Debitum Investments is a Latvian P2B lending marketplace for SME business loans (asset-backed securities), fully regulated by Latvia’s Financial and Capital Market Commission under MiFID II. It offers investors returns up to ~15% p.a. (typical realized 9–13%) by funding diversified loan pools. As a licensed platform, it participates in the EU’s Investor Compensation Scheme (safeguarding each investor up to €20,000). Advantages include regulatory oversight, a stated 0% loss record so far, and buyback guarantees on loans. Key risks are borrower or originator defaults (covered only by originator buybacks), limited liquidity (no true secondary market for early exits), and legacy issues from Debitum’s 2017–18 ICO (DEB token) and Ukrainian loan exposures.
Debitum offers debt investments: investors purchase notes backed by pooled business loans (essentially asset-backed securities). Borrowers (mostly European SMEs) repay principal+interest, which generates the yield for investors. Most loans carry a buyback guarantee: if a borrower is overdue (~60–90 days), the originating lender buys back the loan (principal+interest) to protect investors. Debitum itself does not issue loans (except via its own entities like Sandbox Funding) – it merely facilitates loans originated by third parties. Loans are primarily in euros and span sectors like manufacturing, forestry, and tech; for example, Debitum’s “Forest Development Fund” offers land-backed notes (3–12 month terms, up to ~14.5%). Investment terms typically range from a few months to ~2 years; the minimum investment is low (around €10 per loan). Expected returns range up to ~15% (cited target rates). Major risks include borrower default (mitigated by buybacks) and originator failure (which could delay or prevent payment), as well as total loss in extreme cases if both borrower and originator default. Investors should note no capital guarantees: principal is at risk if buyback fails, and funds remain locked until loans mature (given the lack of a liquid secondary market).
Debitum Investments (operated by SIA DN Operator) was co-founded in 2017 by Martins Liberts, Donatas Juodelis, and Justas Šaltinis. As of 2023–24, ownership shifted to two finance professionals: Ingus Salmiņš and Eriks Rengitis (through holding companies ZIdea and Amplo). In June 2024 Eriks Rengitis became CEO, succeeding Henrijs Jansons. Other key management include COO Anatolijs Putņa (ex-Startup Wise Guys) and newly appointed CLO Ilona Bauda (Aug 2025). The firm is headquartered in Riga and legally structured as a private limited company (SIA). Debitum holds an Investment Brokerage license from the Bank of Latvia/FCMC (granted Sept 2021) under MiFID II; it is one of only a few EU platforms with full regulatory oversight. It is not a bank, so deposit insurance does not apply, but under EU law investors gain protection via the Latvian Investor Compensation Scheme (max €20,000). Debitum has no international subsidiaries; all operations are by SIA DN Operator (Reg. #42103092209, licensed since 2019).
Debitum has grown markedly in recent years. In 2024 it originated €35.74 million of new investments (up 67% YoY) with €19.64 M of fresh investor deposits. As of mid-2025, outstanding loan volume on the platform reached ≈€40 million (up from ~€27.4 M at end‑2024). Cumulatively, Debitum has now financed over €130–140 M in business loans. The platform reports paying out about €2.15 M in interest and penalties to investors in 2024, and a reinvestment ratio ~1.97 (deposits to repayments), indicating strong demand. Debitum turned profitable in 2024: revenue was €1.30 M (~4× the prior year) with net profit ≈€104k About 26–27k investors are active (per third-party estimates). Importantly, Debitum claims zero investor losses so far: it reports 0% written‑off defaults (all shortfalls were covered by buybacks or restructuring). Only a small share (~10.5%) of repayments required buyback in 2024. Average realized investor yields (XIRR) have been ~9–15% (one user’s portfolio ~14.8%). No loans are known to be in default; a few Ukraine loans are undergoing legal restructuring but no capital is deemed lost (see ‘Negative Publicity’).
Debitum emphasizes rigorous due diligence on every loan originator. External experts often audit borrower businesses in country-of-origin The platform’s Credit Committee performs quarterly deep-dives on each partner (originator). Every issuer is assigned a “Trust Score” reflecting financial health, compliance and collateral strength. These scores are updated quarterly to guide investor decision-making. Debitum only lists business (B2B) loans (no consumer loans), which historically have higher repayment rates. Nearly all loans carry either a buyback guarantee or strong collateral (e.g. real estate or forestry assets) to mitigate default risk. Debitum also limits concentrations by partnering with multiple originators (e.g. Estonian, Latvian, UK entities) and offers diverse sectors (forestry, food, manufacturing, etc). Onchain reporting is not used, but investors get periodic performance summaries. Internal risk controls (automated credit filters, mandatory buybacks, legal covenants) and robust KYC/AML checks are in place. In short, Debitum states that only originators meeting its standards stay active, reducing counterparty risk.
Debitum’s web platform is in English (with other language options like Italian available) and uses the euro for all investments. It supports features expected of a modern marketplace: an Auto-Invest tool (launched Dec 2023) allows investors to automatically fund loans matching chosen criteria. (A mobile app is reportedly available too.) Investors can track portfolios and performance online via a dashboard (showing balances, pending repayments, etc). There is no secondary market (some reports list it as a drawback), so funds remain tied until loans mature (though in theory investors might transfer loans by agreement). Payment methods include bank transfers (credit cards were disabled temporarily in 2025 for system upgrades). Debitum offers various collateralized or high-interest notes (including estate, forestry, business loans). It publishes regular news and trust-score reports to enhance transparency. Insurance beyond buybacks is not offered, but deposits are “safeguarded” up to €20k under EU rules. Language/site support: the site is primarily EN (and IT), customer support is English-speakers based in Riga. Overall the UI is standard for P2P sites, with portfolio stats and risk ratings for each issuer.
