Connective and Brighten launch new white label product

Publication Date: Friday, 30 May 2025
This article originally appeared in The Adviser.

The new product targets underserved borrowers in the alternative lending space.

Connective Home Loans (CHL) and non-bank lender Brighten have partnered to launch a new white label lending product for brokers.

Connective Horizon is designed to give brokers access to lending options in often overlooked customer areas, including finance for non-resident Australian expats and specialised commercial securities.

CHL, the white label home loan portfolio of aggregator Connective, said the new product targets strong demand across expat, non-resident, self-employed, construction, vacant land, and commercial lending.

The product marks the seventh white label product under the CHL portfolio.

In addition to full doc and alt doc loans for prime and near prime borrowers, Connective Horizon also offers expats and non-residents loans, construction loans, vacant land loans, and bridging loans.

Commercial full doc, alt doc, and lease doc loans, along with short-term asset lending loans, are also available.

Connective Horizon is live and available exclusively through the CHL portfolio to Connective member mortgage brokers.

Commenting on the new product, Connective CEO Glenn Lees said: “With Connective Horizon, we’re delivering what the market is asking for.

“We’re confident this product will help brokers unlock new opportunities and support a broader range of clients. We’re proud to partner with Brighten to bring this unique solution to market.”

Chris Meaker, head of sales and distribution at Brighten, said partnering with Connective had expanded Brighten’s reach, connecting the lender with over 5,000 brokers.

“Connective Horizon gives brokers access to more options and opens up segments they may have previously struggled to serve, creating new opportunities to grow and diversify their client base,” Meaker said.

The product launch comes as non-standard lending continues to expand at Connective, now accounting for 15 per cent of all new transactions by the aggregator’s members, almost doubling from just 8 per cent two years ago.

The trend reflects a shift in broker and borrower behaviour, Connective said, with more clients seeking lending options beyond those offered by traditional banks.

“Connective Horizon isn’t just another loan product,” said Michael Goerner, head of CHL.

“It’s a response to the demand from brokers for lending solutions they’ve struggled to access until now – like expat lending, non-resident borrowers and specialised commercial securities. We’ve added this solution to help brokers diversify and grow their business.”

Jason Azzopardi, Brighten CEO, said Connective Horizon is well-positioned to serve borrowers in fast-growing markets across Australia’s major capital cities.

“Brighten possesses deep experience delivering the most comprehensive breadth of products in the non-bank sector. We’ve developed a one-stop-shop for brokers ranging from competitive prime full doc and alt doc loans to our niche products across commercial, construction, bridging, expat and non-resident loans,” Azzopardi said.

After reporting a rise in applications and settlements, CHL’s Goerner attributed growth to ongoing product diversification that had boosted broker engagement.

For instance, in October, Connective Home Loans partnered with non-bank lender Bridgit to roll out a bridging loan solution.

Its product offering also includes Connective Advance, funded by Thinktank, which provides loans for those wishing to purchase or refinance a commercial property or borrow in their self-managed super fund (SMSF).