Viainvest Review 2026: Double-Digit Returns for 10 Years!

Key Takeaways

Viainvest is a Latvian P2P platform on which investors can invest in buyback-secured consumer loans and earn a return of up to 13%. The platform launched operations in December 2016.
The platform belongs to the VIA SMS Group, a fintech company that was established in 2009 and that offers a range of different financial services in addition to Viainvest.
The platform is operated by SIA Viainvest, which has been regulated by the Latvian financial supervisory authority under MiFID II since 2021.
No defaults or repayment delays, combined with attractive interest rates. With this formula, investors were able to achieve an annual return above 10% since the platform’s launch.
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My Investment at Viainvest
Invested from: April 2019 – März 2026  ·  Return: 11,15%  ·  Exited ⏹
My Portfolio

What is Viainvest?

viainvest-logoViainvest is a regulated P2P platform from Latvia where investors can benefit from a variety of international short-term consumer loans, while earning a return of up to 13%.

The platform is part of the Latvian VIA SMS Group, a holding company that was founded in 2009. The group offers a range of different financial products and services. In addition to Viainvest and the expanding lending operations, this also includes the digital payment platform VIALET. Over the past decade, the Group has managed to build and establish a profitable business model in one of the most strictly regulated loan segments.

Since September 2021, the platform is supervised and controlled by the financial authority in Latvia and regulated in accordance with MiFID II. This means that investors’ accounts of up to EUR 20,000 are protected against misappropriation or insolvency of the platform by the investor compensation system.

The popularity of the Viainvest platform is regularly reflected within the annual community voting. One reason for this is that Viainvest – despite some inconsistencies in the past – has always made reliable repayments and has not yet incurred any losses for investors.

Viainvest at a Glance

All key facts and figures about Viainvest at a glance.

Founded / Started: August 2016 / December 2016
Legal Name: SIA Viainvest (LINK)
Headquarter: Riga, Latvia
Regulated: Yes (Financial and Capital Market Commission)
CEO: Eduards Lapkovskis (December 2016)
Assets Under Management: EUR 61+ Million
Number of Investors: 47.000+
Expected Return: Up to 13%
Primary Loan Type: Consumer Loans
Collateral: Buyback Guarantee

Business Model

SIA VIAINVEST is a licensed investment brokerage company and not a classic P2P platform in the sense of direct loan origination. The platform therefore operates as an intermediary and is subject to MiFID II requirements.

The company is financed exclusively through commission income. In the 2025 financial year, Viainvest generated revenue of EUR 1.54 million, of which EUR 1.48 million came from platform commissions. This means loan originators pay a fee in order to raise funding via the P2P platform.


Ownership and Management

Who are the main shareholders and management executives behind Viainvest? Let’s have a look!

Viainvest Ownership

Who owns Viainvest? The platform is operated by the Latvian “SIA Viainvest”, which in turn is owned by the Latvian company AS VIA SMS Group. A look at the Latvian company register reveals that the parent company is currently owned by two shareholders:

  • 80% of the shares belong to “RED HOLDING”, which is owned by the Latvian Georgijs Krasovickis.
  • 20% of the shares belong to “Financial Investment”, which is owned by the Latvian Andris Riekstins.

Viainvest-Review-Ownership

Georgijs Krasovickis is one of the founding members of the company. At the same time, he is also obtaining one of three board member roles. Behind “SIA Financial Investment” is the 52-year-old Latvian Andris Riekstins. He ownes 20% of the shares in the company since 2012.

Viainvest Management

SIA Viainvest has a slightly different corporate structure to many other P2P platforms. Instead of a traditional CEO, there are three Supervisory Board members. Chairman of the board is Latvian Eduards Lapkovskis. He has been working for the VIA SMS Group since March 2010.

Viainvest-Review-Management

Investors can look at the other team members on the website of the Viainvest platform.


Sign Up and Bonus

To invest on Viainvest, investors must meet three requirements:

  • A minimum age of 18 years,
  • a residence in the European Economic Area
  • and a European bank account.

The registration process at Viainvest is fairly simple and intuitive.

