Truth | Page 18

PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKS ARE CHALLENGING ESTABLISHED PLAYERS “I think there is definitely an openness and a sense of moral outrage, which means that ‘I don’t want to give my hard-earned money to those evil big banks. I would rather it went somewhere where it’s more transparent and the costs are lower.” Tamar Kasriel, Futurist ZOPA STREETSHARES FIDOR BANK Zopa facilitates P2P lending by matching borrowers looking for low rate loans with smart lenders looking for high interest return on their investment. The service has already lent over £700m to its customers in the UK. StreetShares describes itself as “Shark Tank meets eBay” for small business loans and aims to revolutionise the business loans industry in the US. The focus of the platform is on allowing businesses to pitch to investors and tell their story, not just their financial credentials. Fidor Bank - a leading internet-only bank based in Germany - has integrated both P2P lending solutions and advice platforms to its mobile banking offer. 18 PR ES E N T A N D P O T E NTIA L F UTURE S IN F IN A N CIA L SE RVICES