This month, we are sitting down with Matt Kimber (pictured), CEO of ColCap UK and Molo Finance.
When did you join ColCap and what attracted you to the role?
I have worked in the specialist mortgage industry for more years than I care to remember – or admit. I had followed Molo’s evolution over the years, interested in how it was looking to disrupt the market with a digital-first proposition – something that, at that stage, had not been seen elsewhere.
I joined in November 2023, attracted by Molo’s vision, and with ColCap’s recent acquisition and backing, felt there was a great opportunity to build on what had already been achieved. ColCap has built an incredibly successful business in Australia, and having met the shareholders, it was clear they had the passion to replicate something similar in the UK. From those early conversations, it was evident we could build something tailored to the UK market – a technologically progressive lender that is not afraid to innovate in specialist segments.
Molo had already built the foundations and established a growing broker following. Combining that with ColCap’s deep funding expertise and long-term appetite felt like a unique opportunity to scale a modern mortgage business in a way that genuinely improves broker and customer outcomes.
Aldermore Insights with Jon Cooper: Edition 10 – The biggest barrier to homeownership isn’t affordability. It’s outdated lending.
Sponsored by Aldermore
In terms of strategy, which Australian successes do you plan to replicate over here?
ColCap’s success in Australia has been driven by three pillars: a disciplined, securitisation-led funding model, strong risk management and exceptional service to customers and brokers.
We want to achieve the same in the UK, particularly our reliability in funding, our ability to create competitively priced products for niche segments, and our focus on consistency. Brokers value lenders who say what they will do and do it well. That has been fundamental for ColCap in Australia, and it is exactly the mindset we are bringing to the UK market through Molo.
Can you tell us which sectors you support?
While our primary focus is to build our loan portfolio organically through specialist buy-to-let (BTL) products, ColCap is an active funder in the UK and supports lenders operating in the non-regulated mortgage space.
Our involvement tends to be behind lenders who share our views on prudent risk, responsible growth, and long-term market participation. For example, the Sharia-compliant sector, in particular, is growing and under-served. It aligns well with our experience structuring alternative funding models and supporting products with a strong values-based customer proposition.
Which other funding opportunities are you moving into?
We are continuing to explore opportunities in specialist BTL, expat and international and portfolio landlord lending – all areas where we see sustainable demand and room for innovation. We are also assessing adjacent asset-backed sectors where our securitisation expertise can add value. However, our priority is to expand responsibly, ensuring our platform is robust, scalable, and able to deliver consistent funding for brokers and their customers.
Our ability to develop and deliver niche products and consider alternative funding opportunities has led to significant growth over the past 12 months, with more than £1bn of assets under management (AUM).
Tell us why brokers should be excited by the opportunities in expat and international lending. Why, in your view, is BTL still a great bet in the UK?
We are focusing on expat and international lending growth areas because the customer base is diverse, globally mobile, and often under-served by mainstream lenders. These borrowers tend to have high-quality income profiles, strong assets, and a long-term commitment to the UK property market, but they frequently face unnecessary friction when applying for finance. With our underwriting expertise and strong funding, this becomes a high-quality, low-volatility segment that brokers can build meaningful business around.
BTL remains a resilient asset class in the UK. Despite periodic regulatory or rate challenges, the fundamentals of structural undersupply of housing, professionalisation of portfolio landlords and continued rental demand remain intact. The key is offering products that recognise the needs of landlords either already in, or entering the market, and we see significant opportunity there.
What’s your USP at Molo?
Molo’s unique selling point is the combination of leveraging ColCap’s vast specialist lending experience with a digital-first lending experience. We bring together:
- Deep funding expertise
- Specialist underwriting capability
- Cross-border mortgage knowledge
- A modern technology platform that enables faster, more transparent broker journeys
This means brokers can rely on us for consistent decisioning, competitive products in specialist niches, and a service model built around clarity and speed. We have the ability through strong funding relationships to be flexible and consider complex situations that others may not be able to accommodate.
How are the securitisation markets looking for funders and investors right now?
Securitisation markets have stabilised compared to the volatility seen in previous cycles. Investors are showing strong appetite for high-quality UK mortgage pools, particularly in specialist BTL and owner-occupied segments, where credit performance has remained robust.
Spreads are gradually tightening, execution windows are more predictable, and demand for well-structured deals remains healthy. For lenders like ColCap, this environment supports consistent funding, competitive pricing, and the confidence to innovate responsibly.
How healthy is the outlook for the UK broker market, given artificial intelligence (AI), the regulatory changes favouring execution-only, and digitisation?
The broker market remains exceptionally strong. While technology and regulation evolve, the need for expert human advice has never been more apparent, particularly in a complex landscape of specialist lending, tax-driven structuring, and fluctuating economic conditions.
AI will potentially enhance what a broker could offer their clients, not replace the need for their expertise. For the vast majority of customers, especially in the specialist and BTL segments, brokers remain indispensable. Lenders like Molo, who collaborate closely with brokers, will continue to see strong growth through supporting them and their clients’ needs.
