BridgeFund
BridgeFund is a Dutch peer-to-peer lending platform connecting SMB entrepreneurs with individual investors for business loans up to €250,000. Founded in 2018, it has facilitated over €700M to 16,500 Dutch entrepreneurs using data-driven credit assessment, and achieved profitability in H1 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What BridgeFund does
BridgeFund B.V. is a Dutch peer-to-peer financing platform founded in 2018 by Julian van de Steeg and Rutger Quispel in Amsterdam. The company operates a two-sided marketplace that directly connects Dutch SMB entrepreneurs seeking capital with individual investors seeking fixed returns, structurally bypassing traditional banks. As of mid-2025, BridgeFund has facilitated over €700 million in financing to approximately 16,500 entrepreneurs and onboarded 1,500+ investors with 10,000+ active loans outstanding.
The platform offers two core borrower products: 'Zakelijke lening' (a fixed business loan) and 'Zakelijk krediet' (a flexible revolving business credit facility), both providing up to €250,000. The underwriting engine is data-driven, analyzing applicants' actual bank transactions, cashflow, revenue figures, and liquidity position rather than requiring business plans; applications take 5 minutes online, decisions are rendered within hours, and approved funds are typically transferred within 24 hours. The investor-side product 'Beleggen' offers fixed annual returns ranging from 4.0% (flexible) to 5.75% (5-year term), with automatic diversification across the loan portfolio and 110% coverage value for investor protection, underpinned by a dual Stichting trust structure (Stichting Capital BridgeFund and Stichting BridgeFund) that holds security interests on outstanding loans.
BridgeFund earns transaction fees on loan origination and management fees on investor portfolios. The company operates exclusively in the Netherlands via a fully digital self-serve platform (my.bridgefund.nl), supported by STER television advertising, content marketing through a knowledge bank, Trustpilot reviews, and an advisor referral channel. After years of investment in technology, team, and brand—including a 2022 rebrand, Deloitte Fast50 #22 recognition in 2025, and Erkend MKB Financier certification in 2024—BridgeFund achieved profitability in H1 2025, a significant inflection point. Leadership includes a strong operational bench with CFO Susan Wan (formerly of Dynamic Credit and LeasePlan), COO Rico van der Vies (appointed December 2024), and advisors René Frijters and Quintin Schevernels.
BridgeFund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BridgeFund
- Legal name
- BridgeFund B.V.
- Website
- https://bridgefund.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- BridgeFund is a Dutch peer-to-peer lending platform connecting SMB entrepreneurs with individual investors for business loans up to €250,000. Founded in 2018, it has facilitated over €700M to 16,500 Dutch entrepreneurs using data-driven credit assessment, and achieved profitability in H1 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BridgeFund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Alternative / Peer-to-Peer SME Lending
- NAICS
- Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)
- SIC
- Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153), Loan Brokers (6163)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bridge Loans & Emergency Short-Term Credit (FSAKAMAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Impact Investment & Development Investment Funds (BPADACAO), Independent Venture Debt Funds / Platforms (FSANAIAB)
Keywords
Where BridgeFund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
BridgeFund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Loan transaction fees: BridgeFund connects entrepreneurs who need financing with investors who have capital. The platform facilitates loans up to €250,000 with maximum 36-month terms. Revenue generated from transaction fees on loans originated through the platform.
- Investor management fees: Investors invest starting from €100,000 in a diversified portfolio of loans to SMBs, receiving quarterly interest payments. BridgeFund earns fees for managing the lending portfolio and investor relations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Variable/flexible investment with 4% annual return, daily cancellation |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 6-month fixed term investment |
| Subscription | Annual | 1-year fixed term investment |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 2-year fixed term investment |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 3-year fixed term investment |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 5-year fixed term investment |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
BridgeFund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BridgeFund runs a Dutch peer-to-peer lending marketplace that provides small and medium-sized entrepreneurs with fast, bank-free business financing up to €250,000 (a one-off loan or flexible revolving credit), underwritten through automated analysis of their actual bank transactions and cashflow rather than a traditional business plan. On the other side, individual investors deploy capital starting from €100,000 into a diversified portfolio of these SME loans for fixed annual returns up to 5.75%, with quarterly payouts, 110% coverage value, and automatic risk diversification.
Product overview
BridgeFund is a peer-to-peer financing platform that operates as a marketplace connecting entrepreneurs who need capital with investors seeking returns. The platform offers two core financing products: Zakelijke lening (business loans) and Zakelijk krediet (business credit), both providing up to €250,000 without bank involvement. The Beleggen (investment) product enables investors to fund these loans and earn fixed interest rates up to 5.75% annually, with their capital automatically diversified across the company's loan portfolio. The three products work together as an integrated marketplace where investor capital flows to borrower entrepreneurs through BridgeFund's platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Zakelijke lening (Business Loan) One-off business loan for Dutch SMB entrepreneurs providing financing up to €250,000, applied for online in roughly five minutes, with funds typically transferred within 24 hours of approval and no business plan required.
- Zakelijk krediet (Business Credit) Flexible revolving business credit facility for Dutch SMB entrepreneurs, providing ongoing access to financing up to €250,000; borrowers draw funds as needed and pay interest only on the amount drawn, fully self-serve online.
