PeerBerry AI Overview on 09/2025

PeerBerry Platform Overview and Key Points ⚖️

PeerBerry is a European peer-to-peer lending marketplace connecting retail investors with consumer, business, and real estate loans. Launched in 2017 by the Lithuanian-founded Aventus Group, the platform offers passive income opportunities with annual returns around 8–12% historically.

A major advantage is its strong track record – no investor has incurred a capital loss since inception, even through crises like COVID-19 and the Ukraine war. This resilience is bolstered by loan buyback guarantees and group guarantees from lending partners.

However, investors should note key risks: PeerBerry is not yet regulated by an EU financial authority, and its annual reports are unaudited. The platform also lacks a secondary market, making investments illiquid until loan maturity (⚠️ an important risk for investors).

Overall, PeerBerry’s transparency, strong partner network, and crisis-tested performance make it a popular P2P platform, but investors must weigh the lack of formal regulation and liquidity in their decisions.

PeerBerry Investment Products and Model 💼

Product Offering on PeerBerry
PeerBerry allows investment in loans – mainly short-term consumer loans, as well as longer-term personal, business, leasing, and some real estate loans. Investors purchase claims against these loans (via co-investment contracts with the loan originators), earning interest paid by borrowers. All loans are denominated in EUR only, simplifying currency exposure for EU investors.

How it Works
Loan originators (lending companies) list their issued loans on PeerBerry; investors fund portions of these loans and receive interest returns up to ~9–10% per year on average. Most loans come with a 60-day buyback guarantee – if a borrower is over 60 days late, the originator repurchases the loan and pays accrued interest. Major originator groups (e.g. Aventus, Gofingo) even provide an additional group guarantee, adding a parent-company obligation to cover buybacks.

Legal Structure of PeerBerry
PeerBerry operates via Peerberry d.o.o. in Croatia (EU), and investors sign agreements with this platform which then enters co-operation contracts with loan originators. This setup means investors are effectively investing in assignments/claims of loans originated by partner lenders, rather than lending directly to borrowers.

Geography & Sectors of PeerBerry
The platform’s loans span over a dozen countries – originally many in Europe (Poland, Lithuania, Czechia, etc.), and now also Asia (Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Sri Lanka), Africa (Kenya, Nigeria, etc.), and Latin America (Mexico, Colombia). Consumer payday loans (often ~30 days) have been the core product, but longer-term personal loans, business loans, and property-backed loans are also offered to diversify the portfolio. For example, loans for a 72-unit real estate development in Spain were introduced in 2023, offering ~9% over 12 months and backed by real estate collateral plus a group guarantee.

Investment Terms on PeerBerry
The minimum investment is only €10 per loan, lowering entry barriers. Loan durations range from short-term (1–2 months) up to long-term (1–2 years) for consumer and business loans; real estate projects typically run 12–24 months.

Expected Returns on PeerBerry
As of 2025, advertised yields are up to ~9–10% annually (after recent rate adjustments). Historically, loyal investors (using bonuses) achieved ~11–12% returns during higher-rate periods.

Risk Factors on PeerBerry
Key risks include potential borrower default – mitigated by the buyback guarantee – and loan originator default, which could lead to losses if the originator cannot honor guarantees (PeerBerry explicitly disclaims liability if a loan originator fails). Illiquidity is another risk: there is no secondary market, so investors are locked in until loans are repaid. While many loans are short-term (providing natural liquidity as they mature quickly), investors should be prepared to hold longer-term loans to maturity or face delayed exit if borrowers extend payments. In a worst-case scenario (e.g. a major loan originator insolvency or geopolitical shock), investors could face delayed payments or losses, making diversification and due diligence crucial.

PeerBerry Company Background, Ownership & Regulation 🏢

Founding and Ownership
PeerBerry was established in 2017 by the Aventus Group, a large non-bank lender founded in Lithuania in 2009. Initially, the platform was part of Aventus’ strategy to fund its loans (Aventus had even tested Mintos in 2016 before launching PeerBerry). Today, PeerBerry is owned by three private shareholders: Andrejus Trofimovas (50% stake), Vytautas Olšauskas (25%), and Ivan Butov (25%). Trofimovas has led Aventus Group since 2017 and brings extensive real estate and finance experience. Olšauskas co-founded the Gofingo lending group and is a banker (Chairman of Mano Bank in Lithuania) who also heads PeerBerry’s sister platform Crowdpear. Butov is a risk management professional with a background in credit unions. This ownership structure means close ties to the loan originators (e.g., Trofimovas is also majority owner of Aventus Group), aligning interests but also posing potential conflicts of interest.

Management Team
The CEO of PeerBerry is Arūnas Lekavičius, a banking veteran with 15+ years in Scandinavian banks and fintechs. Under his leadership, PeerBerry has been profitable from its first full year (2018) and is often praised for effective operations and communication. The CTO, Viktar Kamiahin, and other team members are based in Vilnius, Lithuania, which serves as the operational hub. Despite the team’s Lithuanian base, the company’s legal registration is in Croatia: PeerBerry d.o.o., Sky Office, Zagreb. This relocation occurred in 2021 due to regulatory strategy – PeerBerry withdrew its application for a license in Latvia and moved to Croatia (while keeping its Vilnius office) to maintain its existing team and business model.

