Lending Club

Lending Club is a US peer-to-peer lending company, headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was the first peer-to-peer lender to register its offerings as securities with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and to offer loan trading on a secondary market. Lending Club operates an online lending platform that enables borrowers to obtain a loan, and investors to purchase notes backed by payments made on loans. Lending Club is the world's largest peer-to-peer lending platform. As of June 30, 2015, the platform has originated $11.1 billion in loans. In August 2014, the firm filed with US regulators for its IPO. On December 10, 2014, the company raised almost $900 million in the largest U.S. tech IPO of 2014. The stock soared 56% next day on its first day of trading, to $23.42 a share, valuing the company at $8.5bn.

History

Early history

Lending Club was initially launched on Facebook as one of Facebook's first applications. After receiving $10.26 million in a Series A funding round in August 2007, from venture capital investors Norwest Venture Partners and Canaan Partners, Lending Club was developed into a full-scale peer-to-peer lending company.

IDEC 3

IDEC 3 (formerly Groupama 3, Banque Populaire VII, Lending Club 2) is a racing sailing trimaran designed for transoceanic record-setting. She is one of the World's fastest ocean-going sailing vessels and a previous holder of the Jules Verne Trophy. She was originally skippered by French yachtsman Franck Cammas, with a crew of ten and sponsored by the French insurance company Groupama.

Design

Groupama 3 was designed by VPLP and built by Multiplast in Vannes, France.

Career

Groupama 3 was launched on June 7, 2006. She was the transatlantic record holder between 2007 and 2009.

During a first attempt for the Jules Verne Trophy (circumnavigation of the world) in 2008, Groupama 3 capsized off the coast of New-Zealand.

She was repaired in France and went for another attempt in 2009. Damage to the port hull led to the attempt being called off after 11 days, and the boat limped into Cape Town for repairs. She then returned to France, and set off again on January 31, 2010.

On March 20, 2010, Groupama 3 became the fastest boat to sail around the world and set a record of 48 days, 7 hours 44 minutes and 52 seconds improving on Orange II's performance in 2005 by more than 2 days. She lost the record on January 7, 2012, to Banque Populaire V, a larger trimaran.