Lending Stream LLC, the parent company of UK brands Lending Stream and Drafty, has collected three coveted industry accolades at the prestigious F5 awards. The company sealed its position as one of the largest lenders in the UK with awards for Alternative Consumer Lender of the Year (Lending Stream), Best Brand (Drafty), and Leader of the Year for its CEO, Chris de Boer.

The awards collectively recognise how Lending Stream has led the market in services, leadership and customer satisfaction. In the last two years, Lending Stream has grown to become one of the top alternative lenders by revenue in the UK.

Lending Stream LLC was founded in 2003 with a desire to serve the financial middle through innovative, fair and responsible products developed through advanced financial technology. Today, the business employs over 300 people across three continents.

Lending Stream won Alternative Consumer Lender of the Year in recognition of its business model; volume of credit provided to customers; exceptional customer satisfaction and organisational growth. It introduced the very first consumer credit six-month instalment product and recently introduced a new purpose-built decision-making platform, allowing faster and more robust credit decisions.

Lending Stream has a 5* TrustPilot rating and 98% of customers recommend it on reviews.co.uk. Drafty has the same rating at Trustpilot and 94% of customers recommend it on reviews.co.uk. Its’ Drafty product was also rated ‘Innovation of the Year’ by thousands of consumers at the Consumer Credit Awards 2017.

Drafty, the very first fee-free credit line, was launched following extensive research into customer needs within the ‘just about managing’ segment. With zero fees and less than 90% APR, it is a welcome alternative option to payday loans or unarranged overdrafts. Drafty collected the award for ‘Best Brand’ in recognition of its ‘innovative and memorable’ launch campaign; the genuine loyalty its customers have towards the brand; its financial success and its high customer satisfaction.

Chris deBoer is also changing the perception of the industry as a desired place to work. Over the past year, Lending Stream has strengthened its’ senior team with a string of strategic appointments, from across the mainstream financial-services sector, as it continues to increase its reach into the market.

Chris explains: “The short-term credit industry has changed in recent years in terms of what it offers customers and how it treats them, which is part of why we’re attracting new blood from well-known brands outside of the industry. This year is a fantastic time to be recognized in this way by our customers and peers, and I attribute it to the hard work of the teams on each of our brands. Our aim has always been to meet our customers’ needs and to treat them fairly, so I’m delighted to receive these awards and look forward to helping steer further growth in the industry over the coming years.”