Viainvest-Review-Sign-Up

  • Entering the profile information (including name, email, password)
  • Entering personal information (e.g. address, date of birth, ID card details)
  • AML & KYC questionnaires
  • Final verification of identity (via Veriff)

Currently, legal entities can’t register on Viainvest.

Viainvest Bonus

If you consider investing on Viainvest, a sign up through this link will enable you to get a cashback bonus of 1% in the first 90 days after registration.

A platform overview with all bonus offers and cashback promotions can be found on the bonus page.

Viainvest Forum

The P2P lending industry is a fast-moving environment. Hence, make sure to stay on top of all relevant information by subscribing to my channels on Telegram or WhatsApp. This way, you will always receive the latest information from the P2P industry, including platform news regarding Viainvest. 


Investing on Viainvest

How does Viainvest work and what should investors know and consider when investing on the plaform? In the following sections of my Viainvest review you will find all the necessary information that you need.

Asset-Backed Securities

On 28 September 2021, Viainvest obtained an IBF licence and became a regulated platform by the Financial and Capital Market Commission (FCMC). As a result, investors no longer invest in loans structured in the form of assignment agreements, but in a regulated financial product, in short: ABS (asset-backed securities). This is a combined bundle of several individual loans. However, the default risk remains unchanged.

Loan Offering

The ABS on Viainvest are primarily private and unsecured consumer loans. These are pre-funded by individual non-bank lenders affiliated with the VIA SMS Group.

Viainvest-Review-Asset-Backed-Securities

The borrower countries are mainly located in Europe. These include Latvia, Sweden, Czech Republic and Romania. The outstanding portfolio on Viainvest is currently distributed as follows:

  • Latvia: 69.11% (viasms.lv)
  • Sweden: 24.53% (viaconto.se)
  • Czech Republic: 5.14% (viasms.cz)
  • Romania: 1.22% (viaconto.ro)

The term of the loans is usually up to 182 days. In some cases, the term can also be up to 365 days.

Costs and Fees

Viainvest-Review-FeesThere are no fees or hidden costs for retail investors on Viainvest. Neither for deposits or withdrawals, nor for the functionalities when investing on the platform. Compared to many other P2P lending platforms, this is unfortunately not the standard anymore.

Expected Returns

The interest rates on Viainvest can vary depending on the borrower country and market phase. In general, interest rates range between 10% and 13%. This can be considered a competitive interest rate appropriate to the underlying risk.

Based on my Viainvest experiences as an active investor, I can confirm the reliable return expectation in the double-digit percentage range.

Viainvest-Review-Return

My personal return on Viainvest, after 6+ years with the platform, is at 11.17%.

Auto Invest

Viainvest-Review-Auto-InvestInvestors can invest in ABS either manually or via Auto Invest functionality. Within the auto invest feature, certain investment criteria can be defined in advance and later on the returns are automatically reinvested.

The Viainvest Auto Invest allows the following settings to be configured:

  • Minimum investment amount: From EUR 50
  • Interest rate: Up to 13%
  • Loan term: Up to 365 days
  • Borrower countries: Latvia, Sweden, Czech Republic, Romania 
  • Buyback guarantee: Automatically applied

There is currently no secondary market at Viainvest. This means that the loans cannot be sold before the end of the term.

However, due to the short loan terms, a secondary market is only necessary to a limited extent.

Buyback Guarantee

Also Viainvest is offering the frequently used buyback guarantee. As soon as a borrower fails to make a payment on time, the lender is obliged to buy back the loan after 60 days of delayed repayments.

Viainvest-Review-Buyback-Guarantee

The buyback guarantee covers both the capital and the accrued interest. To date, Viainvest has always honored this obligation.


Viainvest Taxes

In principle, interest income generated by loan financing is considered investment income and must be reported as such in the tax declaration. After obtaining the investment brokerage firm license in 2021, Viainvest is now legally required to also withhold taxes on interest income that is collected through regulated financial instruments.

The applied tax rate is based on the country of tax residency and the tax information that are submitted.

