We provide lender-ready capital raise packaging and debt or equity placement support for business owners and buyers looking to secure serious term sheets and close funding on a defined timeline.
For business owners and acquirers pursuing private debt or equity, submit your deal for review. We revert within one working day with next steps and either a quote for our services.
For pre-submission discussions, we offer paid consultations. To initiate underwriting and lender outreach, submit the deal.
Commercial Real Estate Capital Structuring
Many African Commercial Real Estate transactions break at the same point. The asset is real, the sponsor has traction, and senior lenders may be interested, but the total capital stack still has a shortfall that blocks closing or slows execution. That shortfall is where a properly structured gap financing platform matters.
This page explains how our Commercial Real Estate gap financing platform works for African projects, the capital layers commonly used, what repayment routes providers expect, and what borrowers need to prepare before a serious lender or investor review.
A gap financing platform is not one single product. It is a structuring and placement process used when senior debt plus sponsor equity does not fully cover acquisition, development, construction, completion, or stabilization funding needs.
Depending on the project and legal structure, the gap can be filled with bridge debt, junior debt, mezzanine financing, preferred equity, or another structured tranche. The correct answer depends on project stage, asset type, jurisdiction, collateral enforceability, and the quality of the repayment path.
Sponsors with land and project progress in place, but a shortfall in equity, contingency funding, or milestone capital that senior debt will not cover.
Acquirers of income-producing commercial assets who need interim capital before permanent debt, co-investor capital, or sale proceeds are available.
Transactions where committed capital, sale proceeds, or refinance proceeds arrive later than the date required for closing, drawdowns, or completion.
Sponsors or operators executing multiple projects who need a repeatable gap financing process tied to disciplined underwriting and clear exit routes.
Gap financing is strongest when the shortfall is specific and temporary. It is weaker when the request is simply a substitute for missing sponsor commitment or weak project economics.
The best gap financing cases clearly show the shortfall amount, when it arises, what it funds, and exactly how it gets repaid. Generic funding requests usually do not survive underwriting.
| Capital Layer | Typical Role In The Gap | What Providers Focus On |
|---|---|---|
| Bridge Debt | Short-term funding used to cover a timing mismatch before refinance, sale, lease-up, or delayed capital inflow. | Maturity alignment, repayment visibility, proceeds control, and realistic timing cushion. |
| Junior Or Mezzanine Debt | Subordinate debt sized above senior debt to fill a leverage shortfall in acquisition or development capital stacks. | Intercreditor rights, pricing for risk, covenant package, and credible exit route. |
| Preferred Equity | Structured equity capital used where debt capacity is limited or a flexible return profile is needed. | Governance rights, cash flow priority, downside protections, and sponsor alignment. |
| Structured Junior Tranche | Custom capital layer designed around project milestones, draw conditions, or phased execution. | Documentation discipline, milestone testing, and enforceable control mechanics. |
| Sponsor Support Layer | Interim support tied to committed sponsor or partner capital expected later in the transaction cycle. | Evidence of commitment, timing certainty, and legal ability to close and fund. |
Gap capital is an exit-driven product. Providers will usually spend more time on repayment and control mechanics than on headline project value claims.
The gap tranche is repaid when the project reaches the milestones required for permanent debt underwriting and closing.
Repayment comes from sale proceeds under a controlled closing waterfall with pay-off mechanics defined in the transaction documents.
In eligible structures, repayment may be linked to contracted sales and collections, subject to legal controls and verified payment routing.
A later equity closing, strategic partner investment, or recapitalization can take out the gap layer if timing and commitment are documented.
