Carilend

What Carilend does

Carilend is a Barbados-headquartered financial technology company that operates an online peer-to-peer (P2P) lending marketplace connecting individual borrowers with individual lenders across the Caribbean. Founded in 2015 by Mark Young (former Barclays/CIBC FirstCaribbean banker) and Mark Linehan (former Digicel executive), the company launched the first P2P lending platform in the Caribbean in Barbados in 2017. Its core product is a fully online marketplace that automates borrower onboarding, individual credit scoring, risk grading (A/B/C tiers), loan matching, and repayment collection; the platform itself is licensed from a leading UK P2P lender and incorporates UK/EU regulatory best practices. A multilayered risk management system combines identity verification, per-borrower credit scoring, mandated diversification (minimum 100 loans per lender portfolio), and a Reserve Fund audited annually by Grant Thornton.

Carilend serves two customer segments directly: individual borrowers seeking unsecured personal loans (typically employed salaried individuals) and individual lenders seeking investment returns superior to traditional savings products. In Barbados, loans range from B$2,500 to B$50,000 over one-to-five-year terms. The company has expanded into Jamaica (via a partnership with Victoria Mutual Group, launched 2020 as VM eLoans) and Trinidad and Tobago (via a partnership with Massy Finance GFC, launched 2022 as InstaLoan), where it operates a white-label model: Carilend provides the fintech platform and credit technology while the licensed partner provides regulatory licensing, local brand presence, and customer distribution. VM Group holds a 30% strategic equity stake acquired in 2019, with two VM executives on the Carilend board.

The business model is primarily transaction-based: Carilend earns a flat borrower arrangement fee (B$550 in Barbados, J$25,000 in Jamaica, TT$1,350 in Trinidad), a 30% share of monthly borrower interest payments as a loan servicing fee in Barbados, Reserve Fund contributions (1-5.25% of loan amount depending on risk grade), plus late payment and early redemption fees. Lender returns range from 8.05% to 9.45% nominal annually depending on term. As of December 31, 2025, cumulative loans approved in Barbados reached B$295 million, with B$105.8 million invested by lenders and a B$10.4 million Reserve Fund covering projected defaults at 153%.

Name

Carilend

Legal name

Carilend Caribbean Holdings Limited

Website

https://carilend.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Carilend is a Caribbean fintech operating an online peer-to-peer lending marketplace that connects individual borrowers with individual lenders in Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago, using licensed UK technology and licensed local partner institutions for distribution and regulatory compliance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Peer-to-Peer Lending Platform

NAICS

Nondepository Credit Intermediation (5222), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231)

SIC

Personal Credit Institutions (6141), Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer P2P Personal Loans (Unsecured) (FSAKAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marketplace & Loan Aggregation Platforms (Borrower-Lender Matching) (FSAGAHAL), Alternative Data & Credit Scoring (Cashflow, Telco, Utility, Open Banking) (FSAGAHAC)

Keywords

• Peer-to-peer lending
• Consumer lending platform
• Online lending marketplace
• Personal loans
• Fintech lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Welches

HQ country

Barbados

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Borrower Loan Arrangement Fee: Flat fee charged to borrowers upon loan origination, spread over the life of the loan and included in monthly installments. Fee covers loan arrangement and ongoing management. Currently B$550 in Barbados, J$25,000 (incl. GCT) in Jamaica, and TT$1,350 in Trinidad and Tobago.
2. Loan Servicing Share of Interest: Carilend deducts a percentage of each interest payment made by borrowers as a loan servicing fee. Currently set at 30% of each interest payment in Barbados. This creates alignment between Carilend's revenue and lender returns.
3. Reserve Fund Contributions: Contributions from borrowers to the Reserve Fund, calculated as a percentage of loan amount varying by credit score/risk grade (typically 1% to 5.25%). Fund protects lenders against defaults.
4. Late Payment / Failed Direct Debit Fees: Fees charged when borrowers miss or make late loan payments or when direct debit requests are declined by the bank. Currently B$50 in Barbados, J$2,500 (incl. GCT) in Jamaica.
5. Early Redemption Fee for Lenders: Small fee charged to lenders who want to exit their loans early before full repayment. Typically 1% of the amount of loans being redeemed early, covering the cost of matching loans to other lenders.
6. Secondary Market Transaction Fee: Fee for lenders selling loans on the secondary market to other lenders before full loan repayment, to cover administrative matching costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Carilend operates a fully online peer-to-peer lending marketplace that directly connects individual borrowers seeking unsecured personal loans with individual lenders seeking investment returns, eliminating traditional banks as intermediaries. The platform handles loan origination, credit assessment, automated matching, repayment collection, and distribution to lenders, operating across Barbados (B$2,500-B$50,000 loans), Jamaica (J$150,000-J$3,000,000 via VM eLoans) and Trinidad and Tobago (TT$5,000-TT$150,000 via InstaLoan), with the same Carilend fintech engine powering white-label offerings distributed through licensed partner financial institutions.

