In a challenging environment for sourcing venture capital, Lighter Capital stands out by offering non-dilutive, revenue-based financing to technology startups.
- The Headline: Lighter Capital secured $130M for their own credit facility, backed by Apollo Global Management, i80 Group, Invest Victoria and iPartners.
- The History: Founded in 2010 under CEO Melissa Widner, Lighter Capital has significantly impacted the startup scene by dispensing hundreds of millions through over 1,100 rounds of growth capital, without startups having to part with their equity.
- Growth: The firm has crossed the $350 million mark in growth capital, benefiting sectors like SaaS, technology services, subscription services, and digital media.
- Business Model: Their revenue-based financing model is tailored to growing companies with existing revenue streams and features flexible payment terms, fixed monthly payments with term financing, and contract financing.
- Alternative Financing: The past years have shown founders that there are alternatives to VC funding. Consequently, Lighter Capital has seen an uptick in companies that traditionally would have sought VC funding. Widner believes this surge in awareness is critical, as venture capitalists fund only around 1% of technology companies.
- Factors in the Rise in Alternative Financing:
- A noted decrease in venture capitalists’ funding.
- An increase in founders’ awareness about alternative financing, following the Silicon Valley Bank collapse.
- The Future: This new credit facility is expected to finance hundreds of early-stage companies across the U.S., Canada, and Australia, with amounts ranging from $50,000 to $4M, averaging at $600,000.
So, if you’re a startup looking for a helping hand, give Lighter Capital a ring.