1. technology and computing

MEDIA KIT
JANUARY 2015
CONTACT
Jesse Penner
www.grouplend.ca
email: [email protected]
phone: +1 (604) 614-8179
COMPANY OVERVIEW
MISSION
We’re on a mission to help Canadians achieve financial freedom and improve their lives.
VISION
Everywhere around us, technology is transforming industry. Transportation, medicine, communication—they’ve all
evolved in the wake of this disruption. Finance in the next institution to bear the brunt of this paradigm shift.
That’s where we come in. Grouplend is Canada’s newest and most innovative lending platform. Manual,
paper-based processes have been displaced by cutting edge, data-driven technology. Impersonal branches have
given way to friendly user interfaces. Business hours have fallen to an always-on, personalized experience that is
accessible from anywhere. Guesswork and assumptions have ceded to science-driven, evidence-based decision
making. There’s now a wealth of data available in the world of finance that allows us to offer more affordable and
reliable financial services. We use this approach to give people the borrowing experience that they deserve.
MILESTONES
After a year and half of navigating a complicated regulatory maze, as well as developing proprietary technologies
and systems, Grouplend launched in October of 2014 in British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta. Late in November
of 2014, we expanded to the rest of Canada, with the exception of Quebec and Nova Scotia.
GROUPLEND MEDIA KIT — PAGE 01
GROUPLEND IS FIXING BANKING FOR CANADIANS
PROBLEM
SOLUTION
Personal borrowing in Canada is inconvenient and
expensive. Banks and credit card companies charge a
fortune to consumers to make up for the overhead
associated with manual, paper-based processes and
outdated systems. Service is slow and it’s limited to
restrictive business hours.
Using technology and data-driven systems, we are able
to lower the cost of borrowing, meanwhile increasing
the speed and quality of service. By giving qualified
investors the opportunity to fund borrowers’ loans, we
further reduce costs to offer Canadians a better
borrowing experience.
Bank profits are growing at record levels. In 2014, they will take in $31.9 billion in profit. Meanwhile, the average
Canadian’s debt has also hit record levels. TransUnion reports that the average consumer will owe more than
$28,000 in credit card and consumer debt by the end of 2014. The banks are getting rich at the expense of
responsible, middle class Canadians.
Banks profits vs. Average Consumer Debt in Canada
Average Consumer Debt
$40B
$30K
$31B
$27K
$22B
$24K
$13B
$21K
$4B
$18K
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Average Consumer Debt (excluding mortgages)
Big Five Banks’ Combined Profit (Billions)
Bank Profits
Grouplend, Canada’s first online lending platform, is challenging the status quo in Canadian banking by offering
more affordable rates on personal loans and delivering a friendly, personalized customer experience.
GROUPLEND MEDIA KIT — PAGE 02
REFRESHINGLY SIMPLE LOANS
Grouplend is a lending platform that gives Canadians access to better and more affordable rates on personal loans.
Our platform uses custom built financial technology that allows consumers to apply and qualify for a loan in under
3 minutes — all without affecting their credit score. Entirely online and easy-to-use, Grouplend makes borrowing
refreshingly simple.
GETTING A PERSONAL LOAN DOESN’T
HAVE TO BE A FRUSTRATING PROCESS
INSTANT PERSONALIZED QUOTE THAT
DOESN’T AFFECT YOUR CREDIT SCORE
Apply for a loan from your computer, phone, or tablet for up to $25,000
in under 3 minutes without affecting your credit score.
SAVE MONEY AND
PAY BACK LOANS FASTER
Consolidate expensive debt or credit card balances and pay
them back in less time with rates that start at 6.9% APR.
BY FAR THE LOWEST RATES
FOR PERSONAL LOANS
We use technology and data-driven systems to reduce the extra costs
associated with traditional lending and pass those savings on to you.
COMPLETELY
SAFE AND SECURE
We use bank-grade security, and the latest in fraud detection and
privacy protection technology to keep your information secure.
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MANAGEMENT TEAM
KEVIN SANDHU
FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
A former investment banker and private equity investor. He left Bay Street to found Grouplend out of a deeply
rooted belief that Canadians deserve better financial services. The existing landscape of banks and financial institutions fail to provide the quality of service that people expect. Watching from afar as consumer debt levels in
Canada continued to rise, he devised a way to employ modern technology to deliver financial products that solved
the problem, not exacerbated it. He graduated from Simon Fraser University on the Dean's List with a degree in
Finance and is a CFA charterholder.
DANIEL COWX
CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
A highly experienced technologist who successfully founded, grew, and sold a profitable cloud-based computing
software company. Previously with Creo, Kodak, and Sony. Graduated from Simon Fraser University with a first
class honours degree in Software Engineering.
DARRYL KNOPP
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CREDIT & RISK MANAGEMENT
Over twenty years of international credit and risk management experience. Previously served as Chief Risk Officer
of one of Vietnam’s leading banks, as well as the Senior Vice President of Lehman Brothers Asia. Held several
senior management roles in Canada, the US and Japan, including TD Bank, FICO, and PC Financial. Graduated
from the University of Calgary with a degree in Actuarial Science and minor in Commerce.
GROUPLEND MEDIA KIT — PAGE 04