29 August 2019
Funding Circle, a leading global small business loans platform, today reveals its inclusion in the FTSE4Good Index Series, which recognises companies that demonstrate the highest standards of corporate governance and sustainability.
Funding Circle, a leading global small business loans platform, today reveals its inclusion in the FTSE4Good Index Series, which recognises companies that demonstrate the highest standards of corporate governance and sustainability.
The FTSE4Good Index Series, which is managed by the global index and data provider FTSE Russell, was set up in 2001 to provide investors with a transparent benchmark to measure good corporate Environmental, Sustainability and Governance (ESG) practices. The indexes are used by investors to create and assess responsible investment funds and other products.
Funding Circle ranked in the top third of all technology businesses in terms of overall ESG standards, scoring especially high in areas of corporate governance.
Founded in 2010 as a response to poor behaviours and customer outcomes in traditional financial services, Funding Circle opened up the small business loans asset class to a diverse range of investors for the first time. By lending directly to SMEs, investors are powering economic growth whilst earning an attractive, risk adjusted return. In 2018 alone, lending through Funding Circle contributed £6.5 billion to the global economy (measured in gross value added) and unlocked 115,000 jobs across the UK, US, Germany and the Netherlands.*
Samir Desai, co-founder and CEO of Funding Circle, said:
We’re pleased to have been selected for inclusion in the FTSE4Good Index Series. A core part of our mission is to give investors and borrowers a better deal, and doing business responsibly is at the heart of everything we do.
Funding Circle is helping to spark a global revolution in the way small businesses access finance, disrupting the traditional model of banking. To date, investors including 92,000 individuals, local and national governments, and financial institutions such as pension and insurance funds, have lent £7.5 billion to 72,000 businesses globally.
ENDS
For more information
press@fundingcircle.com / +44 (0) 203 667 2245
NOTES TO EDITORS
*Oxford Economics, The Big Business of Small Business, April 2019
About Funding Circle
Funding Circle (LSE: FCH) is a global SME loans platform, connecting SMEs who want to borrow with investors who want to lend in the UK, US, Germany and the Netherlands. Since launching in 2010, investors across Funding Circle's geographies - including more than 90,000 retail investors, banks, asset management companies, insurance companies, government-backed entities and funds - have lent more than £7.5 billion to over 72,000 businesses globally. Funding Circle is a member of the FTSE 250 Index.
About the FTSE4Good Index Series
The FTSE4Good Index Series is designed to measure the performance of companies demonstrating strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. For more information, please visit https://www.ftserussell.com/products/indices/ftse4good.
About the FTSE Russell ESG Ratings
FTSE Russell ESG Ratings provide a multi-dimensional measure of environmental, social and governance exposure and practice. It provides the investment community with a tool for portfolio design and management to investigate ESG criteria, or as a framework for corporate engagement and stewardship. For more information, please visit https://www.ftserussell.com/financial-data/sustainability-and-esg-data/esg-ratings.