Non-bank lender marks two decades in the business with record-breaking AUM
Thinktank is turning 20 – and it's marking the occasion in style, having recently passed $10 billion in assets under management (AUM) as it heads into its third decade of diversified property lending.
Founded in 2006 with a proposition built exclusively around commercial property lending for brokers, Thinktank has since grown into one of Australia's leading non-bank property lenders, funding more than $20 billion in residential and commercial property loans over its lifetime.
A record year
The $10 billion AUM milestone comes on the back of a standout FY26, with loan settlements reaching $5.2 billion – up 41% on the previous financial year. That included $3.3 billion in residential lending, $1.1 billion in combined self-managed super fund (SMSF) lending, and $640 million in traditional commercial lending.
Thinktank chief executive Jonathan Street (pictured) said hitting $10 billion in the company's 20th year reflected two decades of diversification, while staying anchored to the specialist lending capability the business was built on.
"When we started in 2006, our proposition was to bring set and forget commercial lending options with full commissions to the broker market, supported by people who genuinely understood commercial credit and embraced the role brokers play," Street said.
"Over the past 20 years we've diversified considerably across commercial, residential, SMSF and private lending, and developed broader funding and asset management capabilities, but that specialist, complex lending pedigree remains fundamental to who we are."
Built on broker relationships
Street was quick to point out that the numbers only tell part of the story. Thinktank now employs 210 people across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, and credits long-standing relationships with all of Australia's major mortgage broker aggregation groups as central to its growth.
"We have more than 200 people across the country today, and the experience, commitment and care they bring to the business has been fundamental to what we've achieved," he said, crediting foundational leaders including Per Amundsen, Peter Kearns, Peter Vala and James Henshaw, who have since retired.
"Thinktank has always been an exclusively broker-introduced business. We simply would not be what we are today without those brokers who have supported us, trusted us with assisting their clients and grown alongside us over the past 20 years."
Looking ahead
Street said the anniversary was as much a moment to recognise Thinktank's broker and aggregation partners as its own growth.
"Twenty years has seen enormous change across lending, property, technology and the broker market, and there will unquestionably be plenty more change ahead. As we enter our third decade, our task is to keep evolving while holding onto the things that matter – sound credit perspective, specialist expertise, sharing our experience, strong relationships and being a genuine partner to the people we work with."
