Helia
Helia Group Limited (ASX: HLI) is Australia's leading Lenders Mortgage Insurance provider, founded in 1965. It serves authorized banks, credit unions, non-bank lenders, and mortgage brokers via its eLMI digital platform, enabling borrowers to purchase property with deposits as low as 5%.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1965
- HeadquartersNorth Sydney, Australia
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Helia does
Helia Group Limited (ASX: HLI) is Australia's leading Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) provider, operating since 1965 and headquartered in North Sydney. The company offers LMI products that protect authorized Australian lenders against borrower default on high loan-to-value-ratio (LVR) mortgages, enabling borrowers to purchase property with deposits as low as 5% rather than the traditional 20%. Helia serves a B2B customer base of authorized banks, credit unions, non-bank lenders, and mortgage brokers, and facilitated over 36,000 home purchases in 2025.
Helia's core technology stack is the eLMI Portal, a web-based platform that enables lenders and brokers to submit LMI proposals, receive automated near real-time decisions, calculate premiums, and manage policies. The platform exposes APIs for direct integration into lender origination systems and is supported by a suite of digital tools including the Home Deposit Estimator, LMI Fee Estimator, and Servicing Estimator. The product portfolio extends beyond insurance into broker education (LMI Essentials course) and proprietary market research (Spotlight Pulse Survey, Home Buyer Sentiment Report).
Helia generates revenue primarily through one-time LMI premiums, typically 1-2% of the insured loan amount, with flexible payment options including upfront at settlement, added to the loan, or monthly installments. Distribution is multi-channel: direct enterprise sales to lenders, self-serve broker access via the eLMI portal, and indirect distribution through mortgage broker networks. Helia holds an exclusive LMI partnership with Great Southern Bank and has recently expanded marketing focus toward the rentvestor and investor segments. The company employs 251-500 people, is publicly listed on the ASX, and holds an exclusive 12-year run as a WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality, alongside multiple 2024-2025 industry marketing and innovation awards.
Helia firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Helia
- Legal name
- Helia Group Limited
- Website
- https://helia.com.au
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1965
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Helia Group Limited (ASX: HLI) is Australia's leading Lenders Mortgage Insurance provider, founded in 1965. It serves authorized banks, credit unions, non-bank lenders, and mortgage brokers via its eLMI digital platform, enabling borrowers to purchase property with deposits as low as 5%.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Helia industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mortgage Insurance
- NAICS
- Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Carriers (524126), Insurance Carriers and Related Activities (524)
- SIC
- Surety Insurance (6351)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) — Borrower-Paid (BPMI) (FSALAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Mortgage Default Insurance & Loss Mitigation Services (Claims, Recoveries, MI Servicing) (FSALAJAH)
Keywords
Where Helia is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- North Sydney
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Helia business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- LMI Premium Revenue: Primary revenue stream from Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) premiums. Premiums are collected either upfront at loan settlement or added to the loan amount. LMI is a mandatory insurance product required by lenders when borrowers have a deposit of less than 20%, protecting the lender against default. Helia acts as an approved LMI provider for authorized lenders.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | LMI fee typically ranges from 1-2% of total loan value |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Helia product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Helia is Australia's first and leading Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) provider, supplying approved mortgage lenders with insurance that protects them against borrower default on high loan-to-value-ratio (LVR) home loans. LMI enables Australian borrowers to purchase property with deposits as low as 5% rather than the traditional 20%, by transferring default risk from the lender to Helia in exchange for an LMI premium. Helia distributes LMI exclusively to authorised lenders and licensed mortgage brokers via its eLMI Portal, API integrations, and a suite of estimator and educational tools.
Product overview
Helia is Australia's leading Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) provider, offering a comprehensive suite of products and digital platforms. The core product is Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which protects lenders and enables borrowers to purchase property with deposits as low as 5%. This core offering is supported by the eLMI Portal - a web-based platform for submitting proposals and managing policies in real-time. The portfolio includes digital tools (Home Deposit Estimator, LMI Fee Estimator, Servicing Estimator), educational resources (LMI Essentials Course, LMI Toolkit), and research publications (Spotlight Pulse Survey, Home Buyer Sentiment Report). The eLMI Portal integrates proposal submission, premium calculators, policy search, hardship submission, and claims functionality into a unified platform for mortgage brokers and lenders.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) Helia's core Lenders Mortgage Insurance product insures approved Australian mortgage lenders against the risk of borrower default on home loans. It enables borrowers to purchase property with deposits as low as 5% rather than the traditional 20%, by transferring default risk from the lender to Helia in exchange for an LMI premium. LMI is sold to authorised lenders and, through them and the broker channel, supports Australian home buyers including first home buyers and investors.
- eLMI Portal A web-based digital portal that enables mortgage lenders and mortgage brokers to submit LMI proposals, receive near real-time automated decisions, search policy data, run online premium calculators, and make hardship and claim submissions. It is the primary operating channel through which Helia's LMI products are distributed to authorised lender partners and licensed brokers.
- Home Deposit Estimator Enhanced interactive estimator that helps mortgage lenders and brokers guide clients through different home deposit pathways, comparing deposit options, property purchase timelines, and long-term equity value to support home ownership goal planning. Award-winning tool used by lenders and brokers in the LMI sales conversation.
