Acquisition Bridge Loans
Short-term debt to close when senior lenders are not ready yet. We structure and place bridge facilities for sponsor-led and owner-operator buyouts, add-ons, carve-outs, and management buy-ins. Terms are built around a clear take-out: SBA or senior refinance, sale, or a committed facility post-stabilization.
Snapshot:
6–24 month tenor, interest-only with bullet or step-down, secured on shares and business assets, personal or holdco support where needed, funded into escrow at close. Market pricing based on risk, collateral, and cash flow. Typical execution 4–8 weeks from complete data and cleared payment.
When a bridge makes sense
Bank not ready
Credit team needs auditeds, QoE, or post-close performance before terming out.
Hard deadline
Seller wants certainty. Bridge locks the close while long-term debt finalizes.
Roll-up or add-on
Fast follow-ons where speed matters more than cost.
Carve-out
Spin-offs with messy separations that senior lenders won’t touch pre-close.
What you get
Underwriting
Credit memo, sources and uses, security package, covenants, sensitivities, and take-out plan.
Legal support
Comments to term sheets, intercreditor terms, conditions precedent, and closing checklist.
Lender distribution
Targeted outreach to private credit funds and lenders active in acquisitions at your size.
Negotiation
Support through LOI, term sheet, and final docs. We push for realistic terms that actually close.
Closing management
Workstreams with lender counsel, seller counsel, QoE, and escrow until funds release.
Reporting
Portal with lender list, status, written feedback, and next actions.
Core terms lenders expect
Tenor |
6–24 months, extensions by lender consent |
Repayment |
Interest-only, bullet principal at take-out; partial amortization where cash flow supports it |
Security |
Share pledge over target and buyer SPV, all-assets lien, IP where material, guarantees as needed |
Perfection |
UCC-1 or local charge filings, share charge, control agreements, and insurance endorsements |
Covenants |
Min liquidity, leverage cap, reporting monthly, no leakage, consent for add-ons and dividends |
Use of proceeds |
Purchase price, fees, taxes, working capital, vendor paydowns tied to closing |
Conditions precedent |
Executed SPA, QoE, lien searches, insurance binders, escrow, and intercreditor where applicable |
How it works
- Intake:
Submit your form with target details, structure, security, timeline, and take-out plan.
- KYC:
Sponsor and borrower screening. Invoice issued after preliminary clearance.
- Underwriting:
First-pass memo in 7–10 business days after full docs and cleared payment.
- Distribution:
Targeted send to acquisition-focused lenders that fit size and jurisdiction.
- Closing:
Term sheet to funds release with legal workstreams and escrow management.
Documentation checklist
Item |
Details |
SPA or LOI |
Signed LOI or draft SPA with headline terms and timeline |
QoE and diligence |
QoE, legal DD, customer and supplier concentrations, tax and payroll |
Financials |
3 years historical, TTM, working capital analysis, projections 24 months |
Model and S&U |
Integrated model with sources and uses, fees, and cash buffers |
Org charts |
Pre and post-close structure, cap table, shareholder consents |
Security package |
Assets, IP, insurance, guarantees, and any vendor notes or earn-outs |
KYC |
Sponsor identity, source of funds, sanctions screens |
Service tiers
Starter
Deal size |
Up to $5,000,000 |
Included |
Analyst and legal counsel, underwriting, lender distribution, closing checklist |
Onboarding fee |
$22,500 |
Closing fee |
2.0% of funded amount |
Growth Most selected
Deal size |
$5,000,001 to $20,000,000 |
Included |
Priority distribution, advanced structuring, lender calls, term sheet negotiation support |
Onboarding fee |
$45,000 |
Closing fee |
2.5% of funded amount |
Enterprise
Deal size |
$20,000,001 to $75,000,000+ |
Included |
Senior partner oversight, full-time analyst, dedicated legal counsel, PR on request |
Onboarding fee |
$90,000 |
Closing fee |
3.0% of funded amount |
Scope and limits
Item |
Details |
Underwriting SLA |
First pass in 7–10 business days after full documents and cleared payment |
Legal support |
Up to 10 hours per deal to term sheet. Extra hours at $350 per hour |
Distribution |
Targeted lenders matched by sector, jurisdiction, and size |
Eligibility |
Post-revenue, clean ownership, clear take-out, verifiable collateral and insurance |
Refunds |
Fees are non-refundable once underwriting begins |
Not a fit |
No path to refinance, fake or incomplete docs, no security, unresolved legal blocks |
Example structures
Owner-operator buyout
$3.2M bridge, 18 months, interest-only. Security on shares and assets, PG limited to shortfall. Take-out: SBA refinance at month 12.
Add-on acquisition
$9.5M bridge, 12 months, cash-pay with PIK toggle. Intercreditor with existing senior. Take-out: upsized ABL post integration.
Divisional carve-out
$28M bridge, 24 months. Escrowed capex and WC. Security on newco and target IP. Take-out: unitranche after systems separation.
Start your onboarding
Submit your intake form. After KYC, your invoice will be issued. Underwriting starts when payment clears.
Submit Intake Form
Financely is not a lender and does not guarantee funding or bank instruments. All mandates are best efforts and subject to underwriting and compliance. Payments must only be made to bank details shown on your official invoice. Beware of unsolicited offers through unofficial channels.