SocietyOne

= social lending platform in Australia

URL = http://societyone.com.au/about

Description

About SocietyOne

SocietyOne is Australia's first fully compliant Peer-to-Peer lending platform. As a P2P lender, SocietyOne connects borrowers and investors in a secure, safe, professional online environment.

SocietyOne enables individuals to lend and borrow money to each other without the intermediation of a bank or financial institution. Qualified borrowers can request up to $30,000 in unsecured personal loans at competitive rates determined by their credit profile. Approved applications are listed on the platform for verified investors to assess and bid on. Once terms are agreed and accepted by the parties, SocietyOne handles the funds management and servicing of every loan on behalf of the matched borrowers and investors. Stringent procedures and processes ensure a safe and secure lending environment.

The Company's philosophy is to exploit the structural mispricing and operating inefficiencies that exist in the traditional banking sector to bring borrowers and investors better rates. Unencumbered by the branch infrastructure, overhead and capital reserve requirements that drive up operating costs for traditional banks it uses an advanced proprietary technology platform to radically reduce the cost of originating, servicing, and funding of traditional loans.

Launch

SocietyOne is headquartered in Sydney, Australia and was launched in August, 2012. According to the company, its technology platform and online loan application and loan management solution - known as ClearMatch - allows it to operate more efficiently than a traditional bank. (http://www.moneymanagement.com.au/product-news/2012/societyone-launches-new-loan-platform)

Investors

The SocietyOne platform is currently open to all Sophisticated and Institutional investors, as defined in the Corporations Act 2001. (http://www.asic.gov.au/asic/asic.nsf/byheadline/Certificates+issued+by+a+qualified+accountant?openDocument)

SocietyOne is the trustee of the SocietyOne P2P Lending Trust. The trust is currently an Australian wholesale unregistered managed investment scheme and not currently registered with the ASIC. Until it is registered, investors in the Fund must be wholesale clients and Sophisticated Investors.

According to the company, the P2P platform will potentially be made available to retail investors by early 2014.

Unless specifically agreed with SocietyOne, the company will only accept loan applications and applications to invest from Australian-resident persons.

Borrowers

SocietyOne is targeting Australian consumers who have seen “disproportionately high” lending rates for a long time. (http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/434135/societyone_takes_big_banks_peer-to-peer_online_loans)

SocietyOne revolutionises the consumer finance industry, delivering borrower interest rates matching credit profiles and providing investors with the opportunity to invest in this asset class. This means lower interest rates for low risk borrowers and higher rates of return for Australian investors.

SocietyOne handles the funds management and servicing of every loan on behalf of the matched borrowers and investors. Stringent procedures and processes ensure a secure, safe lending environment." (http://societyone.com.au/about)

Compliance

SocietyOne is fully compliant with Australia's National Consumer Credit Protection Laws and ASIC's financial services laws. The company holds an Australian Credit License and are an authorised Financial Services Representative of Ironbark Asset Management Pty Ltd, the holder of an Australian Financial Services License.

SocietyOne is the first P2P lender in Australia to hold an Australian Credit License, as well as to employ conventional credit reporting methods. (http://anthillonline.com/how-p2p-lending-is-making-its-way-down-under)

To further protect the beneficial interests of investors in SocietyOne, the company has set up the SocietyOne P2P Lending Trust as the holder of the loan assets. As a bankruptcy remote vehicle, the Lending Trust is a flexible and transparent structure that helps protect the beneficial interests of SocietyOne investors at all times.

And to further mitigate bankruptcy risks, SocietyOne assigned full Trustee services to Perpetual Limited, Australia’s largest independent funds manager and one of the country’s most experienced investment and trustee groups.

ClearMatch

SocietyOne's proprietary ClearMatch™ technology platform is a mature, fully tested, loan origination, credit assessment and loan portfolio management solution. The platform has taken $10+ million in investment to develop to date. As a bank-grade platform, ClearMatch™ has managed more than $1 billion in consumer finance loans over the past 10 years under former licensing arrangements.

International Markets

SocietyOne's P2P consumer loans platform could eventually also expand beyond Australia into other markets in Asia-Pacific and disburse in local currencies. (http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/434135/societyone_takes_big_banks_peer-to-peer_online_loans)