Folk2FolkThe peer-to-peer lending platform, which operates physical locations in the UK, says it is increasing its focus on institutional money. To achieve this goal, the company hired Joanna Chan As Head of Strategic Capital. Chan, who joined the company in 2029, moves into his new position from his previous role as Portfolio Head, where he oversaw Folk2Folk’s SME loan book and led the firm’s post-completion and recovery teams.
Chan was previously at BNP Paribas, where he specialized in credit strategies and trading and worked closely with institutions.
As many online lenders dealing with retail money have learned in the past, scaling operations without resorting to institutional funds is difficult. It is easier to manage one large lender than many smaller investors.
Shift to more corporate finance is driven by the CEO Kawai ChungHe joined Folk2Folk in 2025.
Chung stated that expanding the financing base is part of their core strategy. He said Chan is ideally suited to lead the initiative.
Founded in 2013, Folk2Folk holds the title of the largest peer-to-peer lender in the UK in terms of cumulative lending. Since its founding, the company has provided over £810 million in loans to SMEs.
Business loans start from £100,000 and are usually secured against land or property with a maximum loan-to-value ratio of 60%.
Investors can earn fixed monthly payments at an annual interest rate of 8.5%.
