MBA students create first map of the UK's business finance market

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MBA students

Students from Imperial College Business School have launched the first in-depth market review to monitor services of finance lenders across the UK.

The students were commissioned to review the lender landscape by Rangewell, a company that helps businesses and their advisors find, compare and apply for business finance through a free online platform. The collaboration with the Business School has resulted in a wide-ranging business finance platform that analyses the services of over 200 business finance lenders – from boutique banks and specialist finance providers to alternative lenders such as crowdfunding platforms and high-street banks.

The platform includes an algorithm designed to enable Rangewell’s clients to more easily compare and apply for financial support in a simpler, more transparent process. The review will also provide Rangewell with a more in-depth view of the UK’s business lending market, allowing the company to  strengthen its relationships with existing clients and reach out to new ones. The map covers a wide range of services including property finance, student housing, warehouses and developments across the UK.

David Lask Pedroza, MBA student said: “Our project with Rangewell is the first time the increasingly fragmented and opaque business finance landscape has been mapped through a fully independent and data driven approach in the UK. We are proud that the work we have carried out has revolutionised and simplified the way that businesses and their advisors can compare and apply for business finance products and is now used by professional advisors and their clients across the UK.”

The team of MBA students who also included Phillip Jarman, Viv Diwakar and Mo Alnaeem, worked with Rangewell to create the map over a six month period as part of their Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Design project. During this time the students interviewed, surveyed and met with over 200 business lenders among Rangewell’s clients to determine what varieties of lending they offer and distilling the information into sectors and sub-sectors, researching the individual requirements and terms of each loan product.

Chris Greener, Co-Founder of Rangewell said: “As an Imperial alumnus (Maths 98) I had high expectations from the student team, which they exceeded. Their innovative ideas and proactive approach helped us move two steps ahead of the competition. We recommend the Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Design project partnership to other businesses and look forward to working with the 2016 MBA class.”

The collaboration between Imperial and Rangewell was celebrated at a recent event at the Business School, where the students presented their project to an audience of business finance experts including 50 new clients who have signed up to the Rangewell platform.

Professor G. “Anand” Anandalingam, Dean of Imperial College Business School said: “I’d like to congratulate the students for successfully delivering this challenging brief for Rangewell which demonstrates their ability to tackle real business issues through the innovative use of technology – an approach that we encourage on the MBA programme.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reporter

Laura Singleton

Laura Singleton
Communications Division

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