Regulation and Licenses
PeerBerry itself is currently not licensed as a crowdfunding/investment firm by any financial regulator. The platform operates within Croatia’s legal framework for financial services and is awaiting pan-European regulation. To expand into regulated offerings, the same shareholders launched Crowdpear, a separate platform in Lithuania. Crowdpear obtained an EU Crowdfunding Service Provider (ECSP) license from the Bank of Lithuania in late 2022. Crowdpear focuses on real estate and business loans and is supervised by the Bank of Lithuania under the new EU crowdfunding rules. PeerBerry’s team and owners are thus experienced with regulatory compliance (Crowdpear’s license) even though PeerBerry’s core P2P platform continues under an interim regime. PeerBerry has indicated plans to seek an EU crowdfunding license as well, to ensure long-term operations under the harmonized framework. Until then, no specific national authority (like the Croatian or Lithuanian financial regulator) actively supervises PeerBerry’s P2P lending activities – a point for investors to consider.

Partners and Associations
PeerBerry is closely partnered with Aventus Group and Gofingo Group (its primary loan originators and backers). It also engages with industry bodies like the Lithuanian P2P Lending and Crowdfunding Association to stay at the forefront of best practices.

Summary
PeerBerry’s company structure highlights a fintech that has grown from a lending group’s venture into a standalone platform, now co-owned by industry insiders, and navigating the evolving European regulatory landscape with a Croatian entity and a Lithuanian-regulated sister platform.

PeerBerry Performance: Volumes, Investors & Returns (2024–2025) 📊

Funded Loan Volume
PeerBerry has achieved significant scale in Europe. By the end of 2024, investors on the platform had funded a cumulative €2.89 billion worth of loans since launch. Monthly volumes are robust – for example, about €33 million was funded in December 2024 alone. In 2024 overall, despite market challenges, the platform saw €586.1 million in new loans funded. This momentum continued into 2025: in May and June 2025, about €31.4M and €31.9M were funded respectively, reflecting steady investor demand.

Investor Base
As of January 2025, PeerBerry reported over 94,800 verified users from across Europe, of which roughly 40% (~38,000) were active investors funding loans regularly. The investor community has grown rapidly – for context, the platform had about 77,000 investors by mid-2023 and crossed the 90k mark by late 2024, making it one of the largest P2P platforms in Europe by investor count. The average portfolio per investor was around €3,500 in 2023, highlighting PeerBerry’s broad retail focus.

Interest and Returns to Investors
PeerBerry investors have earned substantial interest. In 2024 alone, €11.8 million in interest was paid out, and since inception (2017) up to the end of 2024, total interest earned reached €39.2 million. Historically, the platform’s average annual return has been around 10–11%. For example, the average return in 2023 was ~11.2% p.a., aided by loyalty bonuses and higher wartime rates. Current loans (2025) yield up to ~9% after recent rate adjustments. Top investors with larger portfolios can achieve slightly higher effective yields (~10%+) via the loyalty cashback program.

Portfolio Outstanding & Performance
As of late 2024, the outstanding loan portfolio (active investments) was about €117 million. Impressively, 100% of PeerBerry’s loan portfolio was performing with no defaults or recovery cases by mid-2025. The platform emphasizes that no investor has lost money to date, as delayed loans are eventually repurchased or repaid. For instance, during 2022–2023, about €51.4 million in loans affected by the Ukraine war were delayed, but by December 2024 partners had fully repaid these debts (including €1.4M in interest), restoring investor funds.

Defaults and Losses
PeerBerry reports zero defaulted loans and zero loss to investors since inception. Any loans reaching 60+ days overdue have been covered by buyback, and even in extreme cases (e.g. war-related freezes), group guarantees and coordinated repayments prevented investor losses.

Returns Range
Depending on loan type and market, current loans yield roughly 7% (longer-term) up to 9–10% (short-term or higher-risk markets). In earlier years, loans offered up to 12%+ returns (pre-2022 short-term loans) and at one point the platform advertised up to 12.5% ROI during promotions. As of 2025, with European rates stabilizing, most loans fall in the 8–9% range.

Key Dates and Events

• December 2024: Last war-affected loan fully repaid.

• November 2023: All Polish-origin loans exited due to regulatory changes (over €20M repaid).

• Mid-2023: Surpassed €2.5 billion funded.

• Since 2018: Profitable every year (e.g., €663k net profit in 2022, though financials unaudited by Big4).

Summary
By mid-2025, PeerBerry continues to show strong growth, steady returns, and a stable loan book, securing its place as one of Europe’s top-volume P2P lending sites.

PeerBerry’s Risk Management & Due Diligence 🛡️

Loan Originator Selection
PeerBerry employs a rigorous partner selection process since the platform’s performance depends heavily on the quality of its loan originators. It primarily onboards lending companies that are profitable, well-capitalized, and experienced, often part of larger financial groups. The core partners, Aventus Group (founded 2009) and Gofingo Group (founded 2015), each have multi-year track records and significant equity buffers. New originators are added carefully; in 2024, PeerBerry planned to add 10+ new lenders but focused on vetted firms in regions like South Africa, Tanzania, and Nigeria as part of diversification. The platform also shares news on its partners’ financial strength – for example, Aventus Group reported €87M net profit in 2024, highlighting its resilience.

