8percent
Overview
8percent (에잇퍼센트) is a South Korean fintech company that operates a peer-to-peer (P2P) lending brokerage platform as its core business. Founded in 2016, it provides legitimate loan brokerage services through registration as an online investment-linked finance business (온투업), connecting investors with stable profit opportunities and borrowers with reasonably priced loan products. 8percent aims to improve inefficiencies in the traditional financial system and enable more people to access financial services by utilizing a data-driven credit evaluation model.
Main Content
Founding Background and History
8percent was founded in March 2016 by CEO Kim Min-jun (김민준) and co-founder Lee Hyo-jin (이효진). Initially starting as a P2P lending platform, it built an ecosystem where individual investors could invest small amounts in loan products and borrowers could raise funds at lower interest rates than banks. In 2017, it was registered as a P2P lending brokerage with the Financial Services Commission, and in 2020, upon the enforcement of the Online Investment-Linked Finance Business Act, it completed formal registration as an online investment-linked finance business. Since then, it has continuously expanded its product lineup, building a diverse portfolio including real estate secured loans, personal credit loans, and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) loans.
Main Services
8percent's core services are broadly divided into investment products and loan products. Investment products include personal credit loans, real estate project financing (PF) loans, and SME loans, with investors able to invest from as little as 10,000 KRW. Loan products include personal credit loans, sole proprietor loans, and real estate secured loans. 8percent evaluates borrowers' creditworthiness using its proprietary credit evaluation model (8Score), which determines interest rates and limits. In particular, 8Score utilizes more diverse data points (income, spending patterns, job stability, etc.) compared to traditional credit evaluation methods, designed to allow those with limited financial history to receive fair assessments.
Revenue Model
8percent's primary revenue source is loan brokerage fees. It deducts a certain percentage fee from the principal and interest repaid by borrowers and pays net profits to investors. Additionally, it operates delinquency management and debt collection services, as well as a reserve fund system for investor protection, enhancing platform reliability. As of 2023, 8percent surpassed 1 trillion KRW in cumulative loan origination, recording annual revenue of over 20 billion KRW.
Investor Protection and Risk Management
8percent has established several mechanisms for investor protection. First, all loan products are原则上 secured or guaranteed; for real estate secured loans, the loan-to-value ratio (LTV) is maintained at 70% or below through appraisal. Second, in case of delinquency, debt collection procedures are initiated within 30 days, and legal action is taken for delinquencies exceeding 90 days. Third, investors are clearly informed of the risk grade (1 to 5) of loan products to aid investment decisions. Additionally, 8percent manages its delinquency rate internally; as of 2024, the overall delinquency rate remains below 2.5%, lower than the industry average.
Regulatory Compliance and Legal Status
8percent is a legitimate online investment-linked finance business registered with the Financial Services Commission under the Online Investment-Linked Finance Business Act. Accordingly, it must comply with various regulations for investor protection; for example, individual investors have an annual investment limit (up to 50 million KRW depending on income). Furthermore, 8percent undergoes regular inspections by the Financial Supervisory Service and must disclose its financial status and loan portfolio soundness. In 2023, it was designated as an 'Innovative Financial Service' by the Financial Services Commission, receiving partial regulatory sandbox application.
Recent Trends
In 2024–2025, 8percent is pursuing new strategies alongside the maturation of the P2P lending market. First, it has advanced its AI-based credit evaluation model to enable more accurate risk prediction and personalized interest rate offers. Second, it is reducing the proportion of real estate PF loan products and focusing on personal credit loans and SME loans, a portfolio restructuring interpreted as a response to real estate market uncertainty. Third, in the second half of 2024, it launched a premium service called '8percent Plus,' offering customized investment products for high-net-worth individuals. Fourth, in early 2025, it is exploring overseas expansion, testing P2P lending services in Southeast Asian markets (particularly Vietnam and Indonesia) in collaboration with local partners. Additionally, despite recent interest rate hikes, 8percent has maintained annual returns of 6–12% for investors, demonstrating stable performance. However, in response to the industry-wide trend of rising delinquency rates, it is strengthening risk management systems and expanding loan loss provisions.
Related Topics
- [[P2P lending]]
- [[Fintech]]
- [[Online investment-linked finance business]]
- [[Credit evaluation model]]
- [[Real estate PF]]