Emirates NBD, Mashreq back syndicated loans platform LoanBook

Emirates NBD and Mashreq Bank have announced a strategic investment in NewBridge Fintech Solutions, the owner of LoanBook, a next-generation platform that serves the EMEA region’s syndicated loan and private credit markets.

LoanBook aims to streamline the $5.5tn annual syndicated loan market by offering a centralised marketplace for borrowers, lenders, and administrative agents.

The platform automates the traditionally manual workflows of syndicated loan syndication, secondary trading, and lifecycle management, bringing much-needed efficiency and speed to an industry historically reliant on paper-based processes.

With the support of Emirates NBD and Mashreq, LoanBook is set to scale its operations and enhance its market offerings significantly.

The investment enables LoanBook to leverage cutting-edge technology to address friction points in the syndicated loan market, driving innovation and attracting a broader investor base.

A digital future for syndicated loans

LoanBook’s management team includes former senior bankers and industry experts who share a common vision: to transform the syndicated loan market by digitizing the entire process.

This vision is underpinned by a belief that the sector is primed for a digital evolution that will enhance liquidity, reduce inefficiencies, and modernise operations across primary syndication, secondary trading, and loan lifecycle management.

The platform has already demonstrated its potential, successfully managing a multi-billion-dollar syndicated loan for a major regional government-related entity (GRE), showcasing its capability to handle large-scale transactions.

Mark Waters, a seasoned leader in the financial technology space, was recently appointed as CEO of LoanBook to spearhead its growth and strategic direction.

Loanbook sees strategic support from industry leaders

In their statements, key stakeholders expressed excitement about the partnership and the transformative potential of LoanBook.

Sid Bhandari, founder and CEO of NewBridge Fintech Solutions, said, “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 address the numerous friction points in the market and leverage LoanBook’s next-generation technologies to drive real change in the regional and global loan market.”

Hitesh Asarpota, CEO of Emirates NBD Capital, emphasised the strategic fit of this investment, stating, “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 at Mashreq, also highlighted the significance of this collaboration: “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 EMEA markets to modernise syndicated loan markets.”

Focused on innovation

This partnership is another step in Emirates NBD’s long-standing commitment to innovation. Neeraj Makin, group head of Strategy, Analytics, and Venture Capital at Emirates NBD, said, “Our investment reflects Emirates NBD’s continued commitment to innovation. We aim to streamline and accelerate loan syndication while driving technological advancements that enhance global loan markets. Moreover, this marks our first investment in a UAE-based fintech, a milestone we are very proud of.”

For Mashreq, the investment is part of its broader vision to lead digital transformation in banking. Amith Rajan, head of Wholesale Digital Banking and CEO of NeoVentures at Mashreq, stated, “Mashreq has always been at the forefront of digital transformation, and we are committed to introducing innovative technologies that enhance both the customer and employee experience.

“Our investment in disruptive fintechs like NewBridge through NeoVentures underscores our commitment to harnessing collaboration within the ecosystem to transform a traditionally manual marketplace into a digital and AI-driven one.”