Tembo, a London-based fintech startup on a mission to transform consumer lending through the power of family, has today announced that it has closed an approx. €2.9 million funding round. The news follows Tembo’s official launch just 2 months ago in June 2021.
The new funding round, led by investors including Aviva and Fair by Design, will help to optimise and expand Tembo’s technology, as it continues on its mission to address the ‘poverty premium’ and help millions of prospective homeowners buy their first property sooner.
Speaking about the funding round, Tembo Co-Founder and CEO, Richard Dana, commented: “The average first-time buyer is confronted by a number of significant obstacles on their route to homeownership, and for many these were thought of as insurmountable. We’re on a mission to change this mindset and help turn the tide on the generational wealth gap, by helping families work together to give first-time buyers a fast, affordable way to increase their deposit. This funding will allow us to do that, and we’re incredibly happy that major players in finance and technology like Aviva and Fair by Design are joining us on this journey.”
Founded in 2020, Tembo’s product offering comprises a range of specialist mortgages from leading lenders in the UK. These allow first-time buyers to lean on loved ones and help them climb onto the property ladder, without requiring their families to have a cash lump sum.
Their ‘Deposit Boosts’ work by allowing a willing family member to unlock money from their existing property, using that capital to top up the first-time buyer’s deposit or create one from scratch. ‘Income Boosts’ work by allowing a family member to allocate some of their income to the homebuyer’s mortgage application in order to increase their borrowing potential.
