GLI Finance

Originally known as GLI Finance, the company rebranded to Sancus Lending Group Limited in May 2021 following shareholder approval. This name change reflected a strategic pivot to concentrate on the alternative property finance sector, which had emerged as the primary growth driver for the business. The company was first admitted to the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in August 2005. In September 2021, the company announced its intention to delist from AIM, citing limited trading liquidity and the costs associated with maintaining the listing.

Sancus Lending Group operates as a specialized alternative finance provider, focusing on property bridging and development financing. The firm caters to a diverse client base that includes small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), property owners, developers, construction specialists, high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), and family offices. Its geographical focus spans the UK, Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar, and the Isle of Man. The company has demonstrated a capability in handling complex lending proposals, with financing ranging from £500,000 to over £10 million. The business generates revenue through its lending activities, which are supported by a diversified funding model. This model includes the company's own proprietary capital, a co-funding program involving private clients and institutions, and a significant credit facility.

The company’s service portfolio is centered on providing bespoke bridging and development loans. This includes short-term bridging finance to provide urgent liquidity and development loans to fund construction and refurbishment projects. A key feature of its business model is a three-tiered funding structure, which allows it to participate in every loan with its own capital alongside its co-funders, which include private clients, family offices, and institutions like Honeycomb Investment Trust. This approach enables Sancus to manage more complex and substantial financing deals, such as a £4.9m development loan for houses in Cornwall and a £9.1m loan for a housing development in Jersey.

The strategic shift followed a period of transformation, including the acquisition of the remaining stake in Sancus Limited in December 2014, which brought key personnel like Andrew Whelan onto the board. Whelan later became CEO. The group simplified its structure over the years, for instance by renaming its peer-to-peer platform FundingKnight to Sancus Funding, to better align its brands and strengthen its offering to SMEs and entrepreneurs. Keywords: property finance, bridging loans, development finance, alternative lending, secured lending, real estate finance, co-funding, private credit, SME financing, asset-backed lending