Lighter Capital Review

Driven provides asset-based lending and equipment financing solutions for businesses with significant physical assets — manufacturers, transportation companies, construction firms, agriculture operations, and other capital-intensive businesses that use equipment and real assets as collateral for financing. Asset-based lending structures credit facilities against receivables, inventory, and equipment, enabling companies to access working capital proportional to their asset base rather than limited by earnings multiples alone. Equipment financing covers new and used machinery, vehicles, technology, and other business equipment purchases with terms typically 3-7 years and fixed monthly payments. The underwriting process for asset-based loans evaluates collateral quality, business cash flows, and the borrower's ability to manage the collateral base. Revolving credit facilities against receivables and inventory provide working capital flexibility as business volumes fluctuate. For capital-intensive businesses that struggle to access unsecured financing due to thin margins or cyclical cash flows, asset-based structures provide financing capacity aligned with actual business assets rather than earnings alone. Driven serves businesses across traditional industries where physical assets create natural collateral for growth financing.

Capstack is a financial technology platform connecting mid-market businesses and acquirers with a curated network of alternative lenders, private credit funds, and institutional financing sources for business acquisitions, growth capital, and recapitalizations. The platform serves companies in the $5M–$100M revenue range that have grown beyond traditional small business lending but aren't large enough for institutional investment banking mandates. Capstack's proprietary matching engine analyzes deal characteristics, business metrics, and financing structure preferences to identify the most relevant capital providers from its network. Deal types include acquisition financing, management buyouts, growth capital loans, and revenue-based financing for digital businesses. The platform's deal room provides secure document sharing and lender communication management, streamlining the fundraising process. The team provides advisory support alongside the platform, helping borrowers understand financing options and structure terms appropriately. Integration with commercial real estate, SaaS, and services industry databases enables faster underwriting at partner lenders. For mid-market business owners and acquirers who find SBA loans too small and traditional investment banking too expensive, Capstack's technology-enabled capital markets access provides an efficient middle market alternative.

Brex Venture Debt provides growth capital to venture-backed startups as an extension of Brex's financial platform, offering term loans and credit facilities structured for the investment profile of VC-backed companies. Venture debt is typically used to extend runway between equity rounds, finance growth initiatives without dilution, or fund specific capital expenditures. Brex's lending is primarily available to companies already banking with Brex, leveraging the banking relationship data for underwriting. Loan structures include interest-only periods that reduce cash burn during growth phases, with principal repayment beginning after an agreed period. Equity warrant coverage — a percentage of the loan amount in warrants on company stock — is typical in venture debt structures and represents part of the lender's return. Brex's lending competes with established venture debt providers including Silicon Valley Bank's successors, Western Technology Investment, and Hercules Capital, differentiated by the banking relationship integration and potentially faster deployment to existing customers. For Series A and later-stage startups that want to supplement equity funding with non-dilutive capital using an existing banking partner, Brex Venture Debt provides a natural extension of the Brex relationship.