- LMI Fee Estimator
- Servicing Estimator Calculator that provides an indication of whether a loan application will meet Helia's servicing criteria, using total annual gross income, number of applicants, dependents, loan amount, loan term, and total monthly commitments.
- LMI Essentials Course An on-demand educational course developed in partnership with Financial Education Professionals, giving mortgage brokers and lending specialists practical, client-ready insights to elevate conversations about Lenders Mortgage Insurance with their clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- Helped over 36,000 people purchase their own home in 2025
Companies that use Helia
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Helia technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
Helia partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Great Southern BankcoreGreat Southern Bank serves as an exclusive provider of Helia's LMI solutions, integrating Helia's Lenders Mortgage Insurance products into their home lending offerings for customers with deposits below 20%.
- Financial Education ProfessionalscorePartnership delivering the LMI Essentials course, providing financial education to aspiring homeowners about Lenders Mortgage Insurance and the home buying process.
- Habitat for Humanity AustraliaminorCommunity partnership supporting affordable housing initiatives in Australia, helping families in need access homeownership opportunities.
- Youth Off The StreetsminorCommunity partnership supporting disadvantaged young Australians through housing and support services.
- St Vincent de Paul Society NSWminorCommunity partnership supporting vulnerable communities in NSW through housing assistance and social services programs.
- Defence BankminorCorporate sponsorship of Defence Community Dog program supporting defence force families and communities.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Helia competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Radian Group: Radian is a US private mortgage insurer offering mortgage insurance and risk services to lenders, directly comparable to Helias LMI product. Same customer base (mortgage lenders), same risk profile (high-LVR loans), and similar revenue model (premium-based).
- Essent Group: Essent Group is a US private mortgage insurance provider that underwrites mortgage insurance for lenders on low-down-payment loans. Direct functional peer to Helia with the same product offering, lender customer base, and premium-based revenue model in a regulated insurance framework.
- QBE Insurance Group: QBE Insurance is one of Helias direct competitors in the Australian Lenders Mortgage Insurance market, offering LMI products to authorized lenders with similar underwriting and premium models. Both compete for lender distribution mandates and broker relationships in the same regulated Australian market.
- Enact Holdings: Enact Holdings is a US private mortgage insurance provider serving lenders with mortgage insurance on low-down-payment loans. Directly comparable to Helia in product type (mortgage default insurance), customer base (lenders), and regulatory framework.
- MGIC Investment Corporation: MGIC is a US-based private mortgage insurer with a closely comparable business model to Helia, underwriting low-down-payment mortgage insurance for lenders. Same product structure (PMI/LMI), same lender-customer base, and similar regulatory and capital requirements make MGIC a direct functional peer.
- NMI Holdings: NMI Holdings is a US private mortgage insurer providing mortgage insurance through subsidiary National Mortgage Insurance. Comparable to Helias LMI product for lenders, with similar underwriting standards, capital requirements, and distribution through lender relationships.
- Genworth Financial: Genworth Financial is Helias historical parent (Helia operated as Genworth Australia before rebranding). It remains a US-focused mortgage insurance provider with the same product category and underwriting approach. Strong functional comparability through shared history and identical product offering.
Broad incumbents
- Arch Capital Group: Arch Capital Group is a broad insurance and reinsurance incumbent that operates a US mortgage insurance business (Arch MI) alongside other specialty insurance lines. Comparable to Helia through its mortgage insurance operations, though Arch operates a wider portfolio of insurance products rather than specializing in LMI.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Helia social profiles
Digital presenceHelia compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Helia financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Helia leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Helia funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Helia 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 Helia
What does Helia do?
Helia is Australia's first and leading Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) provider, supplying approved mortgage lenders with insurance that protects them against borrower default on high loan-to-value-ratio (LVR) home loans. LMI enables Australian borrowers to purchase property with deposits as low as 5% rather than the traditional 20%, by transferring default risk from the lender to Helia in exchange for an LMI premium. Helia distributes LMI exclusively to authorised lenders and licensed mortgage brokers via its eLMI Portal, API integrations, and a suite of estimator and educational tools.
Is Helia a public or private company?
Helia is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Helia founded?
Helia was founded in 1965. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Helia based?
Helia is headquartered in North Sydney, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Helia make money?
One revenue line is on record: LMI Premium Revenue.
Who are Helia's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Radian Group, Essent Group, QBE Insurance Group, Enact Holdings, MGIC Investment Corporation, NMI Holdings and Genworth Financial. Arch Capital Group is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Helia have an API?
Yes. Helia offers API capabilities for digital lending integration. The eLMI Portal provides a data-only channel for LMI proposals with real-time decision capabilities. API support is available at [email protected]. The company has been recognized for award-winning digital API solutions that have seamlessly embedded LMI into modern digital lending processes for customers and industry partners. Developer documentation is at www.helia.com.au/the-hub/elmi-portal.
What industry is Helia in?
Helia's product category is Mortgage Insurance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSALAJAA, Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) — Borrower-Paid (BPMI), with a secondary code of FSALAJAH, Mortgage Default Insurance & Loss Mitigation Services (Claims, Recoveries, MI Servicing). Its NAICS code is 524126 and its SIC code is 6351.