Mortgage fintech business, Knowledge Bank, the UK’s leading criteria search system has today taken a significant investment to help propel its next stage of growth. Angel Investor and entrepreneur Ying Tan was the founder and former CEO of leading mortgage broker Dynamo.  He has today acquired a significant stake in Knowledge Bank and will join its board, becoming non-executive chairman.

Knowledge Bank was set up by Nicola Firth and launched in September 2017. At the point of launch it was the first ever criteria search system and revolutionised the way that mortgage brokers researched mortgages. Previously brokers had relied on spreadsheets, lender websites and help desks to find the right mortgage for their clients which could take hours if not days.  Knowledge Bank digitised this, pulling together real time criteria from lenders across residential mortgages, buy-to-let, equity release, second charges, bridging, commercial loans and self-build. It now holds over 125,000 pieces of criteria from over 250 lenders making it the most comprehensive criteria search system available and presenting results in seconds. It has transformed the way that mortgages are searched for.

Investor, Ying Tan, is a seasoned entrepreneur. He has an impressive track record of starting, scaling and exiting transformative companies with a technology edge in the mortgage sector. Ying will be responsible for leading the Knowledge Bank board, formulating strategy and helping to develop its vision.  He will also drive a charge for additional funding in order to continue to scale this exciting disruptor and accelerate Knowledge Bank’s growth.

Ying will be joined by his trusted colleague, Penny Desborough, who has been a formidable force and pillar of support in Ying’s companies over the last 15 years. Penny will also take a role on the board as a non-executive director.

Ying Tan says: “Since the successful exit from Dynamo in May, I have been inundated with angel investment opportunities and non-exec roles across many different verticals and industries.  With my mortgage and fintech background I have naturally been drawn to firms in this sector.  I have always thought very highly of Knowledge Bank, Nicola Firth and her team.  They have been – and continue to be - a true disrupter of the mortgage industry. Nicola’s team has innovated a system transforming the way that mortgage brokers search for criteria and lenders themselves both display and use this information. 

“Knowledge Bank has really made its name in the mortgage industry, winning multiple awards for technology and innovation. Knowledge Bank is aligned with how I see the future of the mortgage industry and how technology can be used to further evolve the way both lenders and intermediaries operate. It has exciting plans to change the data that lenders and intermediaries have access to, further changing the way decisions are made through cutting-edge technology.  With this investment, it will expand its suite of products and services and to digitise and further transform the way the mortgage industry works."

Nicola Firth, CEO of Knowledge Bank, says: "It has been an exciting few years for Knowledge Bank as we have lead the charge in digitising criteria research solutions. Innovation has been in our DNA from the very beginning and the time is right for us to scale up and bring our plans for the bigger picture into play and Ying is the perfect partner for us to move forwards with. Ying is an incredibly well-respected figure in the mortgage industry and adept at using technology to create new solutions. I’ve watched with admiration what he has built up and the remarkable and authentic way in which he has done this.

“We are delighted to have Ying and Penny join our board as we enter another exciting period of growth. We look forward to continuing to positively disrupt the market with the same passion and pioneering thought leadership that has revolutionised lending criteria research for both brokers and lenders so far."