Faircent – Company Profile

Launched in 2013 and headquartered in Gurgaon, Faircent is a peer-to-peer lending platform (p2p lending) that directly connects borrowers to lenders. The Faircent platform is an innovation in financial technologies and it challenges the supremacy of banks in the domain of loans. The idea is to reduce costs associated with getting a loan and let borrowers and lenders interact directly to decide a mutually agreeable interest rate. Banks usually have various charges for loans and their interest rate is also high. Faircent works to reduce these pains faced by borrowers. For lenders, Faircent provides a lucrative and safe investment avenue that can give good returns.

History:

According to Faircent founder and CEO Rajat Gandhi, the idea for Faircent was derived from a personal experience. Rajatknew a colleague who used to borrow funds from his friends every time he needed money. He did not approach banks; rather, he would post his requirement on Facebook and ask his friends and family to contribute. This unique way of borrowing that completely bypasses banks inspired Rajat to launch Faircent. The idea came to him 2011, but it was launched in 2013 since earlier the digital payment system was at a nascent stage in the country. The idea was given the shape of a dedicated p2p lending platform and launched in 2013. The company faced numerous challenges initially, but it persevered and overcame them. It is now a leading p2p lending platform in India with loan disbursals running into several crores.Faircent’s turnover may be miniscule in comparison to banks, but the p2p lending space has immense potential. With rising awareness and acceptance of such alternative borrowing platforms, Faircent is expected to register significant growth in the coming years.

Funding:

Faircent has received investments worth around $10 million through seven rounds of funding. Top investors include JM Financial, Aarin Capital, 3one4 Capital, M & S Partners, Brand Capital, Incofin, Das Capital, Muthoot Fincorp, Starharbor Asia, and Elevate Innovation Partners.

Acquisitions:

Faircent has not made any acquisitions till date, but is open to any bankable opportunities that may emerge in the future.

Competition:

Faircent competes with other players in the p2p lending space such as NeoGrowth, CapitalFloat, i-Lend, Lendingkart, Lendbox, KountMoney, IndiaLends, etc.

About the Founders:

Faircent was founded by Rajat Gandhi and Vinay Mathews. Rajat Gandhi currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Faircent. He has a Master’s degree in Business Administration and more than 20 years of experience in the digital space. Prior to launching Faircent, he had worked with Performics, Zed Digital and Times Group.

Vinay Mathews is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Faircent and he has more than 20 years of experience in the digital space. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and prior to launching Faircent, he had worked with Sify, Bennett, Coleman, and Co.,Times Jobs, Rediff, and Indian Express.