Investment required: up to 400,000 (EIS pending)

Transcription

1 Web Brief New Peer-to-Peer Crowd Funding Business BFS Ref.: PF/394/045 Investment required: up to 400,000 (EIS pending) Summary Our client is a new start company, and will enter the rapidly expanding UK Peer-to-Peer Business Crowdfunding market in spring The Company was registered in November 2013, following considerable research and development work conducted from February 2013 onwards. The business will target the UK peer-to-peer business lending market, where a rapidly growing number of investors fund an escalating volume of UK SME lending requirements, via online auction portals. In 2013 that market generated close to 300 Million of funding for SME s. Our client brings to the market significant experience from the financial sector and a competitive advantage over existing peer-to-peer providers: Management team - A mix of director level experience, the management team has strength and depth from business lending, invoice finance, chartered accountancy, finance broking, AIM flotation and financial software expertise totalling over 125 years. Risk mitigated software solution - The business has already negotiated a contract to whitelabel an established, tried and tested industry leader software solution. One stop shop for business borrowing - This peer-to-peer platform from day one will cater for multiple lending needs. This multi-product platform affords our client significant advantage over its nearest competitors. Working with introducers and crowd funders in a unique way -, Strengthening the quality of new business by fostering two-way relationships with the broker community. Funders are an essential component of the peer-to-peer relationship; our client is currently courting pools of crowd funders and early adopting communities to the extent of having deals fully funded before the platform is launched. We recommend a close look at this opportunity for the following reasons: The entry into this sector is timed carefully for when early pioneers have already spent time and money establishing peer-to-peer as a demonstrable force for business lending. Validation and education of the market is therefore complete and allows our client to take advantage of the potential for growth over the next three years with a financially focused management team. The founders are offering a 15% equity share of their business in return for 400,000 with the option to accept any proportion as debt finance. There is an offer for any significant investor, or their nominee, to join the Board of the business. The investor can expect a forecasted return of up to 300% at the end of year three, if they choose to exit at this stage. EIS and SEIS relief status is pending and additionally, Entrepreneur s Relief is available for qualifying investors.

2 The Market The peer-to-peer business market for loan and invoice finance has grown exponentially from c. 90 million lent in 2011 to c. 300 million in 2013 and shows no signs of slowing. The users of peer-to-peer facilities consist of two groups: SME Borrowers are attracted by the speed and certainty of funding most are fully funded within two days of the loan request being loaded onto the auction platform, and paid out within a further five days. Investors / crowd funders are attracted by the prospect of relatively high level returns established between 6 per cent and 12 per cent per annum, pre-tax. Risk information is presented by the auction platform and funders have the opportunity to diversify investments over many loans, with an open option to exit an investment via a secondary market. Market Growth The growth of the whole peer-to-peer business market mirrors the explosive growth seen in the US from 2006 onwards and the recent high growth in the UK is a strong validation of a newly establishing market. The Breedon Report 2012 estimated the SME funding gap to be between 84bn and 191bn over the next five years. Early entrants into the UK peer-to-business market have concentrated on single product lines, either peer-to-business lending or invoice finance trading, taking advantage of mainstream banks restrained appetite and attitude to business lending. Our clients intend to cover both of these funding lines from launch. Market growth is expected to continue as investor returns significantly outperform interest available from other traditional investments and high street lenders reaction to funding requirements remains leisurely. Competitive Advantage Our Client will be a step ahead of existing peer-to-peer platforms with: A true multi-product auction platform catering for SME s throughout their lifecycle of borrowing needs. o A portfolio of short and long term lending products to include unsecured loans, secured loans, and selective invoice finance from day one, plus full book factoring and asset finance from early in the second trading year, in order to achieve competitive advantage. o Finance brokers, accountants and professional advisors always have the most appropriate product available for their clients. A better opportunity for crowd funders to fund over a diverse range of products on one platform, enabling a balanced risk portfolio of long or short term, high or low return investments.

