Westpac has taken a stake in mortgage start-up uno, investing A$16.5 million in the company for an undisclosed shareholding.uno was launched in May, promising a "new era in property finance." The company has a website that invites borrowers to list their home loan requirements and creates a list of options. It then offers to connect the borrower with a uno "expert" to assess the products on the list.The company's pitch is that it has improved on both the comparison site model and the broker model. uno founder and chief executive Vincent Turner said: "Comparison site results are compromised because they promote products that have paid to be there."And comparison sites quote advertised rates. We give a real rate, taking into account package offers, discounts, LVR loadings and so on. Our platform takes the customer's data and tells them how much it will actually cost them."When it comes to the "experts", uno does not pass lenders' commissions to its brokers.Turner said the company was trying to move away from a commission driven sales culture. "We want it to be service driven," he said.Turner said the company would use the funding to add more experts to the team, do more marketing and develop partner relationships.Since the launch, home buyers have used to site to compare $400 million worth of loans and $40 million of inquiries have been worked on by an uno expert.Westpac's investment (which came directly from Westpac and not its venture fund Reinventure) has been in two parts; it provided some funding at the concept stage and is now increasing its involvement.Turner said Westpac would not get any board seats in return for its investment but he is looking forward to getting advice from the bank on how to bring the company to market.Westpac chief strategy officer Gary Thursby said in a statement: "uno's success has been impressive and we're seeing its potential to become a serious player in the home loan market."