AI Compliance for Bridging Lenders: Curvestone Joins Barclays

Curvestone AI, an AI compliance platform built for regulated financial services, is one of only 25 companies selected for the Barclays Eagle Labs Scaleup Programme. Delivered by Plexal, it is a four-month hybrid programme for high-growth UK tech companies facing the challenges of scaling. Each month covers one growth pillar: - leadership and operations - commercial performance - customer retention and expansion - funding strategy.

Sessions combine expert-led workshops with input from founders who have scaled their own businesses. The cohort’s first session was held at the NACFB Patron’s Innovation Hub, powered by Eagle Labs, in Shoreditch.

Curvestone's live products include compliance file checks for bridging applications, development finance, commercial mortgages and second charge lending. Users report that file reviews that normally take two to three hours can be cut to minutes, freeing compliance staff for feedback and coaching. Adoption is growing across the intermediary market. In October 2026, Curvestone partnered with Connect for Intermediaries to automate compliance reviews across more than 350 member firms.

For specialist lenders weighing AI tools, accountability is the key regulatory point. The FCA does not prohibit AI, but under Consumer Duty and the Senior Managers & Certification Regime, an accountable individual at the lender stays responsible for outcomes. Any automated compliance checking should therefore keep human sign-off on exceptions and a full audit trail.

As broker submission volumes rise and regulatory scrutiny increases, AI-assisted file review is becoming a practical option for lenders that want faster time-to-offer without weakening oversight.