3 Quality and volume. Our client will initially focus exclusively on SME borrowing applications from: o Specialist commercial finance brokers - The management team already have considerable experience in building tangible partnerships within this community, and will offer a competitively advantaged service. This community best understand the borrowing needs and options open to their SME clients. Building on preferential discrete territory allocations, two-way deal introductions, deal commission volume ratchets, and the portfolio of lending options offering a one stop shop to business borrowing, our client will enrich broker/sme client relations by better serving the majority of lending needs than existing competitors. o At a later stage the focus will widen to: Silo industry sectors via trade associations. Specific sniper targeted industry solutions Accountancy, consultancy and SME trade bodies The management team are innovators within the financial services sector. Maintaining a Competitive Advantage is central to our client s long-term plans and seen as essential to maintain the lead over its competitors. The business is looking to achieve a 15% market share {by current lending value} by the end of Year 3. By this stage, they are targeting to be No. 3 in the market after rivals Funding Circle and Market Invoice the earliest adopters. The Crowd funders Our client is actively courting crowd funder communities to secure a pool of funders with the view to have deals completed before the auction platform is launched. This strategy will build early confidence and integrity into the business on the back of which a marketing campaign will be launched. Funders will have a unique opportunity to diversify investment across multiple products, giving an exclusive mix of long or short-term security. Focussing on its diversified spread of risk appeal, funder numbers across this multi-product platform is expected to increase rapidly once FCA regulation comes into force in April 2014, bringing a new level of integrity in the sector. Management Team The Founders are the real asset to this business and between them have many years of solid experience across UK business banking, alternative finance, financial control, information technology and sales & marketing sectors, and have grown companies from start-up to exit. The founders have already committed over 85,000 to the business; all will be actively involved in its operation.

4 Technical Solution In order to have a defined route to market and mitigate risk, the technical solution will initially employ the tried and tested software of an existing peer-to-peer trader. This software, available as a software as a solution product, will be configured to our clients business model and is capable of ably handling loan and invoice finance products at launch. The key advantage to using this existing back end processing software is a fixed solution scope, fixed costs and a clearly defined delivery timeline of 12 weeks. This contract negotiation is complete and costs agreed. At this stage, our client will own the IPR invested in its front-end website and brand name. Financials The founders are looking for seed funding at this stage of 400,000. The timetable from receipt of funding to marketplace launch is planned for 14 weeks. A detailed financial forecast has been produced which demonstrates the profitability of the business which becomes cash positive from the middle of year two. An alternative forecast has been produced to take advantage of market opportunities and a higher growth strategy. This will be looked at in more detail after the first six months supported by evidence of trading. The higher growth strategy will present a second funding round opportunity for an estimated total of 600,000. This will be used primarily for development of a bespoke scalable operating system capable of handling ongoing product range expansion, enhanced MI for brokers and investors, and sales & marketing. At this stage, the business will start owning its own IPR across both front and back end processes. The following table shows financials for years 1 to 3: 000 s YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 Revenue 600 1,469 2,066 Total Cost 1,124 1,657 1,652 PBT (524) (188) 414 PAT (524) (188) 414 Investment Opportunity The founders will offer a 15% equity share in the business for the seed funding, with an option for the investor [or their nominee] to join the Board. The investor can expect a forecasted return of up to 300% at the end of year three, if they choose to exit at this stage. Entrepreneur s Relief is available for qualifying investors. This investment is EIS and SEIS pending. For the second round of funding, the offer will be open to negotiation, with pure equity or mixed equity/debt options available.

5 Exit Strategy Exit is targeted via a trade sale. The peer-to-peer sector is a low cost model with no branches and no capital requirements. This model is extremely attractive to traditional funders and banks as it offers open channel content access to new markets with a significant cost advantage over existing business. The peer-to-peer sector is expected to undergo some form of consolidation as it develops into a mature sector over the next few years. Our client with a multi-product offering is best placed to take advantage of this. An IPO or private equity exit is not currently considered. Peer-to-Peer Lending Figures for 2013 Debt based transactions Peer-to-Business Lending between individuals and existing Businesses who are mostly SME s Firms selling their invoices or Invoice Trading receivables to a pool of individuals or institutional investors Source: Nesta Dec 13 report - The Rise of Future Finance 193 Million 97 Million Peer-to-peer business lending grew at more than 200% last year. Any new entrant into the existing market can expect to pick up a secondary share of business via the halo effect seen in expanding markets. However, to achieve a significant market share will require the new entrant to match, or ideally outperform, competitors with ease of use and speed of funding, but also to have a competitively differentiated offer for both borrowers and investors. A more detailed plan is available on signature of an NDA. For a copy, or to discuss this opportunity in more detail, please contact: Peter Douglas Phone: Mobile or to peter@bufinserv.co.uk Or Paul Atkins on or paul@bufinserv.co.uk Please note: This document is for information purposes only and is not an offer, solicitation or inducement to invest in any entity, shares or funds nor is it part of any contract for the sale, transfer or purchase of the same. The information is provided by our client and prospective investors should not rely on this information to make any decisions. The accuracy of the information is not guaranteed. All prospective investors must carry out their own due diligence to satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of all matters before making any decisions. Nothing in this document constitutes investment advice or advice specific to your circumstances. Please consult your own professional advisors on your particular financial circumstances before making any investment decisions.