  • 20% for investors from Latvia
  • 20% for investors outside the EU or EEA
  • 5% for investors with residency in the EU or EEA (except Latvia)
  • 0% for investors from Lithuania (tax certificate required)
  • 0% for legal entities

When paying taxes in your country of residence, the withheld taxes can usually be deducted from the overall balance. This means that the effective taxation rate will be the same as it has been before when investing into claim rights. To get access to the relevant data, Viainvest offers to download tax reports and income statements from the platform.


Viainvest Risks

Investors should look very carefully at the potential risk factors when evaluating a P2P platform. What is it that investors need to be aware of when it comes to Viainvest? Where are the underlying risks and how can they be assessed?

Platform Risk

The platform, operated by SIA Viainvest, obtained an investment brokerage licence issued by the Latvian Central Bank in September 2021. As a result, the platform is subject to the requirements of the MiFID II Financial Markets Directive.

As a result, investors’ accounts are protected by the investor compensation system in Latvia with up to EUR 20,000 in the event of the platform’s insolvency or misappropriation of investor funds. Possible defaults by lenders are not covered though.

Viainvest-Review-Risk-Management

Due to regulation, Viainvest is obliged to regularly prepare audited annual financial statements. However, these have always been published even before regulation.

As one of the few Latvian platforms, the transition process to a regulated business unit has also uncovered some problems and weaknesses at Viainvest:

  • For a long time, the account balances did not reflect the actual value of the investment.
  • The buyback guarantee, which could have been initiated after 120 days for the credit lines, was cancelled retroactively. As a result, these can now be extended indefinitely.
  • Auto Invest settings have been switched, without investor consent, to investments in asset-backed securities with a maturity of 180 days.

Viainvest also failed to comply with certain requirements from the Latvian regulator, so the company received a fine of EUR 21,000 in addition to other conditions.


Financial Stability

The financial stability of a P2P platform is a key risk factor. Is Viainvest able to operate profitably? And what conclusions can be drawn from the balance sheet?

Auditor: BDO Assurance SIA

Established and independent audit firm (Top 10 worldwide).

Standard: IFRS

Internationally recognised standard. Transparent and comparable.

The financial statements of SIA VIAINVEST have been reviewed by BDO Assurance since 2022 and audited in accordance with IFRS standards. The results can be downloaded from the legal page.

Profitability

The VIAINVEST platform has remained consistently profitable in recent years. In the 2025 financial year, a profit of EUR 228,361 was generated.

Viainvest-Review-Profitability

The decline in profit compared to the previous year, despite stable revenue income, can mainly be attributed to two factors: First, depreciation expenses increased from EUR 9,130 to EUR 305,594, which was a direct result of investments in platform development. Second, employee expenses also increased by approximately EUR 209,000. The additional expenses were therefore largely investment-related, while revenue remained stable and the operational core of the business appears healthy.

Balance Sheet

Equity increased by EUR 800,000 to EUR 2,213,605 in the 2025 financial year, mainly due to a capital increase by the parent company AS VIA SMS Group as well as retained earnings from the previous year amounting to EUR 724,430. As a result, the equity ratio reached an exceptionally high level of 88.5%.

Viainvest-Review-Balance-Sheet

The debt-to-equity ratio is also extremely low at 0.13. In other words, for every EUR 1 of equity, the company has only EUR 0.13 in liabilities. The balance sheet contains no long-term liabilities, only short-term operational obligations. The liquidity ratio is also very comfortable at 3.42. Current assets are therefore able to cover short-term liabilities by more than three times.

Overall, VIAINVEST has a conservative and debt-free financing structure combined with stable revenue streams. For a P2P platform of this size, the balance sheet quality is exceptionally strong.


Lender Risk

Even if the platform operates in a supposedly safe environment, the expected return on Viainvest is largely dependent on the performance of the individual lenders. How should this risk be assessed?

First of all, you should know that all lenders on Viainvest belong to its own parent company, the VIA SMS Group. Having no external lenders to deal with means a significantly bigger control that can be exercised with regard to the risk management of the lenders.

To date, there have been no problems with lenders where outstanding receivables could not be serviced. As Viainvest operates in the PayDay loan market, which is one of the most restricted and regulated loan segments, this is a positive sign in terms of the platform’s risk management.