Risk Limits
PeerBerry enforces internal risk rules to maintain partner quality. A key rule is that any loan originator may fund a maximum of 45% of its total loan book via P2P platforms. This prevents over-reliance on PeerBerry and ensures lenders have other funding sources and “skin in the game.” Additionally, originators must keep a liquidity reserve of 10% of their loan portfolio value, helping them honor buyback obligations promptly and handle investor withdrawals or defaults without delay. PeerBerry monitors these requirements closely to detect early signs of stress.

Due Diligence
Each originator undergoes detailed due diligence before being listed. Many lending partners are themselves regulated in their home countries (e.g., licensed consumer lenders in the EU or supervised microfinance firms abroad). PeerBerry’s compliance team and legal advisors evaluate licensing, governance, and credit practices. Importantly, PeerBerry has direct access to originators’ loan databases and KPIs, enabling real-time monitoring of repayments, defaults, and portfolio performance. This transparency allows the platform to act quickly if a partner’s loan quality declines.

Risk Scoring & Communication
PeerBerry does not publish a numeric risk score for each originator but provides qualitative information on its Loan Originators page. This includes each group’s background, loan types, and whether loans come with buyback or group guarantees. The platform also shares updates when partners fulfill obligations, such as repaying large projects with interest, to build investor confidence.

Sector & Geographic Filters
PeerBerry actively manages geopolitical and sector risks. For instance, it suspended all Russian and Ukrainian loans in 2022 after the war began, and by late 2023 phased out Polish loans due to regulatory changes. Expansion now focuses on markets with more stable regulatory conditions. The platform also diversifies by loan type – short-term vs. long-term – to avoid concentration in any single segment.

Monitoring & Reporting
Investors receive detailed updates through monthly blog posts and a statistics dashboard. PeerBerry publishes portfolio breakdowns and annual loan book reports. Its crisis communication has been praised: during COVID-19 and the Ukraine war, the platform issued regular updates and repayment schedules. Ultimately, by December 2024, all war-affected loans were fully repaid, demonstrating effective oversight and recovery management.

Summary
PeerBerry’s risk management relies on partnering with reputable, profitable lenders, enforcing conservative funding and liquidity rules, and monitoring loan portfolios in real time. This proactive approach has so far resulted in zero investor losses and successful crisis handling. Nonetheless, investors should remember that platform and originator risks cannot be eliminated – only mitigated.

PeerBerry Platform Features and Tools ⚙️

Auto-Invest
PeerBerry’s Auto-Invest tool lets investors automatically allocate funds to loans that meet their chosen criteria. Settings are highly customizable – you can filter by loan originator, borrower country, interest rate range, loan term, loan type, and whether a buyback guarantee applies. This allows investors to build tailored diversification strategies, such as focusing on certain markets or excluding long-term loans. Auto-invest is especially useful because popular loans often get funded within minutes. However, high demand sometimes leads to cash drag (idle funds not invested). PeerBerry mitigates this by regularly onboarding new originators to increase loan supply.

Secondary Market
Currently, PeerBerry does not have a secondary market, meaning investors cannot sell their loans early. Liquidity instead comes from the platform’s large share of short-term loans (often 30–60 days), which naturally repay and free up funds for reinvestment. Investors must plan with loan durations in mind, as early exit is not possible. PeerBerry has not announced concrete plans to introduce secondary trading.

Diversification Tools
PeerBerry offers loans from 20+ originators across ~12 countries, supporting diversification across geographies and products. The minimum investment is just €10 per loan, enabling investors to spread even small portfolios across hundreds of loans. The dashboard provides a breakdown by loan originator and country, helping users monitor diversification levels. While there isn’t a one-click “auto-diversify” button, the Auto-Invest tool and small ticket size effectively achieve the same.

Investor Dashboard & Reports
The PeerBerry web platform and mobile apps (iOS and Android) include a modern dashboard summarizing portfolio balance, accrued and paid interest, and upcoming payments. A Tax Report feature lets investors download annual earnings statements for tax filing. The interface is available in multiple languages (English, German, Spanish, French, etc.), reflecting PeerBerry’s Europe-wide user base. Security is reinforced with two-factor authentication (2FA) for logins and withdrawals.

Guarantees & Protection
PeerBerry doesn’t provide insurance, but nearly all loans carry a 60-day buyback guarantee from originators (covering principal + interest). In addition, the two largest groups, Aventus and Gofingo, back their lenders with a Group Guarantee – if one originator struggles, the broader group steps in. This system has been tested: during COVID-19 and the Ukraine war, group guarantees ensured all investors were eventually repaid, even when local operations froze. However, these protections depend on the financial health of the lending groups – the platform itself does not assume liability beyond facilitating buybacks.

Analysis & Transparency Tools
Because PeerBerry mainly offers consumer and SME loans, detailed project-level analysis tools (like those in real estate platforms) aren’t provided. Instead, PeerBerry emphasizes transparency through statistics dashboards, blog updates, and originator reports. Regular posts share financial results, market exits, or performance updates from lending partners. This gives investors qualitative insights into loan quality, complemented by external P2P rating sites.

Supported Currencies & Payments
PeerBerry operates exclusively in EUR. Deposits are made via SEPA bank transfer, with no support for cards or non-EUR currencies. Withdrawals are also processed in EUR, usually within 1–2 business days. Even if loans are issued in local currencies abroad, originators handle FX risk – investors always see their investments and returns in euros. Participation is restricted to EEA-based investors due to compliance requirements.

