Business Acquisition Gap Funding Case Study

Acquisition Finance Case Study

Business Acquisition Gap Funding: Senior Debt Plus Mezzanine

A sponsor-led buyer in the U.S. Midwest signed an LOI to acquire a profitable industrial services company. The senior lender supported the transaction but would not cover the full purchase price and closing uses. The sponsor needed a fast, bankable gap solution to avoid losing exclusivity.

Financely arranged the senior debt track and structured the mezzanine portion to close the funding gap.

The final stack aligned lender security, sponsor equity, and cash-flow coverage so the acquisition could close on schedule.

Case Snapshot

Item Case Facts
Buyer Type Independent sponsor-led acquisition vehicle
Target Sector Industrial services
Main Constraint Senior debt proceeds below total closing requirement
Solution Senior debt plus mezzanine layer to cover the acquisition gap
Execution Priority Close within exclusivity timeline with coherent intercreditor structure

What We Did

Senior Debt Placement

Reframed the credit case around stable cash generation, customer concentration controls, and covenant headroom.

Mezzanine Structuring

Sized the subordinated tranche to fill the shortfall without overloading base-case debt service.

Documentation Alignment

Coordinated terms across lenders so pricing, amortization, and restrictions worked together at close.

Closing Control

Ran condition tracking across counsel, sponsor, and lenders to keep signing and funding dates intact.

The decisive factor was not only access to capital. It was stack design that lenders could underwrite and legal teams could finalize without late-stage rewrites.

Outcome

The client secured both debt layers and closed the acquisition within the planned window. The sponsor preserved deal economics, avoided equity over-dilution, and entered post-close operations with a clear repayment framework.

Client Review

★★★★★

“We had a quality target and a clear timeline, but our senior debt alone did not bridge the full purchase requirement. Financely structured the missing mezzanine layer and managed the full debt process with discipline.

Their team was direct, organized, and commercially grounded. We always knew what needed to be produced, what could be negotiated, and what had to be locked. That clarity is what got us to close.”

Managing Partner, Sponsor Acquisition Vehicle

Disclaimers

  1. Client name and identifying transaction details are withheld for confidentiality and compliance reasons.
  2. Selected commercial terms are summarized and not fully disclosed.
  3. This material is informational only and is not legal, tax, accounting, or investment advice.
  4. Financely acts on a best-efforts advisory and placement basis. No approval or funding outcome is guaranteed.
  5. All outcomes remain subject to underwriting, legal documentation, compliance review, and third-party approvals.

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