African Commercial Real Estate deals are often rejected because the file is not underwriteable yet. The issue is usually not the pitch, it is the missing evidence, weak rights, or unclear repayment path.
| Underwriting Topic | What They Ask For | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Project Ownership And Borrower Structure | SPV documents, ownership chart, shareholder records, governance documents, and signing authority. | Providers need legal clarity on who owns the project and who can pledge rights or borrow. |
| Land Or Asset Rights | Title, leasehold rights, permits, encumbrance data, and legal support where needed. | Weak or disputed rights can block both senior debt and gap capital. |
| Budget And Sources And Uses | Full cost plan, funding already secured, contingency assumptions, and the exact shortfall amount. | A defined gap is financeable. A vague target raise is not. |
| Repayment Strategy | Refinance plan, sale route, stabilization assumptions, milestones, and timing support. | Gap financing is priced and structured around the exit, not only the asset story. |
| Project Contracts And Counterparties | Construction contracts, leases, pre-lets, management agreements, buyer documents, and key commercial terms. | Contract quality directly affects execution risk and repayment probability. |
| Controls And Reporting | Account controls, draw conditions, milestone tests, information covenants, and reporting cadence. | Providers need visibility and control during the term, not only at closing. |
Financely supports African projects on a case-by-case basis. We do not market all jurisdictions as equal. Routing depends on the file, the legal structure, project stage, counterparty strength, and current provider appetite for the specific risk profile.
Country and sector routing is driven by underwriting facts. We present qualifying files to relevant capital providers, not broad generic demand to a random list.
This is a transaction-led process designed to reduce wasted time and move from deal facts to provider decisions with a cleaner file.
Review asset type, market, ownership structure, stage, budget, senior financing status, and the exact gap size to test financeability in principle.
Separate leverage gap, timing gap, and contingency gap issues. The structure must match the real shortfall, not a blended estimate.
Build the primary repayment route and a fallback path, then test timing, control mechanics, and documentation support before routing.
Shape the case as bridge debt, mezzanine, preferred equity, or a structured junior tranche and prepare the lender-ready package.
Route to matched lenders and investors based on asset type, project stage, jurisdiction, and structure fit.
Support term negotiation, conditions precedent tracking, and closing coordination through definitive documentation and funding mechanics.
Many requests ask for a round number with no clean sources and uses schedule, so providers cannot see what the tranche actually solves.
The borrower expects refinancing or sale proceeds later, but timing, counterparties, and execution steps are not evidenced.
Ownership confusion, encumbrance issues, or weak legal documentation slows review and damages lender confidence.
Senior debt, junior capital, legal, and project teams often move on different timelines and create avoidable closing friction.
Financely acts as a transaction-led structuring and placement advisor through its Commercial Real Estate Gap Financing Platform for African Projects. We help define the shortfall, design the right capital layer, package the file for underwriting, and route qualifying transactions to relevant lenders and investors.
We are not a bank, and we do not guarantee approvals. Our role is to improve file quality, tighten the repayment logic, and run a disciplined process that matches how providers actually underwrite gap capital.
For service scope, review what we do. For active mandates, use deal submission. For broader Commercial Real Estate capital structuring support, review Commercial Real Estate financing services.
Financing outcomes are arranged on a best-efforts basis. No lender approval, pricing, term, or closing timeline is guaranteed. Every transaction depends on underwriting, legal diligence, title and asset-rights review, documentation quality, jurisdiction-specific constraints, and third-party approvals.
If your project is real and the capital stack is short, we can review the file and map a financeable gap structure before routing it. The goal is to define the exact shortfall, test the repayment route, and present a cleaner case to relevant capital providers.
A useful submission usually includes the project summary, ownership structure, asset-rights documents, budget and sources and uses, senior financing status, repayment plan, timeline, and key commercial contracts.
This is a transaction-led process for sponsors and borrowers who need a credible path to term sheets and closing, not a generic funding inquiry.
It is a structuring and placement process used to fill a defined shortfall in a Commercial Real Estate capital stack using bridge, mezzanine, preferred equity, or another suitable tranche.
No. It can be bridge debt, mezzanine debt, preferred equity, or a custom junior layer depending on the project and repayment route.
Yes, if the project is well documented and the shortfall, milestones, and repayment path can be underwritten with acceptable controls.
