The University of Cambridge and Nesta, supported by ACCA and PWC, have undertaken an extensive research , which is the largest study of the UK alternative finance industry as at November 2014.
The research report is title “UNDERSTANDING ALTERNATIVE FINANCE - The UK Alternative Finance Industry Report 2014”.
The UK’s alternative finance market – which includes crowdfunding, peer-to-peer lending and invoice trading – is set to reach nearly £2 billion by the end of 2014, and is expected to double in 2015, as businesses increasingly seek more efficient ways to raise funding. Alternative finance covers a variety of new financing models which connect people seeking funds directly with funders, often through online platforms. The majority of these providers have been founded in the last five years. Regulation of parts of the industry was introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in April 2014, and in October the UK Treasury launched a consultation on a proposal for an ISA for peer-to-peer lending.
