Assetz Capital

Assetz Capital is a UK-based financial services firm specializing in property-backed lending for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), property developers, and housebuilders. The company was co-founded by CEO Stuart Law in 2012 and launched its lending platform in March 2013, aiming to address a funding gap left by traditional banks following the global financial crisis. Law, a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in the property, finance, and software sectors, established the company to connect businesses needing capital with investors seeking fair returns.

Initially operating as a peer-to-peer (P2P) or marketplace lender, Assetz Capital allowed both private and institutional investors to directly fund property-secured business loans. However, in December 2022, the company strategically pivoted to a model funded entirely by institutional capital, closing its platform to new retail investors. This shift was prompted by changing market dynamics, including rising interest rates that made traditional savings accounts more competitive for retail investors. Since 2020, institutional capital had already accounted for approximately 80% of all lending on the platform.

The company's core business is providing bespoke, short to medium-term specialist finance solutions. Its product suite includes development finance for projects of various sizes, commercial mortgages, bridging loans, residential refurbishment loans, and development exit finance. Assetz Capital serves a diverse range of sectors, including care homes, hotels, manufacturing, and student accommodation. A key aspect of its model is that every loan is secured with tangible property assets, a measure designed to mitigate risk for its capital providers. The firm generates revenue through fees associated with the loans it originates and manages.

Significant milestones in the company's history include lending over £19 million in its first year, achieving a seven-figure pre-tax profit in the 2016/17 financial year, and surpassing £1.6 billion in total lending to UK businesses. The firm has played a notable role in the UK housing market, having financed the equivalent of one in every twelve homes built by SME housebuilders in recent years. The company is headquartered in Manchester and operates throughout the UK.

Keywords: property finance, SME lending, real estate lending, development finance, bridging loans, commercial mortgages, housebuilder finance, secured lending, institutional capital, property investment, specialist finance, UK property market, alternative finance, asset-backed lending, construction finance, residential refurbishment loans, development exit finance, care home finance, property developer loans, SME funding