Peer-to-peer business lending. Who is investing in your business?

31/01/2019

With the ever-increasing popularity of peer-to-peer business lending (P2P) showing little sign of slowing down, the evolving landscape of commercial finance looks unfamiliar compared with the scene of just a few years ago.

Yet it is creating further opportunities for start-ups and SMEs looking for capital. So, if you are looking for investment through the P2P channel, who is it you’ll be targeting?

You may have heard the term ‘Millennials’ before, but if you haven’t it is used to describe those born between 1982 and 1994. Due to the prolonged period of very low interest rates, saving has become pretty pointless for millennials, resulting in many beginning to look towards other methods of using their savings to generate more cash.

Conveniently, the emerging peer-to-peer sector proposes an attractive opportunity for millennials. In 2018, it was reported that more than half of all European peer-to-peer lenders were millennials. 

So, why does peer-to peer lending attract millennials in particular?

The answer lays within the nature of the demographic. Millennials are reportedly more inclined to gamble and take risks with their finances in order to potentially get a high return. This contrasts to the more conservative over-55s who prefer a safer investment on a stable return.

Due to their age, millennials are generally open to new ways of thinking, as opposed to the over-55s typically being dismissive of some modern initiatives. Interestingly, they are more likely to emotionally connect to their investments, gravitating towards current circumstances they feel passionate about.

They are also more inclined to digital technology, and this ease of accessibility has impacted the markets continued growth. Research conducted in 2018 shows that the sector is continuing to grow and mature, with loans of nearly £3bn released that year. 

Abrishek Gandhi, Co-founder and CFO of RupeeCircle, commented: “Today, the millennial salaried individuals do have money in hand to invest and are looking at alternate tech-enabled investment alternatives which help them invest without taking much of their time,”

Have you had an experience of peer-to-peer business lending? We’d love to hear from you. You can leave a comment in the box below.