Repayment visibility, legal enforceability, asset rights, contract quality, control mechanics, and documentation discipline matter more than headline claims.
No. Coverage is case-by-case and depends on the project, structure, legal framework, and current provider appetite for the specific jurisdiction and risk profile.
No. Financely is an advisory and arranging platform. We structure and place qualifying transactions with third-party lenders and capital partners.
Informational only for commercial audiences. This page is not legal advice, tax advice, or an offer to buy or sell securities. Financing and investment outcomes remain subject to underwriting, diligence, jurisdiction-specific legal requirements, definitive agreements, and third-party approvals.
Financely advises growth-focused businesses on accessing capital by introducing their opportunities to professional investors. Financely is not a securities broker or dealer. Where appropriate, engagements are coordinated with regulated broker-dealers, investment banks, legal counsel, and other specialists.
Financely does not solicit, offer, or accept orders to buy or sell securities and makes no assurance regarding capital-raising outcomes.
Services are strictly business-to-business. Financely does not provide personal finance, consumer credit, or retail advisory services.
Advisory services are reserved for post-revenue companies that recognize the time and resources required for professional underwriting.
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Email supportdesk@financely-group.com for general enquiries, press & partnership requests.
All mandates start with an RFQ. We review submissions, issue a brief Go/No-Go memo, and where bankable, release a Term Sheet that leads to funding. We arrange capital across Senior Secured, Unitranche, Second Lien/Mezzanine, Preferred Equity, and Gap Solutions. We do not process deals by email or chat.
Letters of Credit, Standby LCs, Confirmations, Receivables Finance, and Inventory Lines with control.
Funding arranged for trade flows with instruments sized to your cycle and aligned to delivery and settlement.
Move forward to secure working capital and keep goods moving. Submit the RFQ to start underwriting for funding.
Limited or non-recourse structures for energy and infrastructure with lender-ready materials.
Funding solutions aligned to project cash flows with credible covenants and conditions to reach notice to proceed.
Advance the file to termable status. Submit the RFQ so we can underwrite and secure funding.
Debt and Preferred solutions anchored on cash flow, Quality of Earnings, and clear closing mechanics.
Funding across senior, unitranche, and preferred to match stable cash flows and acquisition timelines.
Get financed on workable terms for closing. Submit the RFQ to start underwriting.
Acquisition, development, bridge, and refinance with lender-ready packs and third-party reports managed.
Funding calibrated to DSCR, leverage, and tenancy with terms designed to close.
Move to a financeable package. Submit the RFQ to initiate underwriting for funding.
KYC and Source of Funds required. Engagements are best-efforts and subject to underwriting. Preference for operating companies with meaningful revenue. See our FAQ and Procedure.
Financely Inc. (“Financely”) provides corporate-finance advice and is wholly owned by Aurora Bay Trust, a trust formed under Bahamian law, together with its authorized affiliates. Depending on deal structure, jurisdiction, and local rules, engagements may be carried out through Financely Group LLC, a non-deposit-taking, non-banking financial company; Ashford Capital Advisory LLC; or another related entity.
Financely and its affiliates are not registered as securities broker-dealers and do not execute securities transactions or hold client funds or securities. When a mandate involves the purchase or sale of securities and a registered intermediary is required, any orders are introduced to and executed by one or more independent U.S. broker-dealers registered with the SEC and FINRA. Those broker-dealers are solely responsible for trade execution, custody, and related regulatory obligations. Nothing in this material constitutes an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to buy or sell any security or to engage in any specific transaction. Before engaging Financely Group LLC, Ashford Capital Advisory LLC, or any affiliate, you are responsible for confirming that such engagement complies with your own legal, regulatory, tax, and other requirements. In the United States, certain advisory activities may be conducted in reliance on exemptions available under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, including the “foreign private adviser” exemption where applicable. Our services and regulatory status may vary by jurisdiction and by transaction type.
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