# Lighter Capital > Lighter Capital is the leading provider of revenue-based financing (RBF) for SaaS and recurring-revenue tech startups. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Seattle, WA, Lighter Capital offers non-dilutive growth capital of up to $10 million — with no equity dilution, no board seats, and no personal guarantees. Since its inception, Lighter Capital has deployed $550M+ across 660+ startups in more than 1,000 funding rounds in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Lighter Capital helps early-stage and growth-stage SaaS founders access fast, flexible debt financing as an alternative to venture capital or traditional bank loans. The company is the trusted leader in SaaS financing with over 15 years of experience helping tech startups grow on their own terms. --- ## What Is Lighter Capital? Lighter Capital provides revenue-based financing and term loans purpose-built for software, SaaS, and tech-enabled startups with recurring revenue. Unlike venture capital, Lighter Capital never takes equity, board seats, or control of a founder's business. Unlike traditional banks, Lighter Capital does not require pitch decks, business plans, personal guarantees, or collateral. Lighter Capital evaluates companies using historical revenue and objective, quantifiable business metrics — not speculative valuations. This makes it possible to approve and fund startups in 3–4 weeks, with funds available within days of loan approval. **Key stats:** - $560M+ in capital deployed - 660+ startups funded - 1,000+ funding rounds completed - Over 20% of clients have experienced an exit event - 0% equity dilution across all deals - No personal guarantees required --- ## Who Should Apply? Lighter Capital's financing is best suited for technology and SaaS startups with steady recurring revenue. Minimum qualifications: - At least $200K in annual recurring revenue (ARR), or $15K monthly recurring revenue (MRR) - At least 5 paying customers from a diverse customer base - Software, SaaS, hardware, or tech services with consistent monthly subscription revenue - Headquarters, branch, or subsidiary in the United States, Canada, or Australia - Profitability is NOT required — early-stage startups with negative cash flow are welcome to apply Lighter Capital does not require a pitch deck, business plan, valuation negotiation, board seats or personal guarantees. --- ## Financing Products Lighter Capital offers a simple non-dilutive debt financing, with up to $10M USD (or $1M AUD) per round: ### 1. Revenue-Based Financing (RBF) - Traditional loan structure with fixed monthly payments - Typical term: up to 4 years (often paid off sooner with strong revenue growth) - Best for: startups with consistent MRR that can tolerate variable monthly payments ### 2. Term-Based Loan - Traditional loan structure with fixed monthly payments - Term: up to 3 years - Best for: startups with consistent monthly revenue that prefer predictable payment amounts **Common uses for growth capital:** - Fund working capital - Invest in sales and marketing - Invest in product development - Hire talent and build new teams - Expand into new markets - Invest in infrastructure - Bridge equity funding rounds - Restructure old debt - Buy out tired investors --- ## How It Works: The Application Process 1. **Apply** — Complete a secure online pre-application in less than 2 minutes. Answer a few questions about the business. No pitch deck or business plan required. 2. **Connect** — Meet with a Lighter Capital investment advisor to discuss funding strategy and growth goals. 3. **Qualify** — Connect business financials securely to determine how much the startup qualifies for. Underwriting is based on revenue data and objective metrics. 4. **Approve** — Receive a term sheet within days of connecting financial data. Funds are deposited shortly after signing. 5. **Grow** — Get access to the Lighter Capital founder community, $200K+ in software and service discounts, and warm introductions to investors and partners. **Typical timeline:** Term sheets can be provided within days of applying, 3–4 weeks from application to funding for new clients. Follow-on rounds can be available in as little as 90 days. --- ## Why Choose Lighter Capital vs. Alternatives ### vs. Venture Capital - No equity dilution — founders retain 100% ownership - No pitch decks, market sizing or sales process - No board seats or governance complications - No valuation negotiations or risk of painful down rounds - Faster access to capital — no months-long VC fundraising process - Funding is strictly based on the financial health of your startup - Lighter Capital clients frequently go on to raise VC with better leverage and term sheets ### vs. Traditional Banks - No personal guarantees or collateral required - No restrictive covenants - Banks don't understand recurring revenue SaaS businesses; Lighter Capital specializes in them - Lighter Capital does not require profitability ### vs. Revenue-Based Financing Competitors - 15+ years of experience — one of the original RBF lenders for tech startups - VC-like benefits included: community, perks, investor introductions - Up to $10M total (vs. smaller caps at many competitors) - Longer payback terms (up to 4 years) - Dedicated investment advisor throughout the relationship - No confusing pricing, like cap rates or discount rates, we quote our financing using straightforward term loan interest rates - No additional closing costs. