{
  "id": 17216761,
  "title": "Iwoca CEO talks 15 years running a fintech, SME financing, and possible sale",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/iwoca-ceo-talks-15-years-running-a-fintech-sme-financing-and-possible",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-30T10:40:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tech.eu",
    "slug": "tech-eu",
    "url": "https://tech.eu/2026/10/30/iwoca-ceo-talks-15-years-running-a-fintech-sme-financing-and-possible-sale/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Christoph Rieche, a long-standing CEO and co-founder of UK small business lender Iwoca, reflects on his 15-year tenure steering the company. Rieche met Neil Rimer, co-founder of Index Ventures, during a 2010 meeting in Geneva. Rimer revealed that his fund had just invested in Iwoca's predecessor, Funding Circle, which kick-started Rieche's venture. Iwoca, which launched in 2012, offers SME loans ranging from £1,000 to £1 million and has grown rapidly, with loan origination doubling to £1.5 billion in 2025. The company has doubled its profits to £113 million in the same period and benefits from partnering with challenger banks like Starling. Despite rumors of a potential sale, Rieche says Iwoca is not seeking liquidity and remains focused on its strategy. The company has recently expanded its product portfolio, offering a credit score product, business credit card, and an M&A platform. Iwoca was placed under an asset freeze due to a Russian sanctions issue but has since resolved the problem.",
  "summary": "“I will never forget it,\" says the long-standing CEO and co-founder of UK small business lender Iwoca, describing his meeting with one of the high priests of the European venture capital world. Christ...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}