When it comes to shaking up traditional industries, Matt Mawdesley is at the forefront of change. As the co-founder and CEO of Morpheus Lending, Matt is leading the charge in digitising the specialist lending market—a space long overdue for innovation. With a career spanning banking, venture capital, and fintech, he brings a unique blend of financial expertise and technological vision to the table.

Revolutionising Specialist Lending

Specialist lending in the UK has remained largely unchanged for decades, with legacy processes relying heavily on paper, Excel spreadsheets, and manual underwriting. “We’ve got 400 specialist lenders in the UK, many of which have been around for 30, 40, 50 years,” Matt explains. “The technology hasn’t kept pace with the market.”

Morpheus Lending is changing that. “We’ve built the UK’s first fully digital specialist lending platform,” Matt says. “By integrating 12 different pieces of technology, we streamline the entire mortgage process—eliminating paperwork and making everything more efficient for brokers and customers alike.”

The results speak for themselves. While the average bridging loan in the UK takes 58 days to complete, Morpheus aims to bring that down to just 7–10 days. “Bridging finance is meant to be short-term, yet the process is anything but fast,” Matt notes. “We’ve cut out a huge amount of administrative burden—email chains, faxing, scanning. Yes, faxing still happens, which is absolutely mental!”

From Banking to Building Something New

Matt’s journey into fintech was shaped by a diverse career. He started in corporate banking at RBS before moving into venture capital, working with tech startups. Later, he took on a strategic role at AO.com, focusing on leveraging technology to drive commercial value. His experience at Together, a major specialist lender, was a turning point. “I spent three and a half years helping digitise an eight-billion-pound lender. That gave me the insight into how the industry worked—and what needed to change.”

With that knowledge in hand, Matt took the leap and launched Morpheus Lending. “If you start from scratch, you have a blank slate—you’re not constrained by legacy systems,” he says.

“We saw the opportunity to build something cleaner, faster, and more efficient”

“And that’s exactly what we’ve done.”

The Challenges of Starting Up

Building a business from the ground up isn’t without its hurdles. “The biggest challenge? Balancing everything,” Matt admits. “One minute you’re paying invoices for the office, the next you’re making high-level strategic decisions. It’s stressful, but I love it.”

Despite the pressure, he wouldn’t have it any other way. “There’s something different about doing it for yourself. You see the output, you feel the impact. It’s tough, but it’s incredibly rewarding.”

And his proudest moment? “It’s about to happen,” he says with a grin. “Our first deal is set to go out the door this week. We’ve even got whiskey glasses ready in the office to celebrate!”

Looking Ahead

For Matt, the next 12–24 months are all about “controlled scalability.” “Getting money out the door is easy,” he says. “What’s harder is ensuring we do it the right way—with the right customers, the right risk profile, and the right returns.”

His focus is on refining and expanding Morpheus’ technology. “What we’ve built is great, but I see it as an MVP. We’ll keep investing in AI and automation to make it even better.” The company also plans to extend its product range, moving beyond bridging loans into commercial mortgages and buy-to-let.

Giving Back to the Community

A self-described “jack of all trades,” Matt is always happy to share his experience with fellow members at Ministry of Work.

“I’ve got a great network – lawyers, accountants, tech specialists, investors. If I can help connect the dots for someone, I will.”

Having spent years on the other side of the table as an investor, he’s also keen to support startups. “If anyone needs a second pair of eyes on a pitch deck or fundraising strategy, I’m more than happy to help.”

Beyond Work: Food, Travel, and a Bit of Wisdom

Outside of work, Matt is a serious foodie. “I’ve just booked six Michelin stars’ worth of meals—so you can tell I’ve finally started paying myself again!” he jokes. He also loves travelling and hopes to fit in more holidays this year.

As for the best advice he’s ever received? That comes from his dad. “Circa 1997, he told me: ‘If you’re going to be a bear, be a grizzly.’ In other words, if you’re going to do something, do it properly. Give it everything. That’s stuck with me ever since.”

For those wanting to connect, Matt is always open for a chat. “LinkedIn is probably best, but if you see me around the office, just knock on the door. I’m always happy to talk.”

With Morpheus Lending set to disrupt a traditionally slow-moving industry, it’s clear that Matt is taking his dad’s advice to heart—going all in and redefining what’s possible in specialist lending.