Spain: CNMV authorizes MytripleA & Lendix as crowdlending platforms

The Spanish Securities Exchange Commission (CNMV, Spain’s financial regulator) has authorized MytripleA as a Platform for Participatory Financing, the formal name for a p2p lending platform. This is one of the first actions to implement Law 5/2015 Promotion of Corporate Financing. MytripleA already benefits from a Payment Institution license (which can be passported within the EU) granted by the Bank of Spain, which authorizes MytripleA to make loan disbursements and receive loan instalments within the regulatory environment for banking payments. This is an additional regulatory requirement in Spain, which is not required by other European countries.

With this new authorization, MyTripleA becomes the first crowdlending platform to have both of the required authorizations in Spain. Competitors entering Spain, will not be able to use the the so-called passporting provisions from a financial regulator outside of Spain and will need to apply for a Platform for Participatory Financing license before being able to operate in compliance with Spanish regulations Law 5/2015 Promotion of Corporate Finance provided a unified legal framework for crowdlending platforms and securitized funds, and made CNMV responsible for their creation, authorization and supervision. Crowdlending has experienced rapid growth across Europe. The Spanish market last year grew 266% according to the website P2P-Banking.com. Within the new regulatory framework and with the supervision of CNMV, a greater degree of awareness of the alternative financial services market is expected.

French Lendix announced that it received its formal CNMV accreditation to operate as a P2P lending platform in Spain. The Spanish entity will be the first Lendix international market to open. It will target financing of credits to SME, for amounts ranging from 30,000 to 2,000,000 Euro, duration of 18 to 60 months and at interestrates comprises between 5.5% et 12%. Companies presented on the platform will be selected and analyzed by Lendix credit analysis team and will need to generate a turnover of at least €400’000. Non accredited private investors* will be able to lend up to 3,000 Euro per project with a total maximum yearly amount of 10,000 Euro, while no limit will apply to accredited private investors nor institutional investors. The launch of Lendix’s spanish platform is scheduled for Q4 2016.

Equity crowdfunding platform Crowdcube also received authorization.

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Interview with Sergio Antón, Co-Founder of MytripleA

What is MytripleA about?

MytripleA is the first and only fully regulated platform operating in the Spanish market. MytripleA is a Spanish business finance platform meeting both short-term and medium-term financing needs of Spanish SMEs. MytripleA offers two different products: 1) insurance guaranteed loans -for more conservative investors- and non guaranteed loans -with higher risk and higher return- and 2) invoice financing.

What are the three main advantages for investors?

We offer an excellent risk-adjusted return to investors with a very robust underwriting process. Our investors receive monthly payments (except for invoice investments). In addition, we offer insurance loans (with close to zero risk) to more conservative investors. The abovementioned advantages and being the only fully regulated lending platform in Spain have allowed us to have a stable and growing investor base.

What are the three main advantages for borrowers?

Fast response to applicants. We are very flexible to adapt our financing to the borrower’ needs. In addition, our financing leaves no records in the Bank of Spain’s debt data base which makes it much more attractive than banking debt.

Sergio Anton, MytripleAWhat ROI can investors expect?

Our ROI in currently 8.30% with zero default rate.

How did you start MytripleA? Is the company funded with venture capital?

My cofounder and I noted that there are thousands of solvent SMEs ignored by the banks and decided to connect personal savings with solvent companies by using technology. We checked the regulatory issues and launched the company once we had obtained the necessary approvals. The company was initially funded by the founders and then we did our first round with GLI Finance and other private investors.

How valuable is it to have an experienced investor like GLI Finance? Can you please give examples how they help you in your business development?

GLI is the expert in the alternative finance sector for SMEs worldwide and is a key shareholder for MytripleA. They are supporting us in areas such us strategy, business development and the security of our platform. In addition, they also provide lending capacity for MytripleA. We are extremely happy to have them on-board. Continue reading