Finally a good news story -Artscapy driving growth through art-secured lending. Allowing collectors to build their art collection by borrowing against their current art assets, Artscapy is bringing liquidity into the market and promoting development within a stagnating industry.
For collectors, access to financing has historically been a complex, frustrating process, burdened by hidden costs, lengthy approvals, and opaque valuations. Artscapy is streamlining this process with a seamless, data-driven, collector-first solution that makes borrowing against art effortless and transparent.
“There is a new world emerging where art and finance converge,” says Emilia De Stasio, CFA, COO and co-founder of Artscapy, and former ECB and Moody’s Investors Service. “Art financing has transformed the way collectors engage with their collections. What was once considered an illiquid asset, locking up significant capital, can now be leveraged to unlock liquidity or acquire new works more efficiently. This shift adds another positive dimension to art’s appeal as a passion investment.”
The Artscapy Difference
- Truly Investable Art: Unlike ‘get-rich-quick’ investment schemes offered by galleries, Artscapy appeals to serious collectors who see art as a long-term cultural and financial asset.
- For Collectors, By Collectors: Artscapy isn’t just another financial institution—it’s built by people who understand the art world from the inside out.
- Transparent, Streamlined, Flexible: No hidden fees, no endless paperwork. Loans are bespoke, built around the needs of the collector, with flexible terms from 3 to 36 months and the option to sell collateral through the Artscapy ecosystem if desired.
- A Price Sweet Spot: Artscapy caters to the mid-market, offering loans from £100,000 to over £1 million, helping collectors elevate their collections to the next level.
- Acting with integrity: Artscapy’s founders want to bring trust and responsible investment back to the art market.
- Data Driven: A proprietary Art Rating algorithm enhances accuracy in loan underwriting.
Using Data to Drive Growth
Artscapy has consistently been ahead of the curve when it comes to using technology to modernise and streamline processes for collectors, financing is no exception to this innovative approach.
Using the same proprietary algorithm which allows Artscapy to provide the most accurate valuations for their clients, is deployed to enhance accuracy in loan underwriting. With over 50 data driven quantitative and qualitative data markers analysed, allowing Artscapy to offer bespoke, market beating terms to borrowers. This innovation addresses a long-standing gap in the art financing space.
“Collateral valuation is a cornerstone of any reputable art lender’s underwriting process. It can also be very time-consuming and subjective. At Artscapy, our proprietary rating system analyses over 50 data points, providing a precise and objective valuation of art assets. This data-driven accuracy allows us to lend above 50% of an artwork’s value with confidence, ensuring both security and efficiency for collectors and investors.” Genia Mason, Artscapy
Filling the Gap Between Banks & Auction Houses
For collectors wanting to expand into the mid-market, the correct loan terms have typically been difficult to access. Traditional lenders offer rigid terms, a ‘my way or the highway’ approach. Auction houses tend to cater to the top of the market, institutions and individuals who are looking at executing multi-million-pound deals.
Artscapy offers up to 75% Loan-to-Value (LTV) on art-secured loans, compared to the typical 50% or below offered by large institutional lenders. This generates liquidity for a wider range of collectors at more attractive terms than generally accessible today.
For Artscapy, financing is one facet of the relationship they offer to their clients. They look to build lifetime relationships which will seem them grow with their clients, assist with their navigation of the often complex artworld and their collection management, in sourcing works and even insuring their collection. A platform run by collectors for collectors, this financing option is the latest offering from Artscapy to modernise and streamline the life of a collector.
A Market in Motion: Shifting Trends in Art Financing
Artscapy’s lending team is rapidly expanding as inquiries from wealthy collectors about leveraging their art collections rise. Traditionally, the financial industry classifies art as an “investment of passion.” Yet paradoxically, passion—rather than structured portfolio planning—often ensures above-average financial returns.
The growth of Artscapy’s lending team Is tied to a long-term shift in collector behaviour. Potentially more significant to the art world than fluctuations in interest rates, collectors are Increasingly Integrating their art holdings into their overall wealth strategy. In a downward trending market, many are choosing to borrow against their collections and Invest, rather than cash-out.
This comes in the midst of what The New York Times has dubbed ‘The Great Wealth Transfer.’ With an estimated $85 billion In assets set to change hands over the coming years to Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z, a younger generation of Investors Increasingly view art as a tangible asset and financial tool, rather than a static possession. The strong growth Artscapy has seen among young collectors In North America and EMEA reflects this evolving mindset.
“Many collectors turn to Artscapy for loans instead of auction houses or banks, which often have their own agendas—whether securing the artwork for future consignment or taking months to process a loan. With Artscapy, collectors have immediate access to capital, allowing them to negotiate more effectively at art fairs or with galleries. Knowing you have liquidity at your fingertips gives you the power to act decisively, seize opportunities, and strategically grow your collection.” — Genia, Artscapy
A Growing Market with Massive Potential
The global art-secured lending market, currently valued at $30 billion, is expected to grow by 10% annually over the next few years. As collectors increasingly view their art as capital, the demand for art-secured loans continues to rise. With current projections are to expand secured lending to £5M+ this year Artscapy is poised to become the go-to solution for collectors looking to grow, invest, and leverage their collections without the headache of conventional financing.
As the art market seeks fresh momentum, Artscapy is leading the charge—providing the liquidity, trust, and innovation that collectors need now more than ever.
