Dubai, UAE: Emirates NBD and Mashreq Bank today announced a strategic investment in NewBridge Fintech Solutions, a fintech firm and owner of LoanBook, an EMEA-focused, next-generation platform digitising the syndicated loan and private credit markets.

LoanBook offers a centralised marketplace for market participants to access global loan opportunities and automates end-to-end workflows, bringing much-needed efficiency and velocity to an industry still heavily reliant on manual processes. With this investment, LoanBook gains significant resources, scale, and industry support to deliver transformative solutions to the loan capital markets.

As an industry-backed platform, LoanBook aims to fundamentally innovate the $5.5 trillion annual loan issuance market across primary syndication, secondary trading, and lifecycle management workflows between borrowers, lenders and administrative agents. LoanBook’s management and advisory board comprises senior ex-bankers and industry leaders who believe that loan markets are ready to embrace a digital future that will unlock greater liquidity, efficiency, and ultimately attract a wider investor base, through continuous innovation across the credit ecosystem.

LoanBook was used successfully to launch and manage a marquee multi-billion primary syndication for a large regional GRE.

LoanBook recently appointed a senior industry leader – Mark Waters as their CEO.

Statements from Key Stakeholders:

  • Sid Bhandari, Founder and CEO of NewBridge Fintech: "Our partnership with Emirates NBD and Mashreq Bank is a major step forward in our mission to digitise the syndicated loan market. By collaborating closely with both teams, we will jointly address the numerous friction points in syndicated loan markets and leverage LoanBook's next-generation technologies to bring new, innovative solutions and drive real change in the regional and global loan market. With the backing of MENAT's leading bookrunners, we will achieve the scale and resources required to grow the business and enable wider adoption amongst market participants."
  • Hitesh Asarpota, CEO of Emirates NBD Capital: "Our loan syndication and agency team will actively collaborate with LoanBook to effectively address the multiple friction points endemic to the current loan market structure. This aligns with our collaborative approach to innovation at Emirates NBD, and we are excited to be a part of LoanBook's efforts to help shape the future of the loan market ecosystem."
  • Chiradeep Deb, Global Head of Investment Banking, Mashreq: "Mashreq is pleased to be part of LoanBook's effort to bring digitisation to the loan markets. As part of our Neo ventures initiative, we will actively collaborate, co-create, and commercialise solutions across the larger EMEA markets to bring modernisation to the syndicated loans market."
  • Neeraj Makin, Group Head of Strategy, Analytics and Venture Capital, Emirates NBD Group: “Our investment reflects Emirates NBD’s continued commitment to innovation, as we recognize the rapidly changing technological landscape and the impact it has on our industry. Our Corporate Venture Fund’s mission is to identify and back strategically relevant FinTech and Tech initiatives. By investing in transformative platforms like LoanBook, we aim to streamline and accelerate the loan syndication process with a broader objective of driving technological advancements that enhance both our operations and the global loan market. Moreover, this will be our first investment in a FinTech based out of UAE and we are very proud of that milestone.
  • Amith Rajan, Head of Wholesale Digital Banking & CEO NeoVentures, Mashreq: “Mashreq has always been at the forefront of digital transformation, and we are committed to introducing innovative technologies that enhance the customer and employee experience. Our investment in disruptive FinTech’s like NewBridge through NeoVentures is a testament to our commitment to harness the power of collaboration within the ecosystem. We are excited to partner with them to co-create a cutting-edge, digital and AI driven Agency solution to transform what has traditionally been a manual marketplace.” 

About LoanBook:

LoanBook is a next-generation platform digitizing the syndicated loan and private credit markets. LoanBook offers a centralized marketplace for market participants to access global loan opportunities and automates end-to-end workflows, bringing much-needed efficiency and velocity to an industry still heavily reliant on manual processes. For more information, visit loan-book.com.

About Emirates NBD:

Emirates NBD (DFM: Emirates NBD) is a leading banking group in the MENAT (Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye) region with a presence in 13 countries, serving over 9 million active customers. As at 30th September 2024, total assets were AED 956 billion, (equivalent to approx. USD 260 billion). The Group has operations in the UAE, Egypt, India, Türkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, Russia and Bahrain and representative offices in China and Indonesia with a total of 859 branches and 4,512 ATMs / SDMs. Emirates NBD is the leading financial services brand in the UAE with a Brand value of USD 3.89 billion. 

Emirates NBD Group serves its customers (individuals, businesses, governments, and institutions) and helps them realise their financial objectives through a range of banking products and services including retail banking, corporate and institutional banking, Islamic banking, investment banking, private banking, asset management, global markets and treasury, and brokerage operations. The Group is a key participant in the global digital banking industry with 97% of all financial transactions and requests conducted outside of its branches. The Group also operates Liv, the lifestyle digital bank by Emirates NBD, with close to half a million users, it continues to be the fastest-growing bank in the region.

Emirates NBD contributes to the construction of a sustainable future as an active participant and supporter of the UAE’s main development and sustainability initiatives, including financial wellness and the inclusion of people of determination. Emirates NBD is committed to supporting the UAE’s Year of Sustainability as Principal Banking Partner of COP28 and an early supporter to the Dubai Can sustainability initiative, a city-wide initiative aimed to reduce use of single-use plastic bottled water.

About Mashreq: 

Mashreq is almost a half-century old, yet proudly thinks like a challenger, startup, and innovator. Mashreq pioneered key innovations and developments in banking, starting with entry-level digital-first customers all the way to powering some of the region’s most prominent corporations and wealth accounts.  

The bank’s mandate is to help customers find their way to Rise Every Day, partnering through the highs and lows to help them achieve their goals and unlock their vision of success. 

Reassuringly present in major financial centres of the world, Mashreq’s home and global HQ remains in the Middle East, offering services whenever and wherever opportunity takes its customers. Mashreq has been recognized as the fastest-growing Middle East brand, by Banking 500 rankings for 2024 by Brand Finance.  

Find your way to Rise Every Day at: www.Mashreq.com/RiseEveryDay

For media inquiries, please write to: media@mashreq.com

About NeoVentures:

NeoVentures, a venture studio established by Mashreq in DIFC, embodies a spirit of innovation and transformation in the Middle East’s financial and business landscape. Much like its parent company, NeoVentures marries deep banking expertise with cutting-edge digital capabilities to drive forward-thinking solutions. The company’s mission is to foster innovation by investing in disruptive FinTech’s, incubating new ventures, and co-creating tailored digital and AI-driven solutions in collaboration with a diverse ecosystem. NeoVentures is dedicated to pioneering advancements and shaping the future of finance and business in the region.