Summary
PeerBerry’s platform emphasizes simplicity, automation, and guarantees. The auto-invest tool, group guarantees, and transparent reporting make it user-friendly for passive investors. The trade-offs are the lack of a secondary market and relatively basic analysis tools – meaning investors must rely on PeerBerry’s vetting of loan originators rather than deep personal due diligence.

PeerBerry Fees and Pricing Transparency 💰

One of PeerBerry’s investor-friendly aspects is its fee structure – there are essentially no fees charged to investors. Investing, depositing, and withdrawing funds on PeerBerry are all free of charge. There are no account opening fees, no annual management fees, no transaction fees, and even currency conversion fees are moot since only EUR is used. This is in contrast to some other platforms that might charge a withdrawal fee or a secondary market fee. PeerBerry highlights this “no hidden fees” policy as part of its transparency commitment. Investors should still be aware of potential third-party bank fees (e.g., if your bank charges for SEPA transfers) but PeerBerry itself does not take a cut from the investor side.

Platform Revenue Model: So how does PeerBerry earn money? The platform’s income comes from the loan originators (borrowers) side. Typically, loan originators pay PeerBerry a commission or spread for the funds raised. For example, an originator might issue loans at a higher interest rate to borrowers and offer them on PeerBerry at a slightly lower rate to investors, effectively giving PeerBerry the difference as a fee. PeerBerry doesn’t publicly detail the exact commission percentages, but the fact that it has been operationally profitable each year (e.g., earning €663k net profit in 2022) implies a sustainable fee structure with originators.

Fundraiser Fees: Loan originators listing on PeerBerry likely incur fees such as an initial setup fee and a success fee based on loans funded. Additionally, originators must cover the cost of the 0.5% cashback bonus given to new investors, and the loyalty program cashbacks – these incentives are often co-funded by the platform and originators as marketing expenses. The transparency of these fees is decent in that investors know they keep 100% of the interest rate shown (the net return advertised already accounts for any fees paid by originators). PeerBerry’s annual reports and blogs occasionally mention the platform’s financials (e.g., revenue or profit), but granular fee disclosures aren’t public. Nonetheless, PeerBerry does disclose that it raises its share capital and maintains reserves (it increased equity to €125k in 2021 as part of licensing preparation), indicating prudence in financial management.

Investor Fee Policy: There are no entry or exit fees for investors. If an investor decides to stop investing, they simply turn off auto-invest and withdraw funds as loans repay – with no penalties (aside from the time to wait for maturities). There’s also no performance fee on interest earned; investors keep all interest. The only “cost” one might consider is the opportunity cost of idle cash if auto-invest can’t immediately place funds (“cash drag”), but again PeerBerry charges nothing on idle cash and even pays out interest promptly upon borrower payment.

Originator Transparency: On the loan listings, interest rates are clearly displayed, and it’s clear which loans have buyback and group guarantee. The platform doesn’t show how much each originator pays PeerBerry, but it’s typically in originators’ interest to offer competitive rates to attract investors. As an investor, the pricing model is straightforward: invest €100, earn interest at say 9% annual – no cuts taken. This simplicity and lack of hidden costs have been highlighted positively in independent reviews.

In conclusion, PeerBerry’s pricing is very favorable to investors: zero direct fees and transparent loan rates. For originators, the costs are part of doing business on the platform (and likely negotiated individually). The platform’s profitability and growth indicate that this model is working at scale. Investors should remain attentive only to external costs (like their bank’s fees or tax on interest), since PeerBerry itself currently absorbs all platform costs through originator fees, not investor charges.

Negative Publicity about PeerBerry ⚠️

While PeerBerry enjoys a strong reputation in the P2P industry, it has faced a few controversies and challenges that prospective investors should know:

Data Security Incident: In April 2020, PeerBerry experienced a data breach in which hackers obtained some user data (names, emails, addresses, birthdates, and hashed passwords). The breach was handled at the time with forced password resets and regulatory notification. However, in September 2023, cybercriminals resurfaced this old data leak and falsely presented it as a new hack on social media. PeerBerry quickly clarified that it was the 2020 incident being misused to “harm the platform’s reputation” and that no new breach occurred after 2020. They provided transparency by listing exactly what data was exposed and reassured that passwords remained encrypted and no bank or ID data was leaked. The platform enhanced security measures (like 2FA) and has not had any known incidents since. Nonetheless, this incident caused concern among users, and it’s a reminder to practice good security hygiene (change passwords, enable 2FA).

Regulatory Dispute in Latvia: PeerBerry’s initial operations were in Latvia (as “AV Marketplace” SIA), but in 2021 they withdrew their application for a Latvian investment firm license amid disagreements with the FCMC (Latvian regulator). The regulator required the core team to relocate to Latvia and other conditions that PeerBerry’s Lithuanian management found untenable. This led to some negative speculation in forums about why PeerBerry didn’t get licensed in Latvia. PeerBerry publicly explained its reasons (team location, desire to include real estate loans under a Lithuanian license, skepticism about the Latvian approach). They chose to legally move to Croatia and pursue EU crowdfunding licensing via Lithuania instead. While not a “scandal,” the lack of a license even by 2023-2024 was criticized by some observers as a regulatory grey area. It’s a red flag for very conservative investors that, until the ECSP license is obtained, PeerBerry is not under direct supervision of a financial authority. PeerBerry’s rebuttal is that it voluntarily reports to regulators and maintains high standards, but indeed, the platform is unregulated as of 2025 (aside from its sister company’s license).

