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Nauris Bloks – CEO – Twino Interview 2025 – 10th Anniversary

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¡Hey Crowdlender!, esta es la entrevista original en inglés… si prefieres leerla en castellano, tienes la traducción en esta página 🙂

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…So far, we’ve funded over €1 billion in loans—and we’ve done it by staying focused. We don’t try to be everything to everyone. We focus on what we know best: offering clear, regulated loan investment opportunities that deliver solid results for investors. …

 

Time flies so fast, doesn’t it? It seems like it was just yesterday when we started our journey with TodoCrowdlending, but in reality, it’s been well over five years of exploration and discovery together… But you know what?…

…There are P2P platforms that are even more veteran than us and have been with us on this journey for quite a bit longer… Precisely around this time, TWINO is celebrating 10 years as a P2P platform (in reality, its history as a company goes back a few years even further)…

…And to celebrate properly, we’ve decided to invite Nauris Bloks, CEO from TWINO to review some of the platform’s successes over this time. And… why not? Some of their plans and developments planned for the future…

Are you ready?

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1 – Welcome to TodoCrowdlending Nauris! First of all, for all our readers who are probably familiar with TWINO but aren’t yet on the platform as investors… Very briefly, what is TWINO? And what is the differential value you bring to us as investors?

NB

Thank you so much for having me—really glad to be here.

TWINO is a European investment platform that gives private and corporate investors access to high-yield consumer credit via asset-backed securities. We’re fully regulated under MiFID II and supervised by the Central Bank of Latvia, which means everything we do follows strict standards around compliance, transparency, and investor protection.

What sets us apart is the mix of simplicity, strong performance, and trust. Our platform is easy to use, euro-denominated, and offers returns of up to 12% annually. So far, we’ve funded over €1 billion in loans—and we’ve done it by staying focused. We don’t try to be everything to everyone. We focus on what we know best: offering clear, regulated loan investment opportunities that deliver solid results for investors.

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2 – Personally, I have very fond memories of TWINO because it has accompanied me practically throughout my entire investment journey, since I started in the world of P2P investments back in 2017, when TWINO was already one of the benchmarks in the sector. Do you have many investors who have accompanied you throughout your journey since your beginnings, or almost since your beginnings? How has the average investor profile changed over all this time, from 2015 until now?

NB

That’s really great to hear—and honestly, it means a lot. Yes, we do have quite a few investors who’ve been with us since the early days. Some joined in 2015 or 2016 and are still actively investing today. That kind of long-term trust is something we’re genuinely proud of, and it’s one of the main reasons we keep pushing to improve.

Over the years, we’ve definitely seen the investor profile evolve. In the early days, most investors were early adopters—tech-savvy, comfortable with higher risk, and very curious about new financial models like P2P lending. It was a smaller, tight-knit community.

Today, the space has matured, and so have the expectations. We’re seeing a broader range of investors—more professionals, more cautious investors, and people who care deeply about regulation, transparency, and platform stability. They’re still looking for attractive returns, of course, but also for peace of mind.

That shift has influenced how we operate, too. We’ve become more structured, more communicative, and more focused on long-term value over short-term hype. And we’re incredibly grateful to those who’ve been part of that journey—right from the start or joining us along the way.

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3 – On the other hand, you’re one of the very few companies that has managed to surpass the staggering figure of 1000 M€ invested in its platform… how incredible! Will TWINO reach 2000 M€? What do you think are the keys to retaining your user base and standing out from the rest of the platforms in the sector?

NB

Crossing the €1 billion mark was definitely a proud moment for us—but it’s not the finish line. Reaching €2 billion is absolutely on the horizon, but we’re not just chasing volume. What matters more is how we grow. For us, it’s about building something sustainable and dependable.

The real keys to retaining our investors are fairly simple: consistent performance, open and honest communication, and a user experience that feels effortless. Investors stick around when they feel informed, respected, and when their portfolios are delivering.

We also focus on making complex investment products easy to understand and access. That clarity, combined with our regulatory framework and strong track record, is what helps us stand out—even in a market that’s becoming more competitive every day.

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4 – Looking back over your history, the first thing that stands out is that—in addition to your 10-year history as a P2P platform—TWINO began operations six years earlier, in 2009. How were TWINO’s early days during that phase, from 2009 to 2015, prior to the platform’s launch?

NB

Yes, that’s right—TWINO’s story actually starts well before the platform launched. We began back in 2009 as a consumer lending business, mainly operating in emerging markets. Those early years were all about building solid foundations: we developed our own credit scoring models, set up origination processes, and really got to know the nuances of lending across different markets.

That hands-on lending experience gave us a deep understanding of credit risk and what it takes to manage it. It’s one of the reasons we felt confident launching the TWINO investment platform in 2015—we weren’t starting from scratch. We had real-world lending know-how already baked in.

And honestly, that DNA is still very much part of who we are today. The difference is that now we deliver it through a regulated investment platform designed for everyday investors.

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5 – On the other hand, looking at your timeline, two distinct development phases seem to emerge. One focused on expansion into other countries, and the other in which there seems to be a tendency toward concentrating on geographies and quality, value-added products… What are the reasons for these two very different approaches?

