Expect to see more rationalising and consolidation in the lending spaceVouch Financial, a San Francisco based online lender founded in 2013, will be closing its doors. In order to obtain a loan on Vouch, borrowers have at least one friend or family member sponsor them on the platform. These sponsorships can help the borrower gain access to more capital and lower their rate. Vouch had raised $11 million in venture funding from investors including Greylock, First round, and Data Collective. The WSJ states that loan volume on Vouch never took off like its larger peers, and that the company struggled as investor appetite for online lenders' loans have cooled off.
Online marketplace lender Vouch Financial is shutting down, according to people familiar with the matter. Vouch was among a wave of online lenders that raised venture-capital funding in recent years, hoping to capitalize on the huge growth enjoyed by firms such as LendingClub Corp. and Prosper Marketplace Inc., who filled a gap in personal lending left by retreating banks.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/online-lender-vouch-financial-shutting-down-sources-1465148253