Conflict of Interest Concerns: Some blogs have pointed out that PeerBerry’s majority owner (Andrejus Trofimovas) is also the CEO/shareholder of Aventus Group, the largest loan provider on the platform. This dual role could be seen as a conflict: if Aventus were in trouble, would PeerBerry be impartial in protecting investors? Also, Aventus and Gofingo effectively “own” a chunk of the platform. To date, this hasn’t caused any incident – in fact, one might argue it ensured Aventus/Gofingo honored all commitments (since they had skin in the game on the platform side too). But it remains a governance concern that is sometimes discussed on forums. Transparency around group guarantee structures helps, but the interconnected ownership is a risk factor to watch (⚠️ if the parent groups faced financial issues, PeerBerry’s fate would be closely tied).

Loan Delays and War Impact: The biggest challenge in PeerBerry’s history was the Ukraine war impact in 2022. About €50+ million of loans from Ukraine and Russia (across 12 lending companies) became frozen or delayed by the conflict. Initially, this meant investors had a significant portion of funds stuck (“in recovery”). PeerBerry’s handling of this – working with originators on a repayment plan – was generally commended, but it did draw some worry and criticism on social media during 2022-2023, as complete recovery took nearly 3 years. Competing platforms struggled with similar issues (and some investors on those incurred losses), so PeerBerry’s full recovery by Dec 2024 actually turned into a positive story. Still, any new investor reading older Trustpilot reviews or Reddit threads might see comments about “war-affected loans” and delays. It’s important to note that as of December 2024 all war-affected loans (€51.4M) were fully repaid with interest, and no capital was lost – a remarkable outcome. This episode is a double-edged sword: it shows PeerBerry’s commitment and the strength of group guarantees, but also highlighted the geopolitical risk inherent in P2P lending.

Public Reviews: Overall, PeerBerry’s public ratings are very high. On Trustpilot, it holds a “Great/Excellent” score ~4.0/5 with ~72% 5-star reviews (out of 260+ reviews as of 2025). However, the small percentage of negative reviews (9% 1-star) often cite issues like occasional withdrawal delays, site downtime, or frustration with loan availability. For instance, a few investors complained in mid-2023 about slower withdrawals when PeerBerry switched banking providers, but those were resolved. Some also wish for higher interest rates given rising inflation, but that’s a market condition. Importantly, no widespread scam or fraud accusations exist against PeerBerry – it’s generally considered a reliable platform. It’s absent from “blacklists” and has not received any official warnings from regulators (unlike some scam platforms of the past). A cautionary mention: in 2020 a few P2P sites in Europe collapsed, making investors extra critical; PeerBerry was sometimes skeptically compared early on, but it has since proven itself through multiple crises. Even so, prudent investors should keep an eye on the platform’s updates, financial health of originators, and any regulatory news to stay informed.

In summary, PeerBerry’s negative publicity has been limited and mostly related to external crises or industry regulation. The platform has largely turned challenges into proof of concept (recovering war loans, migrating to a better jurisdiction), but the lack of formal regulation and past data leak are notable flags. New investors are advised to use strong passwords, diversify across loans, and not invest more than they can afford to have illiquid in case of unforeseen delays.

PeerBerry Success Stories and Milestones 🏆

Despite some challenges, PeerBerry has accumulated an impressive list of successes and accolades in its relatively short history:

Rapid Growth to a Top European Platform: Since launching in late 2017, PeerBerry has grown to become one of Europe’s top 3 P2P lending platforms by funded volume. It crossed the €1 billion funded milestone in mid-2020 and €2 billion around late 2022, an expansion fueled by investor trust and word-of-mouth. By 2025, with nearly €3B funded, it stands alongside giants like Mintos in scale. This growth was organic and profitable – PeerBerry turned a profit in its first full year (2018) and every year since, a rarity among fintech startups. In 2022, for example, it achieved a record net profit of ~€663k despite war-related provisions. Being consistently profitable validates its business model.

No Investor Losses – Crisis Management: One of PeerBerry’s proudest achievements is that investors have taken no losses since inception, even during severe crises. During the COVID-19 pandemic, while some P2P platforms had defaults or suspended withdrawals, PeerBerry continued payouts without delays and even doubled its assets under management by early 2021. It communicated clearly and delivered stable returns throughout that period. The successful navigation of the Ukraine war crisis in 2022–2024 is another success: PeerBerry became the first (and so far only) major P2P platform to fully repay all war-affected loans. Competing platforms like Mintos and Twino still struggle with unrecovered Russia/Ukraine loans, highlighting PeerBerry’s superior risk mitigation. This track record of weathering numerous challenges without capital loss has been recognized by many independent reviewers and is a key reason ~98,000 investors trust the platform as of 2025.

Industry Recognition & Community: PeerBerry has won praise in the P2P investment community. It’s often rated among the top platforms in European P2P rankings. For instance, P2P Empire (a well-known industry blog) in its 2025 review called PeerBerry “the best P2P lending platform for European investors” and highlighted its transparency and reliability. The platform is frequently a top pick on sites like ExploreP2P and has a Trustpilot rating of 4+ (“Great”) with users lauding its consistent performance and communication. PeerBerry’s team also engages with the investor community via social media and their own Telegram/Facebook groups, creating a sense of trust and openness. In terms of awards, while specific fintech awards aren’t listed, being in the Top 5 of European alternative investment platforms by size and user reviews is itself a notable accolade.

