BNP Paribas agrees origination tie up with CODE

BNP Paribas Asset Management (BNPP AM) has signed a deal with origination platform CODE Investing to supports its SME lending operation.

The partnership will see BNPP AM loans offered to small businesses using CODE’s unsecured loan platform, with loan sizes of between £500,000 and £5 million.

BNPP AM said the deal will give its clients access to the SME asset class both in the UK and across continental Europe.

CODE Investing provides a portal for SMEs to apply for funding. CODE’s in-house team collects information and performs due diligence on small businesses before presenting it to lenders, which can then propose terms and pricing to prospective borrowers. It offers loans from a range of traditional and alternative lenders.

CODE specialises in providing institutional capital to businesses and using its technology to do much of the work required to identify lending opportunities.

With BNPP AM planning to expand its SME lending into the continental European market, CODE will also be extending its platform to European businesses in line with these plans.

Stephane Blanchoz, head of SME alternative financing at BNP Paribas Asset Management, said: “Given the structural shift in the way that SMEs access financing, we are very pleased to have entered into a partnership with CODE Investing as part of the development of our SME Alternative Financing franchise.

“As BNPP AM expands its SME lending capability in the UK and in Continental Europe, the partnership will be key in originating loans to enable us to provide clients with an attractive investment offering.”