Blog Post

ezbob and Esme Loans, pick up the 2019 Banking Technology award for ‘Best Fintech Partnership’

ezbob and Esme Loans win two Banking Industry Awards in 2019: announced as winners of the ‘Best Fintech Partnership’ award in both FinTech Futures’ Banking Technology Awards and earlier this year The Banker's highly-regarded Tech Projects Awards for their transformation of the SME lending experience.

Tomer Guriel, CEO, ezbob, said, “I want to thank Richard Kerton and his team at Esme Loans for believing in our technology back in 2016. Our partnership with Esme was a turning point. Up until then, we were a balance sheet lender with big ambitions to license out our technology to banks. We believed that by deploying our platform, banks would instantly become digital lenders and by doing so they would be able to fund more businesses and at better rates then ezbob could on its own – so it was a huge boost when Richard, CEO of Esme Loans, chose ezbob as the core platform when they decided to launch a digital SME lending platform.”

Esme Loans recently announced that they have surpassed £100 million in lending to SMEs, with an ambition to soon be lending £1 billion a year to small businesses. Esme Loans offers SMEs speed and simplicity without them having to pay the premium rate that many alternative lenders charge.

Veronika Lovett, Chief Commercial Officer, Esme Loans said, “Since launch, we have gone from strength to strength, helping thousands of SME’s businesses; however, it’s not enough to disrupt an industry and then sit back. We’re operating in an increasingly rapidly changing environment where consumer needs and expectations are rapidly evolving therefore, you must keep finding ways to improve your business and stay ahead. Today, this means harnessing technology to deliver truly fit for purpose financing solutions.”

Guriel added, “In 2018, there were over 25 Million SMEs in the European Union and 30 Million SMEs in the USA. These business (EU and US) employ over 150 Million people. It’s ironic, that while SMEs play a key role in national economies around the world, their growth is impeded by an insufficient supply of capital. I started ezbob with the vision to streamline the way SMEs applied for and received the funding they needed. ezbob and Esme Loans’ distinction in winning the two prestigious banking industry awards is further validation that Fintechs and Banks make natural partners.”

ezbob has won the following Banking Industry Awards:

  • 2019 Winner Banking Technology Award for Best Fintech Partnership
  • 2019 Winner The Banker’s Tech Project Awards for Best Fintech Partnership for Smarter Onboarding in Unsecured SME    
  • 2018 Winner Financial Innovation Awards Best Technology Initiative
  • 2018 Highly Commended Banking Technology Awards Best Use of IT for Lending