Innovations and Partnerships: In line with its growth, PeerBerry has expanded its offerings. A notable milestone was the launch of the Crowdpear platform in 2023, which is fully licensed and focuses on real estate investments up to 12% returns. This shows the company’s innovative drive to cater to investors who prefer regulated options and longer-term projects. PeerBerry’s partnership with its originators has also deepened: in 2023 Aventus and Gofingo jointly started a €40M real estate development in Marbella, Spain (72 townhouses), which PeerBerry investors can co-finance. Offering such large-scale real estate loans (with group guarantees) on a primarily consumer-loan platform was a bold move that has been well received, diversifying investor opportunities. Additionally, the platform introduced a loyalty program that rewards its most dedicated investors with cashback bonuses (0.5%–1% extra for bigger portfolios) – this program (launched around 2020) has kept investor retention high and was itself a successful initiative.

Key Milestones (Timeline):

• Nov 2017: PeerBerry goes live (first loans from Aventus Group).

• June 2018: PeerBerry reaches profitability and starts expanding originators beyond Aventus.

• 2019: Surpasses €100M funded; adds Gofingo Group loans to diversify.

• 2020: Handles COVID-19 crisis smoothly; by Dec 2020, over €0.5B funded.

• 2021: Plans for regulation set in motion; Oct 2021 relocates to Croatia and raises capital to €125k. Also crosses 50,000 investors.

• 2022: Receives ECSP crowdfunding license (via Crowdpear) – one of the first in Lithuania. PeerBerry hits €1.5B funded milestone mid-year.

• 2023: Launch of Crowdpear (Jan 2023); PeerBerry hits €2B+ funded; war-affected loans 88% recovered by fall 2023. Won “People’s Choice” in some P2P investor polls (informal).

• Dec 2024: War loans 100% repaid; platform celebrates no losses in 7 years. ~95k users.

• 2025: Continues expansion – by mid-2025, funded volume ~€2.9B, originators in 18 countries, preparing for further licensing and new markets (Africa, Americas). Aventus Group becomes one of world’s largest online lenders, benefiting PeerBerry’s pipeline.

Each of these milestones reinforces PeerBerry’s narrative as a reliable, growth-oriented platform. From investor success stories (many share that they’ve earned ~10-12% steadily for years with no hiccups) to company achievements (like launching new regulated products), PeerBerry’s journey has been largely positive. The platform’s ability to adapt – be it through new partnerships or regulatory compliance – bodes well for its future and is a success story in the evolving crowdfunding industry.

PeerBerry Loan Originators (Aventus, Gofingo & More) 🤝

Unlike some marketplaces that source loans from random third parties, PeerBerry works closely with a defined network of loan originator companies. This model is similar to Mintos or Twino, where the platform hosts loans from various lenders. Here’s an overview of PeerBerry’s loan originators:

Aventus Group: The powerhouse behind PeerBerry. Aventus Group is a Lithuania-originated lending conglomerate operating since 2009, with businesses in 16+ countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and now South America. Aventus provides a range of loans – short-term personal loans, installment loans, leasing (auto) loans, and some business financing. As of May 2025, Aventus Group’s total loan portfolio was over €305 million, but only ~15% of that was funded via PeerBerry (the rest funded via its own capital or other means). This low reliance on P2P (and high profitability, €87M net profit in 2024) means Aventus is financially robust, which lowers risk to PeerBerry investors. Historically, Aventus-originated loans constituted up to 80% of PeerBerry’s platform volume, but by 2025 Aventus loans are about 45% of PeerBerry’s outstanding portfolio as other originators have joined. Aventus operates well-known lending brands (such as CreditPlus, Esto, etc.) in countries like Poland, Kazakhstan, Ukraine (until 2022), Vietnam, Philippines, etc. All Aventus loans on PeerBerry come with buyback guarantees, and Aventus Group offers a group guarantee across its subsidiaries. Notably, Aventus demonstrates a conservative approach: it caps the portion of loans funded via P2P and maintains liquidity reserves. In March 2023, Aventus even repaid €10m in bonds and maintained strong cashflow (the group’s strength is often reported on PeerBerry’s blog). Overall, Aventus Group is considered a high-quality, low-risk originator on PeerBerry, evidenced by its ability to repay all war-affected loans and even exit the Russian market without defaulting on investors.

Gofingo Group: Gofingo is another major affiliated loan originator group on PeerBerry, active since 2015. Gofingo is a network of consumer and business loan providers (with common stakeholders) focusing on innovation in fintech and big data for credit scoring. Gofingo companies have operated in countries like Czech Republic, Lithuania, Ukraine, and other European/Asian markets. On PeerBerry, Gofingo loans also carry buyback and group guarantees (the group guarantee covers all Gofingo subsidiaries similarly to Aventus). Gofingo-related loans typically made up a smaller portion of the portfolio (~10-15% historically), but they are important for diversification. Gofingo’s leadership (which includes Vytautas Olšauskas, now a shareholder of PeerBerry) has banking backgrounds, and the group has ventured into real estate as well (co-developing the Spanish property project with Aventus). Volumes: In late 2022, Gofingo accounted for about 13% of loans on PeerBerry. The group has also shown commitment to investors; for example, during the Ukraine war, Gofingo’s Ukrainian subsidiary worked on repayments which were completed alongside Aventus’. Gofingo’s presence adds redundancy – if Aventus for some reason slows down, Gofingo’s loan supply can balance it, and vice versa. As of 2025, Gofingo continues to expand (launching new loan companies in Asia, etc.) feeding into PeerBerry.