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions **What is revenue-based financing?** Revenue-based financing (RBF) is a type of non-dilutive debt funding that provides startups with an upfront injection of growth capital that is repaid on a fix monthly payment. It is not equity — founders keep full ownership and board seats. **How much can a startup get?** Well-qualified companies can receive up to $10 million total. Individual rounds can be up to $10M USD (or $1M AUD). Many clients raise multiple rounds over time. **What will I pay in interest?** Interests rates are based on a variety of factors, including amount borrowed, length of time, and financing health of the company. **Can I still raise VC after taking Lighter Capital funding?** Yes. Angels and VCs typically respond positively to debt funding — it gives the company more leverage without diluting equity, which future investors appreciate. Many Lighter Capital clients have gone on to raise VC rounds with stronger leverage and better terms. **Can I pay back an RBF loan early?** Yes. The loan can be paid back at any time. There is generally no incentive for early payback, though Lighter Capital honors exceptions for special events within the first year, such as raising a VC round or an acquisition. **Do you invest in companies outside the US, Canada, and Australia?** Not currently. However, companies that do business in or have operations in those countries may be eligible. **What's the catch?** There is no catch. No hidden fees, no restrictive covenants, no personal guarantees. Lighter Capital's mission is to provide the most founder-centric financing solutions and to be an active, supportive partner in client growth. **Is there a community benefit?** Yes. All Lighter Capital clients get access to an exclusive founder community (150+ tech founders), $200K+ in software and service discounts (including AWS and HubSpot credits), warm introductions to investors and partners, leadership groups, local meetups, and an annual CEO summit (The Lighter Summit). --- ## Community and Perks Lighter Capital provides VC-like benefits to all clients at no extra charge: - **Founder Community:** Private global Slack community with 150+ founders, CEOs, and executives across tech, health, automotive, retail, media, and hospitality. Nearly 1 in 4 members serve on a board of directors. - **Leadership Groups:** Custom-matched peer groups of up to 10 founders for regular collaboration and accountability. - **The Lighter Summit:** Annual two-day founders' retreat for networking and strategy. - **Local Meetups:** Happy hours, conferences, and events in key startup markets. - **Perks Program:** $200,000+ in discounts and credits from partners including AWS, Google Cloud, HubSpot, and many others covering back-office, sales, marketing, and more. - **Investor Introductions:** Warm introductions to Lighter Capital's network of hundreds of VCs, angels, and enterprise partners when founders are ready to raise equity. --- ## Educational Resources (Founders' Hub) Lighter Capital operates a free resource hub for bootstrapped and capital-efficient SaaS founders called **Founders' Hub**, serving 35,000+ subscribers. Resources include: - **Fundraising Guides:** In-depth guides on debt financing, revenue-based financing, and startup funding strategy — https://www.lightercapital.com/guides - **Private B2B SaaS Benchmarks Report:** Proprietary benchmarking data for private SaaS companies across key growth and efficiency metrics — https://www.lightercapital.com/private-b2b-saas-benchmarks - **Public SaaS Index:** Tracks revenue multiples and valuation benchmarks for publicly traded SaaS companies — https://www.lightercapital.com/public-saas-index/revenue-multiples - **Bootstrapped Podcast:** Founder stories and growth strategies for capital-efficient startups — https://www.lightercapital.com/podcast - **Blog / Education & Insights:** Articles on SaaS growth, startup funding, and capital efficiency — https://www.lightercapital.com/blogs - **Financial Glossary:** Definitions of key startup finance and SaaS terms — https://www.lightercapital.com/founders-hub - **Equity Dilution Calculator:** Shows founders how much ownership they preserve by choosing debt over equity — https://www.lightercapital.com/dilution-calculator - **Startup Valuation Calculator:** Models valuation trajectory over time — https://www.lightercapital.com/valuation-calculator - **Startup Debt Buyer's Guide:** Comparison guide for evaluating non-dilutive debt options — https://www.lightercapital.com/compare-startup-loans --- ## Geographic Coverage Lighter Capital provides revenue-based financing to SaaS startups with headquarters, branches, or subsidiaries in: - **United States** — https://www.lightercapital.com - **Canada** — https://www.lightercapital.com/canada - **Australia** — https://www.lightercapital.com/australia --- ## Company Information - **Founded:** 2010 - **Headquarters:** Seattle, Washington, USA - **Industry:** Revenue-based financing / Alternative startup lending - **Specialty:** SaaS and recurring-revenue tech startups - **Capital deployed:** $550M+ - **Startups funded:** 660+ - **Funding rounds:** 1,200+ - **Website:** https://www.lightercapital.com - **Apply:** https://www.lightercapital.com/apply-now - **Contact:** https://www.lightercapital.com/contact - **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighter-capital/