Debitum charges no fees to investors: there are no account, deposit, withdrawal, or entry fees for private lenders. Withdrawals of uninvested cash are free. (By regulation, a flat 20% tax may be withheld from interest before payout, unless tax certificates are provided, but that is a sovereign tax, not a platform fee.) Debitum’s revenue comes from origination fees: it typically charges loan originators a ~2% p.a. brokerage fee on financed volume, or alternatively earns 2–3% interest margin by fixing borrower rates. There are no “success” or listing commissions for borrowers beyond these fees (details are transparently listed in Debitum’s pricing documents). In summary, private investors pay 0% fees to use the platform, and all charges are borne by originators. Debitum’s fee model is publicly disclosed in its investor agreement and pricing list (as required under its license).
Despite official successes, Debitum has some controversies. Its 2017–18 ICO (the DEB token) raised ~$17–18M from backers, none of whom saw promised returns. The platform has since restructured: in mid-2023 new owners distanced Debitum Investments (SIA DN Operator) from the old Debitum Network brand However, critics note that initial investors remain unpaid and allege a lack of transparency. A P2P-sector analysis calls these “red flags” – e.g. that millions raised by founders were not returned and that Debitum’s “0% default” claim glosses over restructured loans. Chain Finance (Ukraine) loans funded via Debitum are still under a very long-term restructuring, prompting concerns (the platform insists these are not “defaults” and are covered by legal agreements). Online forums and Trustpilot reviews are mixed; some investors accuse Debitum of broken promises (e.g. one survey found many “believe Debitum is a scam”, reflecting deep skepticism). On the positive side, there are no official regulatory sanctions or insolvencies reported. But investors should be aware of these historical issues and the platform’s opaque handling of certain legacy assets.
Debitum has hit notable milestones: by the end of 2024 it had doubled outstanding volume (to ~€27.4M) and facilitated €114M total investment since inception. By mid-2025 that figure surpassed €138M. In Q3 2025 the platform announced €40M outstanding on its books, a sign of rapid growth. The platform also achieved profitability (around €104k net profit in 2024) and strengthened its capital base (over €950k equity injected in 2024). In July 2025 Debitum broadened its leadership: Anatolijs Putņa (COO) and Ilona Bauda (new CLO) were appointed to the Board, underscoring institutional maturity. Other wins include earning an “A” rating from Latvia’s State Revenue Service for transparency (July 2025) and strong community rankings (e.g. 2nd place in a 2025 P2P platform poll). On the business side, partners like the Latvian Forest Development Fund have quickly performed well: their first €100k note (3-month, 9% p.a.) was repaid in full (May 2025), and LFDF has since raised ~€8M on Debitum. These achievements (regulatory approvals, growth stats, partnerships, and board appointments) mark Debitum’s evolution into a mature SME finance platform.
Investors on Debitum fund loans originated by third-party lenders. Key originators include:
Bono House (Latvia): A Latvian real estate developer; provides short-term loans backed by property.
Foresto (Latvia): A fintech lender to small businesses; it offers collateralized SME loans.
Juno Finance (Latvia/CEE): A microfinance arm of Paysera Group, lending primarily to small enterprises and consumers in the Baltic region.
Evergreen Capital (Estonia): An Estonian holding company issuing corporate bonds and loans via Debitum.
Triple Dragon (UK/EST): A UK-based group managing loan pools; it leverages UK and Estonian financing.
Sandbox Funding (Latvia): A Riga-based lender launched 2024, focusing on startup and payroll-backed loans.
Latvian Forest Development Fund (LV): A forestry fund issuing timber-backed notes (asset-backed securities).
Chain Finance (Ukraine): A Ukrainian NB lender; loans remain under war-time restructuring and are not currently issuing new loans.
No single originator dominates; Debitum deliberately partners with multiple firms to diversify risk. Each originator’s country, owner background and loan books differ (e.g. forestry vs. tech loans), which spreads exposure. Debitum assigns trust scores to each originator for risk grading. There are no recent bond issuances by Debitum itself beyond “Debitum Notes” (internal ABS) – the platform mainly uses these originators’ loans. Funding volumes by originator are not publicly broken out, but combined they exceed €100M. Notably, Debitum took part in securitizations (ABS) with these lenders, allowing retail investors to indirectly buy into diversified loan pools.
Yes. Debitum is a licensed investment brokerage in Latvia (since Sept 2021) under MiFID II. It’s overseen by Latvia’s FCMC (Bank of Latvia). Client funds are segregated and protected by the EU’s Investor Compensation Scheme (up to €20,000 per person). There are no known regulatory violations or fines on record. The platform publishes audited financials and board governance statements
Target yields are up to ~15% p.a. on suitable loans. Actual net investor returns depend on chosen loans and reinvestment timing (some reports show realized portfolios ~9–13% XIRR). Debitum often advertises 9–14% on new notes. Past performance has been strong (no defaults charged off), but always assess each offer’s credit quality. Remember that higher yields reflect higher risk
The biggest risk is credit: borrowers could default or delay. Debitum’s buyback guarantees reduce this (originators must repurchase late loans), but they rely on those issuers’ creditworthiness. An originator itself could fail, which would then default exposure to investors. Other risks include economic downturns affecting SMEs, geographic concentration (many Latvian/EU loans), and geopolitical issues (e.g. the Ukraine conflict affected some originators). As noted, legacy issues (ICO fund use, loan restructurings) are an unusual risk; while current management says no new liabilities from those, they add uncertainty. Finally, there is no emergency exit: liquidity risk is high since you can’t easily sell your loan notes. In summary, Debitum is best for patient investors comfortable with wholesale loan risk in exchange for higher yields.
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