Lithome: Lithome is a Lithuanian real estate development company (not a consumer lender) that has used PeerBerry to finance real estate loans. Essentially, Lithome offers property-backed loans for its projects (e.g., development of apartments in Vilnius). It is one of Lithuania’s top 10 residential developers with over 13 years track record. Lithome started listing loans on PeerBerry around 2019, allowing investors to fund portions of its developments with typical terms like 12-18 months and interest ~8-10%. These loans usually have first-rank mortgage collateral. Lithome does provide a buyback guarantee on its loans (and since it’s a standalone company, no “group” guarantee beyond its own balance sheet). So far, Lithome’s performance has been excellent: by 2025, Lithome had funded ~€2.26M via PeerBerry and paid over €130k in interest to investors, with no defaults. They fully repaid several large project loans (e.g., €1M loan repaid in Oct 2023 with €102k interest, and another €600k loan repaid in Mar 2024 with €57k interest). These successful exits are publicized as a success story of a reliable originator. Lithome gives investors exposure to the real estate sector within PeerBerry’s platform, and its continued presence indicates PeerBerry’s move beyond just consumer loans. Risk profile is tied to Lithuanian real estate market, but given collateral and developer reputation, it’s considered moderate risk.

Litelektra: Litelektra is a newer addition – a renewable energy loan provider (the name suggests focus on green energy projects). According to reports, Litelektra teamed up with PeerBerry to finance sustainable energy projects. In 2023, for example, Litelektra repaid a €300k loan with €15.6k interest to investors, demonstrating its ability to deliver on promises. By 2025, Litelektra and Lithome together repaid €3.7M to investors, showcasing success in the platform’s real estate/energy segment. Litelektra’s inclusion diversifies PeerBerry into the renewable energy sector, potentially financing things like solar parks or energy equipment leases. The company comes with buyback guarantee as well; no group guarantee (it’s not part of Aventus/Gofingo). Given the global push for ESG investments, Litelektra is a notable originator adding sustainability flavor to PeerBerry’s loan catalog.

SIBgroup: SIBgroup is another originator listed on PeerBerry, presumably a conglomerate that provided perhaps business or short-term loans. (Based on context, SIBgroup could be related to a set of business loans in Eurasia.) In PeerBerry’s stats, SIBgroup was mentioned separately from Aventus/Gofingo, indicating it’s an independent lending partner group. In March 2022, it was reported that SIBgroup repaid a €2M business loan with nearly €200k interest to investors – a positive outcome that increased trust. SIBgroup’s loans often were short-term business loans, possibly in markets like Ukraine or Kazakhstan. Since SIBgroup isn’t elaborated as much publicly, investors rely on the platform’s vetting. It appears SIBgroup did pause new loans after the war but had repaid existing ones, so currently their presence might be limited. Nonetheless, they historically contributed to diversification and had a good repayment record.

Other Loan Originators: As of late 2024, PeerBerry had a total of 23 active loan originator companies across 12 countries. Many of these are part of Aventus or Gofingo (combined ~22 companies if each country’s subsidiary counts separately). Indeed, an analysis in mid-2024 showed 27 originators in total: 17 affiliated with Aventus, 5 with Gofingo, plus Lithome, Litelektra, SIBgroup, etc. Recent additions include lenders like CashXpress Philippines, Credit Plus Vietnam, Auto Money Kenya, LendPlus South Africa, Findom Kazakhstan, NovaLend Poland, Acredit Romania, Credito 365 Colombia, Ultradinero Mexico, etc. – these joined in 2023-2024 to meet investor demand. Each new originator is typically introduced via a blog post, noting its country, product (many are short-term loan specialists) and whether it’s part of Aventus or Gofingo or independent. For example, LendPlus in South Africa (joined 2024) is Aventus-affiliated, whereas some like Jet Credit India (if introduced) might be Gofingo or new partners. PeerBerry has also exited some originators when needed: all Polish originators were wound down by Nov 2023 due to law changes, and Russian originators were removed in 2022 (Aventus sold its Russian business). This dynamic management ensures the originator list remains strong and compliant.

Volumes & Risk Profile: The majority of funding goes to consumer loans (short-term) from Aventus/Gofingo, which historically have had near-zero default thanks to buybacks. The risk to investors largely hinges on the solvency of these originator companies. Aventus and Gofingo have shown high solvency (profits in multi-millions EUR), reducing risk. Independent originators like Lithome depend on project success; their smaller scale means they’re monitored closely. Any fundraising or bond issues by originators can also be signals: Aventus Group, for instance, has raised capital through bonds in the past (and repaid them) and reinvests profits, which is positive for PeerBerry investors as it means the group has other funding sources and isn’t P2P-dependent. Gofingo’s affiliation with a bank (Mano Bank via Olšauskas) might also provide additional credibility/capital access.