Product overview

Carilend is a Caribbean fintech company operating a peer-to-peer lending marketplace platform across Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. The core product connects Borrowers directly with Lenders through an online platform, with regional sub-brands including VM eLoans in Jamaica and InstaLoan in Trinidad and Tobago. All products are fully online with no physical branches, featuring quick approval processes, personalized interest rates based on credit scoring, and flexible repayment options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VM eLoans: Peer to Peer lending product powered by Carilend, offered in partnership with Victoria Mutual Group in Jamaica. Personal loans from J$150,000 to J$3,000,000 with monthly repayment via salary deduction or VMBS account.
• InstaLoan

Products and services

• Peer-to-Peer Lending Platform (Carilend) Online peer-to-peer lending marketplace operating in Barbados that directly connects individual borrowers seeking unsecured personal loans (B$2,500 to B$50,000 over 1-5 year terms) with individual lenders seeking investment returns (8-9% nominal annual interest). Handles loan origination, credit scoring with risk grading A/B/C, automated matching, Reserve Fund management, and repayment collection through a fully online self-serve process with no physical branches.
• VM eLoans (powered by Carilend) White-label personal loan product for Jamaica distributed through Victoria Mutual Group, powered by the Carilend fintech platform. Loans range from J$150,000 to J$3,000,000 with one fixed monthly payment, repayment via salary deduction or directly from a VMBS account, J$25,000 inclusive of GCT arranging fee, and no early repayment penalty.
• InstaLoan White-label personal unsecured loan product for Trinidad and Tobago distributed through Massy Finance GFC, powered by the Carilend fintech platform. Loans from TT$5,000 to TT$150,000, 100% online application, approval typically within one business day, interest rates between 13% and 20% per annum depending on individual loan terms, with no upfront fees to apply.

Quantifiable outcome

• Total loans approved: $295,060,699 (Barbados as of Dec 31, 2025)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Victoria Mutual Group (VM Group)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2019In September 2019, VM Group acquired a 30% stake in Carilend Caribbean Holdings Limited. VM Group distributes VM eLoans powered by Carilend to Jamaican customers. Two VM executives sit on the Carilend Board of Directors. Partnership enables Carilend to serve the Jamaican market with regulatory backing from a licensed financial institution.
• Massy Finance GFC LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMassy Finance GFC is a licensed non-bank financial institution regulated by the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago and Trinidad and Tobago Securities & Exchange Commission. They distribute InstaLoan personal loans powered by Carilend via the Carilend.com platform. Massy Finance provides regulatory licensing and local brand trust; Carilend provides the technology platform, credit scoring, and loan processing. Partnership launched the InstaLoan product in Trinidad and Tobago.
• UK P2P Lending Technology ProvidercoreTechnology or IntegrationCarilend licensed its P2P lending platform technology from a leading UK firm that operates P2P lending businesses in the UK and Europe. The platform incorporates protections and processes required by UK and European regulators and follows best practice guidelines of the UK Peer to Peer Finance Association. This technology underpins all of Carilend's operations across the Caribbean.
• Victoria Mutual Building Society (VMBS)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVMBS is the parent of Victoria Mutual Investments Limited. For Jamaican borrowers, loan repayments for VM eLoans powered by Carilend can be made via salary deduction or directly from a VMBS account if the borrower's salary is lodged there.
• RBC Royal Bank (Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago)supportingOthersRBC Royal Bank maintains the segregated Clients' Account for Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago operations, holding client funds in accordance with Carilend's terms and conditions.
• Victoria Mutual Building Society / NCB Jamaica Limited (Jamaica)supportingOthersVictoria Mutual Building Society and NCB Jamaica Limited maintain the segregated Clients' Account for Jamaican operations, holding client funds in accordance with Carilend's terms.
• Williams Offices (Caribbean) Limited (Regus)supportingOthersWilliams Offices (Caribbean) Limited is the largest Regus franchise partner in the Caribbean. Mark Linehan, a Carilend co-founder, is also Managing Director of Williams Offices. The Barbados team operates from Regus office spaces provided by Williams Offices.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Prosper Marketplace: US peer-to-peer lending platform for consumer loans, matching individual borrowers with individual lenders. Direct peer in unsecured consumer P2P lending and marketplace model.
• Zopa: One of the original UK P2P lending platforms, now operating as a digital bank. Directly comparable to Carilend as a consumer P2P lending marketplace, and a leading candidate as the source of Carilend's licensed UK technology.
• Funding Circle: UK-based peer-to-peer lending platform connecting SMEs with individual and institutional investors. Direct peer to Carilend in the P2P lending marketplace model, although focused on business rather than consumer loans and at materially larger scale.
• LendingClub: US-based online lending marketplace that connects borrowers with individual and institutional investors, originally peer-to-peer. Direct comparable in marketplace lending model and fee-based revenue structure.

Regional players

• JMMB Group: Caribbean financial services group operating across Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, and the Dominican Republic, offering consumer loans, investments, and wealth management. Comparable as a regional player serving overlapping Caribbean customer segments with consumer credit products.
• Sagicor Financial Company: Caribbean-headquartered financial services group offering insurance, banking, and consumer lending across the Caribbean. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same regional lending market Carilend serves.

Broad incumbents

• SoFi: US digital personal finance company that originated as a P2P student lender and has expanded into a full-service online bank. Broad incumbent that overlaps with Carilend in unsecured personal lending and digital origination.

Emerging players

• Upstart: US-based AI-driven consumer lending marketplace using alternative data for credit decisions. Comparable to Carilend in personal loan marketplace and alternative credit scoring approaches, though at much larger scale.
• Kiva: Global P2P lending marketplace connecting individual lenders with borrowers, including in underserved markets. Comparable in marketplace structure and mission of financial inclusion, though operates as a non-profit with 0% interest to borrowers.

Others

• Massy Finance GFC: Trinidad & Tobago licensed non-bank financial institution that distributes Carilend's InstaLoan product. Strategic channel partner rather than a direct competitor, but operates in the same consumer lending category in the Caribbean.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/carilendbarbados
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carilend-ltd
• Xx.com/carilend

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carilend