Specialist lender Afin Bank has opened its new headquarters in Central London ahead of its planned product launch later this year.
The office is located at 10 Chiswell Street, near Moorgate and Liverpool Street stations. It will be where the bank carries out its corporate functions including finance and compliance, as well as its IT teams to develop Afin Bank’s systems and mobile app.
The office opening comes after the bank set up its Centre of Excellence in Birmingham last month, which is where its customer service, credit and lending support teams will be based.
Afin Bank was set up to support under-served customers in the UK who find it difficult to access lending because of their circumstances. It will focus on offering residential and buy-to-let (BTL) mortgages to African nationals in the UK, as well as other non-standard borrowers like the self-employed and high-net-worth (HNW) borrowers.
It will also offer savings and accounts.
Afin Bank received its banking licence Authorisation with Restrictions (AwR) in October.
How to support young landlords
Sponsored by BM Solutions
Jason Oakley, chief executive of Afin Bank, said: “Our new headquarters in the heart of London represents a significant milestone for Afin Bank as we prepare to launch later this year. This state-of-the-art space has been designed to foster collaboration and creativity among our teams, ensuring that we develop lending solutions that meet the needs of our target customers.
“From African nationals to self-employed workers and others under-served by mainstream banks, our mission is to overcome the barriers they face and make getting a mortgage more straightforward. We are equally committed to cultivating a diverse and inclusive culture that reflects our customer base and supports an understanding of their needs.
“Our London headquarters embodies this vision, providing an environment where our teams can thrive and develop solutions that resonate with the challenges faced by our customers.”
Afin Bank is backed by African reinsurer WAICA Re, which has committed more than £60m to establish the bank.
Its product launch is subject to regulatory approval.