Viainvest-Review-Loan-Originator-Risk

If a loan by the lender defaults, the buy-back guarantee is then triggered. In this case, the outstanding receivables are reimbursed by the lender, including accrued interest. If the lender has difficulties servicing those receivables, the VIA SMS parent company steps in.

Only if repayment problems arise at this stage, potential losses might happen to investors. This is why it is so crucial to take a close look at the financial situation of the guarantee issuer when analysing the risk.


Viainvest in Crisis Situations

In the recent past, P2P platforms have had to overcome several crisis situations. These included the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine. How did Viainvest deal with these situations?

Covid-19 Pandemic

Viainvest reacted very calmly after the outbreak of the pandemic. Internally, only around 10% of employees had to be laid off. Because Viainvest had already pursued a conservative growth strategy for years in the past, there were far fewer adjustments and changes than with other P2P platforms.

On a positive note, it should be emphasised that there were no negative effects for investors. The buyback guarantee was honoured at all times, as were the payout requests, which were processed immediately. In addition, no moratoria or changes to the terms of use were introduced that would have had a negative impact on investors’ interests. Compared to other competitors, Viainvest performed as promised in advance.

Economically though, the pandemic has left its mark on Viainvest. Although the turnover has slightly increased, expenses have risen at a much faster pace. After seven consecutive years of profitable business results, the company concluded a loss of EUR 280,000 in 2020.

War in Ukraine

At first glance, the war in Ukraine has not had a direct impact on Viainvest, as the platform’s lending markets are located only in Europe. The decision not to be active in the CIS markets was made on purpose in order to avoid geopolitical risks or strong currency fluctuations.

But even if the lending markets are not directly affected by the war in Ukraine, the economic consequences of the war may be felt in the Baltic States as well. In this regard, Viainvest is watching the situation in Ukraine very closely.


Is Viainvest a Safe P2P Platform?

Viainvest-Review-Onsite-MeetingViainvest is an established and at the same time crisis-tested platform that has proven to be safe and reliable in the past. Another advantage is that Viainvest has been operating as a regulated P2P platform since 2021 and is therefore subject to supervision by a financial authority.

The financial strength of the parent company is also a major advantage in terms of safety. In addition, audited annual reports have been published regularly since 2012 to provide information on the company’s financial situation. Viainvest can therefore be considered as a safe P2P platform.

In the past, I have visited the Viainvest team in Riga several times and exchanged ideas with the platform’s key decision-makers. The first meeting took place in April 2019, while the last visit happened in June 2024.

At my latest visit, I exchanged thoughts with the Viainvest team, in particular with supervisory board member Tatjana Kulapina. The whole Viainvest team made a knowledgable and reliable impression on me in both meetings.


Advantages and Disadvantages

In this section, I have listed the biggest advantages and disadvantages of Viainvest.

Advantages
Track Record: Operational since 2016
Regulation: Licensed as a European investment firm, regulated under MiFID II
Investor Funds: Legally supervised separation of investor and company funds
Transparency: Audited financial statements are published on a regular basis
Portfolio Quality: Sustainably low default rate (< 5%)
Losses: No capital losses for investors on the platform to date
Auto Invest: Automated investment option available
Returns: Competitive interest rates in the P2P lending market
Parent Company: Supported by a large and established company (VIA SMS Group)
Market Size: More than EUR 50 million in assets under management
Costs: No fees or costs for investors
Disadvantages
⚠️ Liquidity: No secondary market or early exit option
⚠️ Withholding Taxes: Withholding taxes are retained for private investors
⚠️ Conflicts of Interest: Shareholder overlaps between platform and lenders
⚠️ Terms & Conditions: The platform can implement immediate changes to its terms of use without investor consent

Summary Viainvest Review

Viainvest-Review-P2P-Lending-2024What is the final verdict of my Viainvest review?

Viainvest is an established and mature P2P platform from Latvia that has started operations in 2016, while being a regulated entity since 2022. 

The positive aspects of Viainvest are its long track record, the transparency applied in most areas, its financial stability and reliable repayments, which have enabled investors to achieve double-digit returns every year.

In addition, there are rarely any complications or problem cases. Viainvest generally delivers what was promised in advance.

