, and more fairly, is what drives all of the Assetz companies, and it's great to see Assetz Capital making such a difference to businesses, helping drive economic growth, jobs and housebuilding.
My real bugbears in financial services are greed and lack of fairness. I believe in balance, where everyone has the opportunity to do well over time and get their fair share instead of trying to win at someone else’s cost. It not only makes sound commercial sense, but a balanced business is more sustainable and more likely to grow to a substantial size. ”

Chris Mellish

CTO and Co-Founder

“ Before I joined Assetz I was building systems for other people, including another peer-to-peer platform. I always felt the industry could be more forward-thinking in terms of technology, and more focused on customers – especially smaller investors and savers. And my early experience taught me that the most important thing is to focus on solving the problems people really face, not just tech for tech’s sake.
For example, we realised that some people had funds lying idle in their account, so we came up with the concept of our Quick Access Account as a compliant way to help people get their money back a bit faster. It’s that kind of thinking that’s helped us grow steadily, without huge amounts of investment. ”

David Penston

Head of Property Lending and Co-Founder

“ I was fortunate enough to work for three UK merchant banks, who were all about flexibility and finding solutions. There wasn’t a fixed ‘rule book’. Along the way, I learned the importance of honesty and transparency. The business world is a small place – if you say you’ll do something, you must do it or it will come back to bite you.
It takes years to build a good reputation, but only a second to lose it. The financial crash showed that we need to move away from short-termism and greed. Through things like peer-to-peer lending, the industry can give power back to the people. That’s what we’re all about: democratising finance. Giving people more control over their money. ”

Mark Wardrop

Chief Operations and Finance Officer

“ I started my career as a trainee auditor at a large accounting firm, where I learned that successful businesses are built on strong controls and efficient processes. But after years of working with SMEs and their lenders on turnarounds, I decided I wanted to swap sides and work with a business that made those lending decisions instead.
The thing that struck me about Assetz Capital was the sheer range of experience in our team. When you’re in a disruptive sector like ours, it helps to have people who’ve seen it all before. ”

Andrew Sheppard

Chief Regulatory, Compliance and Audit Officer

“ I’ve been in financial services for around 30 years now, since 1986. I spent many years at NatWest, then KPMG, before winding up as Head of UK Compliance for Marsh, the world’s leading insurance broker and risk advisor. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s how huge and diverse this industry can be (and that only auditors are allowed to use green pens).
My proudest day so far was probably when we got our full authorisation from the FCA. I can’t believe how far we’ve come in just a few short years. We’ve adapted and evolved as we’ve gone, with a great group of people who are all focused on doing the very best we possibly can for our customers. ”

Chris Macklin

Chief Risk Officer

“ I got into Finance by chance really, I wanted to work with computers and having dabbled in programming with a Sinclair ZX81 I took my first job at a high street bank. Keying entries into a back-office system wasn’t quite the IT department I imagined but starting in financial services at the bottom gave me a grass-roots understanding of the industry, which I’ve strived to maintain. During my career investing in personal development, alongside having some excellent bosses and good sponsors, I have been fortunate to experience some great opportunities in abroad range of roles and business areas.
I believe that the finance industry overall needs to focus on promoting good ethical behaviour and rewarding a customer-centric approach. At Assetz, I’m proud of our people, each individual’s care, commitment and passion is enabling us to achieve amazing things. We’ve made really good progress, but there’s always more to be done. ”