NB

That’s a very fair observation—and it really captures how TWINO has evolved over time. In the early days, we were very focused on growth and geographic expansion. We entered markets like Georgia, Poland, Russia, Russia, Mexico, Spain, later on Vietnam, and the Philippines, always looking for new opportunities and ways to scale.

But the reality is, we ran into some serious headwinds—geopolitical risks, shifting regulations, and market environments that were simply too unpredictable to build something long-term. So instead of chasing footprint, we made a conscious decision to shift gears and focus on quality, stability, and value.

Today, we’re prioritizing markets where we can operate sustainably and with full regulatory clarity— for example Poland. It’s a strategy rooted in experience: we’ve learned that fewer, stronger markets often make for a more resilient business, especially when you’re serious about protecting investors and building for the long run.

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6 – What do you consider to be TWINO’s greatest success in these 10 years, the one you are most proud of?

NB

Honestly, it’s hard to pick just one thing—but if I had to, I’d say our greatest success is simply staying the course and evolving while staying true to our core values.

We started as an alternative lending business and grew into a fully regulated investment platform, licensed and supervised by the Central Bank of Latvia. That transition wasn’t easy—it required us to rethink how we operate, how we serve investors, and how we build trust in a young and still-maturing industry.

At the same time, we’ve helped over 22,000 investors earn meaningful returns—more than €17 million in interest to date—and financed more than €1 billion in loans. And we did all this while weathering some truly tough moments: the pandemic, geopolitical turmoil, and a rapidly changing regulatory landscape.

So, the thing I’m most proud of? That we kept going. We adapted, we learned, and we built something resilient—and we did it without losing sight of the people we serve.

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7 – How has the P2P investment landscape changed in the last decade? What have been the critical milestones that have defined the evolution of the sector in these years?

NB

The P2P space has changed dramatically over the past 10 years. In the early days, it was all about innovation and accessibility—opening up lending markets to everyday investors in a way that felt fresh and empowering. But as the industry grew, so did the complexity—and the need for stronger regulation, transparency, and investor protection.

One of the biggest milestones was the shift from loosely structured loan assignment models to properly regulated investment platforms. That change brought more credibility to the space, but it also raised the bar for compliance and governance. Another key moment was when platforms—ourselves included—had to face real-world stress tests, like the Covid pandemic and geopolitical events such as the war in Ukraine. These weren’t just operational challenges; they fundamentally reshaped investor expectations and trust.

Today, investors are more informed, more cautious, and rightly expect better risk management and clearer communication. And that’s a good thing. The platforms that continue to grow in this environment are the ones willing to adapt, professionalize, and take regulation seriously. It’s no longer just about yield—it’s about confidence, stability, and long-term value..and yield.

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8 – What challenges does TWINO face from now on? What is its strategy to remain one of the main players in the sector in the context of an increasingly competitive and platform-rich sector?

NB

The truth is, staying relevant in such a competitive and crowded market is a real challenge—and we’re fully aware of that. There are more platforms than ever, investor expectations are higher, and the regulatory landscape continues to evolve. At the same time, we’re still dealing with the aftershocks of a few tough years that affected the entire sector.

For TWINO, the way forward is all about focus. We’re not trying to be the biggest—we’re working to be one of the most trusted. That means improving how we communicate, making sure our platform is rock solid, and offering products that are not only attractive in terms of returns but also backed by real performance and transparency.

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9 – What goals does TWINO have for the next few months/years? What products or features are in the pipeline for interested investors?

NB

Our main goal over the next year is to strengthen the foundations—both in how we operate and how we communicate. We want to rebuild credibility where needed, improve transparency, and deepen trust with our investor community. That starts with better communication, clearer data, and a platform that feels more intuitive and informative.

In terms of products, we’re actively working on expanding our offering. That includes introducing new investment opportunities—either by adding exposure to new EU-based markets or partnering with other originators who meet our quality standards. We’re also exploring more flexible product structures that offer different levels of risk and return, so investors can tailor their portfolios more easily.

Beyond that, we’re evaluating how TWINO can evolve to meet broader financial needs—whether that’s through additional fintech services or even exploring the potential to move toward banking capabilities in the future.

The aim is simple: more value, more clarity, and more choice for our investors—without adding unnecessary complexity.

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10 – On the last question, the microphone is yours, (Nauris). Is there anything you’d like to comment on or share with the TodoCrowdlending community?

NB

Thank you—to the TodoCrowdlending community and everyone who’s followed our journey. We truly appreciate your interest and support. What really excites us is the road ahead. We’re committed to building a stronger, more transparent, and more rewarding experience for our investors. The next 10 years will be all about innovation, stability, and creating real value. We’re glad you’re here with us—and can’t wait to grow together. To those who want to start with us now is a great time as we’ve got a special offer running: new investors receive an additional 2% interest for the first 90 days, plus 2% cashback on all investments made until May 29th.

Thanks again for having me!

 

Thanks for your time, Nauris!

 

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And for all crowdlenders interested in starting to invest in Twino, please go ahead and take this chance to learn more about the platform and join now using this link to benefit from the cashback campaign Nauris mentioned!

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