Some events during the transition period of becoming a regulated P2P platform have shown that Viainvest can also experience disruptions. The resources required to reorganise the platform’s IT were simply poorly deployed. However, these are only minor glitches in an otherwise very smoothly running engine.

For investors who want to invest on regulated P2P platforms, while having the prospect of achieving competitive double-digit returns, Viainvest is a strong and stable alternative worth considering for your P2P portfolio.


Viainvest Alternatives

Already invested in Viainvest? Or looking for similar platforms? Here are three Viainvest alternatives from the P2P market.

TWINO: A regulated P2P marketplace from Latvia with a long-standing track record and a focus on financing unsecured consumer loans from Poland. Like Viainvest, TWINO is backed by an experienced parent company with an international presence in the lending business. Both platforms share the Latvian home market as a common starting point and have previously shared resources during their expansion into Asia. More information in my TWINO review.

Nectaro: A regulated P2P marketplace based in Latvia, operating under MiFID II regulations and backed by an internationally established group. Loans are primarily used to fund the lending operations of the parent company. Affiliated loan originators offer competitive interest rates and a solid track record. More information in my Nectaro review.

Afranga: A regulated P2P marketplace based in Bulgaria, holding an ECSP licence. Like Viainvest, Afranga serves primarily as a financing channel for the lending business of its parent company. Stands out through competitive interest rates and a notably clean performance record with no capital losses for investors to date. More information in my Afranga review.

You can find other Viainvest alternatives on the P2P Platform Comparison page.


Affiliate Links / Conflict of InterestDisclaimer
This article contains affiliate links. If you register and/or invest through one of these links, the operator receives a commission. The compensation has no influence on the opinion or the evaluation of the platform. Potential conflicts of interest can be looked up on the “P2P Portfolio” page.
Investments in P2P loans involve risks and may result in the complete loss of the invested capital. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future developments. The following content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Despite careful research, no guarantee is given for the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information provided. No liability is accepted for any financial losses or investment decisions made based on the information presented here. For more details, see the full disclaimer.

FAQ Viainvest Review

✅ What is Viainvest?

Viainvest is a Latvian P2P platform, active since December 2016, where investors can invest in consumer loans. The loans are secured by a buyback guarantee. Interest rates can reach up to 13%.

✅ Is Viainvest safe?

Viainvest has been regulated by the Latvian financial supervisory authority (FCMC) in accordance with MiFID II since September 2021. In the event of insolvency, investor funds are protected up to €20,000. The loan originator risk must be considered separately, as it is not covered by the licensing.

✅ What returns can I expect from Viainvest?

The interest rates on the loans can vary depending on the loan originator and market conditions, often ranging between 10% and 13%. My personal overall return after more than six years is 11.2%.

✅ Is there a secondary market on Viainvest?

No. Loans on Viainvest cannot be sold early. Investors must therefore hold the loans in their portfolio until maturity. The shortest loan term currently is 182 days.

✅ How are Viainvest returns taxed?

Interest income is treated as capital gains and must be declared in your tax return. Viainvest withholds 5% withholding tax for EU/EEA investors, which can generally be offset against taxes owed in your country of residence.

I’m Denny Neidhardt, the founder of re:think P2P. On this blog, I help retail investors make smarter, well-informed investment decisions in the world of P2P lending. Since 2019, I’ve been publishing in-depth analyses, platform reviews, and risk assessments to bring more transparency to this investment space. My goal is to challenge marketing claims, question developments, and empower investors with honest, independent insights.

One comment

  1. Hi Denny, im an Irish national and relatively new to P2P investment concept, however I find your videos very informative. I have invested small stakes in both Peerberry and Mintos to start off with but would appreciate your thoughts on the following two questions:
    a) Loans available on Peerberry seem to be longer term and I am interested in medium-higher risk 60-240 day offerings. Could you please provide recommendations on these.
    b) Geopolitics; in a worst case scenario of worsening geopolitical climate-im thinking specifically Eastern European countries, what effect would that have on Latvian or Lithuanian investments and would it be a safer option to concentrate more on central European offerings?
    I apologise for any naivety in the questions but I am still learning the guidelines. Thanks in advance for your time.
    Sincerely,
    Martin Lyons.

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