- Beleggen (Investing Platform) Investment product for individual investors who fund BridgeFund's SME loans, earning fixed annual returns up to 5.75% with quarterly interest payments, automatic diversification across more than 10,000 active SMB loans, and 110% coverage value via the stichting trust structure.
Quantifiable outcome
- 89 minutes from application to funds transfer (record)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use BridgeFund
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
BridgeFund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
BridgeFund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Stichting MKB FinancieringcoreFoundation that introduced code of conduct for short-term business credit providers. BridgeFund was among first financiers to receive the Erkend MKB Financier certification, committing to transparency, no hidden costs, and high quality standards.
- René FrijtersminorExperienced entrepreneur who founded Alex Beleggingsbank (Netherlands' first FinTech 20 years ago). Provides valuable advice and guidance to BridgeFund's development.
- Quintin SchevernelsminorFormer CEO of Funda with experience helping startups grow. Contributes expertise and strategic advice to BridgeFund's growth initiatives.
- Kifid (Klachteninstituut Financiële Dienstverlening)coreDutch Financial Services Complaints Institute. BridgeFund is affiliated with Kifid, providing customers with access to independent dispute resolution.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
BridgeFund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CapitalBox: CapitalBox is a European online lender providing short-term business loans and credit lines to SMBs, primarily in the Netherlands and other Western European markets. Direct competitor in Dutch SMB working capital lending with similar loan sizes and digital UX.
- October (formerly Lendix): October is a European SMB lending platform originating business loans in France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. Direct competitor operating in the same European SMB credit space with a similar marketplace funding structure and digital onboarding experience.
- Creditshelf: Creditshelf is a German digital SME lending platform operating a marketplace for senior debt to mid-market SMBs. Comparable in running an online SMB debt intermediation marketplace with institutional and retail investor funding.
- Linked Finance: Linked Finance is Ireland's largest SMB online lending marketplace, connecting SMEs with individual and institutional lenders. Closely mirrors BridgeFund's SMB-focused marketplace model, community-led GTM and short-term working capital use cases.
- Funding Circle: Funding Circle is a UK-founded SMB lending marketplace connecting institutional and retail capital with small business borrowers across the UK, US and Europe. Direct competitor in online SMB credit intermediation with similar data-driven underwriting and marketplace economics.
- Lendio: Lendio is a US SMB lending marketplace aggregating multiple capital providers for small business borrowers. Highly comparable in being a horizontal SMB lending platform with online application, fast decisioning and broad SMB segment coverage.
- Younited Credit: Younited Credit is a French-regulated European consumer and SMB credit platform offering instant online credit decisions. Comparable in operating an asset-light, technology-led credit intermediation model across multiple European markets with bank-grade compliance infrastructure.
- Qred: Qred is a Nordic SMB lending platform offering short-term business loans and lines of credit to small businesses via an online, data-driven underwriting process. Closest peer to BridgeFund: nearly identical product set, target segment (SMB owners), and P2P-style capital model operating in a single regional market.
Emerging players
- defacto (LCL): Defacto is a French fintech providing embedded SMB credit APIs and short-term working capital to SMBs and platforms. Adjacent peer: shares the data-driven, online SMB credit thesis but distributes through embedded channels rather than direct borrower acquisition.
- Flatz GmbH: Flatz is a German SMB financing platform offering short-term working capital loans to small businesses online. Comparable in single-country, SMB-focused online lending with fast application processes, though operating at a smaller scale than BridgeFund.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BridgeFund social profiles
Digital presenceBridgeFund compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
BridgeFund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BridgeFund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
BridgeFund subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
BridgeFund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BridgeFund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BridgeFund
What does BridgeFund do?
BridgeFund runs a Dutch peer-to-peer lending marketplace that provides small and medium-sized entrepreneurs with fast, bank-free business financing up to €250,000 (a one-off loan or flexible revolving credit), underwritten through automated analysis of their actual bank transactions and cashflow rather than a traditional business plan. On the other side, individual investors deploy capital starting from €100,000 into a diversified portfolio of these SME loans for fixed annual returns up to 5.75%, with quarterly payouts, 110% coverage value, and automatic risk diversification.
Is BridgeFund a public or private company?
BridgeFund is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was BridgeFund founded?
BridgeFund was founded in 2018. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is BridgeFund based?
BridgeFund is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does BridgeFund make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Loan transaction fees are the primary driver. The others are investor management fees.
Who are BridgeFund's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CapitalBox, October (formerly Lendix), Creditshelf, Linked Finance, Funding Circle, Lendio, Younited Credit and Qred. Emerging players are defacto (LCL) and Flatz GmbH.
Does BridgeFund have an API?
No public API is recorded for BridgeFund.
What industry is BridgeFund in?
BridgeFund's product category is Alternative / Peer-to-Peer SME Lending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAMAJ, Bridge Loans & Emergency Short-Term Credit, with a secondary code of BPADACAO, Impact Investment & Development Investment Funds. Its NAICS code is 522 and its SIC code is 6153.