National Reptile Zoo in Kilkenny raises €40,000 through Linked Finance

The National Reptile Zoo in Gowran has raised a €40,000 loan through Linked Finance, Ireland’s leading peer-to-peer (P2P) lender. The unique and intriguing visitor centre is Ireland’s only reptile-dedicated centre and will use the funds to expand the Zoo to a larger facility closer to Kilkenny City Centre in Autumn.

 The National Reptile Zoo is a labour of love for James Hennessy. Having led science-based expeditions to the tropics, he is one of the lucky people to turn his passion into a successful business. Established in 2016, the zoo is home to 200 animals and 50 different species including alligators, six-foot-long Monitor lizards, rattle snakes, cobras and poison dart frogs.

 James showcases the wonderful creatures for others to experience and learn about the reptiles in the Kilkenny-based visitor centre. The visitor centre has managed to blend conservation, education and exploration of all thing’s reptile into a thriving business.

 Both visitor numbers and reptile numbers are steadily increasing, with over 30,000 visitors to the zoo in 2018. The loan will facilitate the growth and expansion of the business and until opening in Autumn it is business as usual in the existing zoo.

 To support the increasing growth and business expansion, James required access to fast and affordable source of funding.

 Commenting on the funding, James Hennessy, Owner, National Reptile Zoo: “Applying to the Linked Finance platform was a great experience for us. We could never have imagined how quick and hassle-free P2P finance could be. Within 24 hours our loan was evaluated and funded by Linked Finance’s lenders. Working with the platform was effortless. I would recommend them to any SME with plans for growth”.  

Niall Dorrian, CEO Linked Finance comments: ‘‘The purpose of our platform is to support great Irish businesses, like The National Reptile Zoo, and provide them with access to funding so they can unlock the full potential of their business. The National Reptile Zoo is exactly the kind of hungry, innovative and rare Irish business that Linked Finance investors love to support. The drive of Irish SMEs and their dedication to achieving their targets is essential to the continued growth of the Irish economy.’’

 Linked Finance has now provided more than 1200 loans for Irish SMEs since its launch in 2013, with more than €3 million in interest already repaid to Linked Finance lenders. In 2018, the Linked Finance platform supported 11 fantastic Kilkenny businesses to raise almost €650,000 to fund business growth. 

 Since its establishment, Linked Finance has pioneered P2P lending in Ireland. Its market-leading platform has demonstrated that there is a real appetite among Irish SMEs for new and innovative paths to funding. Lending on the site has effectively doubled each year.