Collin Crowdfund: Germany third of total volume

Collin Crowdfund has been active in Germany for over a year. Successfully so: last year it already achieved 95 million with German projects. We spoke about this with managing director Jeroen ter Huurne.

In the Netherlands, investment sentiment is under pressure. Both by tax changes, as by geopolitical changes in the world. However, Collin Crowdfund, a crowdfunding platform for SME financing with a focus on real estate, does not yet see an impact.

‘Sentiment drives renewed interest’

According to Ter Huurne, developments in the Middle East have actually led to renewed interest in the platform. “We saw many new registrations again, and higher volumes among existing investors. There is more than enough capital to continue growing.”

Including in Germany. These projects already account for about one third of total volume, and Ter Huurne expects to close the year at a similar level. “For 2026, we are targeting a total volume of around 500 million euro, of which 150 million euro will come from German projects.” This could allow Collin to reach the milestone of 1.5 billion euro in total volume as early as this summer.

‘Milestone of 1.5 billion euro in total volume already within reach this summer’

Higher interest rates and average deal size

Notably, interest rates are somewhat higher than in the Netherlands. In an earlier interview, Ter Huurne explained that this is because private debt financing is not allowed in Germany. “As a result, German entrepreneurs perceive our rates as affordable.”

On average, SMEs in Germany are also larger than in the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, Collin now finances close to 1 million per case, while in Germany the average is 2.6 million euro per case. Still, some investors prefer to invest in projects with lower funding amounts, or Dutch projects, as they are easier to assess.

‘Financing based on repayment capacity’

Ter Huurne understands this: “I can see why it is harder for Dutch investors to assess foreign projects. That is why we have our own team of 5 people in Germany, fully focused on this. For further growth, we already have two new vacancies open.”

He does not see the higher investment size as a higher risk. “We do not finance based solely on collateral, but mainly on repayment capacity. With slightly larger companies, this is often easier to assess.” The well-known advice to diversify remains important, but Ter Huurne believes the German team is performing well: “Investing in crowdfunding involves risks, and unfortunately we have already seen some delays in Germany, but overall I am very satisfied with the results so far.”

‘Very satisfied with the German results so far’