In summary, PeerBerry’s loan originators are a mix of large affiliated groups (Aventus, Gofingo) and a few specialized companies (Lithome, Litelektra, etc.). This setup offers diversification across many countries and sectors, but investors should understand that Aventus and Gofingo-related loans still form the lion’s share (over 70% combined). The excellent track record of these originators – no failed buybacks to date – underpins PeerBerry’s success. It’s also worth noting that Aventus and Gofingo both occasionally publish their financials, which are accessible via PeerBerry’s blog or filings, adding transparency. As of 2025, no loan originator on PeerBerry has defaulted or gone bankrupt, and several (Aventus, Gofingo) are expanding into new markets, which could bring more opportunities for investors in the near future.

Is PeerBerry safe and is it regulated?

PeerBerry has a strong track record of safety in terms of no investor losses since 2017. It employs safeguards like buyback and group guarantees to protect investors. However, PeerBerry is not yet a licensed/regulated investment platform under EU financial authorities. It operates legally via a Croatian entity and reports to authorities (and its sister platform is regulated in LT), but there’s no official investor protection scheme or regulator oversight at the moment. So while it has proven trustworthy and stable (with over €2.8B loans funded), it is essentially unregulated P2P lending – investors should understand their capital is at risk and not covered by any deposit insurance or guarantee fund.

What returns can I expect on PeerBerry?

Returns vary with market conditions, but currently investors can expect around 8% to 10% annual interest on invested loans. PeerBerry advertises up to ~9–10% ROI on new loans (as of early 2025), and historically many investors earned ~11%+ during 2018–2022 when rates were higher. If you participate in the loyalty program (for portfolios above €10k), you can get an extra 0.5–1% cashback annually, boosting returns slightly. Keep in mind these returns are not guaranteed; they depend on borrowers repaying and originators honoring buybacks. But so far, PeerBerry’s actual returns have consistently matched the promised rates, with no losses eating into yields.

What are the main risks when investing on PeerBerry?

The main risks include: Borrower default risk – mitigated by buyback, but if an originator fails to honor the guarantee, you could lose money. Loan originator risk – if one of PeerBerry’s partner lending companies goes bankrupt or faces a liquidity crisis, investors might face delays or losses (PeerBerry’s model relies on those companies staying solvent). Platform risk – although unlikely given profitability, if PeerBerry itself went bankrupt or was hacked badly, there could be disruption or loss of access to funds (though loans are legally your claims, and there are procedures for such events). Regulatory risk – changes in law (like in Poland) can force rapid portfolio adjustments, or if the platform fails to obtain a license by the EU’s deadline, it might have to pause certain operations. Liquidity risk – as discussed, no secondary market means you can’t quickly exit positions. Geopolitical risk – investing globally means events like war or economic crisis in a borrower’s country can impact your loans (e.g., war-affected loans were frozen for ~2 years). Currency risk – minimal for investors since loans are in EUR, but extreme currency devaluation in a borrower’s country could indirectly stress an originator. In summary, while PeerBerry has strong safeguards (no losses so far), P2P lending is a high-risk investment category: one should only invest money they can afford to have tied up and potentially lose in a worst-case scenario. Diversifying across many loans and perhaps across platforms can help manage these risks.

Does PeerBerry have any entry requirements or who can invest?

PeerBerry is open to individuals at least 18 years old with residency in the European Economic Area (EEA) and a European bank account. You must complete a Know-Your-Customer (KYC) verification (upload ID, etc.) to start investing. Currently, non-EEA residents cannot register due to regulatory constraints. The minimum to start investing is very low – you can begin with even €10 (though to build a meaningful portfolio, many start with a few hundred euro). There’s also no maximum, though large investors (>€25k) should be mindful of platform limits and spread across originators. Also note, PeerBerry’s interface and support are primarily in English (with some other language options), and you’ll need to be comfortable managing everything online.

What happens if PeerBerry or a loan originator goes bankrupt?

If PeerBerry the platform went bankrupt, there are provisions in the terms that another company or administrator would take over managing the loan repayments to ensure investors still receive funds from borrowers. PeerBerry holds client funds in segregated accounts and the loans are legally assigned to investors, so platform insolvency should not mean you lose your assets, but it could be a complicated process to recover everything (no such case has occurred so far). If a loan originator goes bankrupt, ideally the group guarantee (if applicable) kicks in – for example, if one Aventus company failed, Aventus Group might cover it. If no group guarantee or the group also fails, investors might face losses or a long recovery via debt collectors/insolvency proceedings. This is the nightmare scenario P2P investors fear; to date, none of PeerBerry’s originators have defaulted, but in the wider P2P industry it has happened (on other platforms). PeerBerry tries to mitigate this by picking solid partners and limiting exposure per partner, but investors should acknowledge this risk. It’s partly why diversification and not putting all your money in one originator or one platform is wise.

How does the buyback guarantee work exactly?

The buyback guarantee means if a borrower is late by more than 60 days, the loan originator will automatically buy back the loan from the investor. You will receive the remaining principal and any interest that was accrued (often platforms pay full scheduled interest for the period the loan was outstanding). On PeerBerry, nearly all loans have this guarantee; the ones that don’t are typically secured loans (like real estate with collateral). The originator usually fulfills buyback within a few days after the 60-day mark. This mechanism has worked very well – it’s why investors haven’t lost money even when some borrowers defaulted, because the lender paid insteadrethink-p2p.de. However, remember that buyback is only as good as the company behind it – it’s not an insurance fund, it’s a corporate commitment. So far, all originators on PeerBerry honored their buybacks even during COVID and war delays (sometimes with a bit of delay, but interest was paid for the wait). It’s one of the key reasons PeerBerry is seen as one of the safer P2P options.