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.
Independent Sponsors
Independent sponsors lose deals for one repeatable reason: capital providers cannot get to a clean yes fast enough. The issue is rarely “the market”. It is missing certainty in the equity, the diligence plan, the underwriting story, and the governance.
This guide breaks down the real gaps, then gives a practical pathway to raise more capital with fewer dead ends. If a live deal needs structured lender outreach, see Capital Raising for Independent Private Equity Sponsors.
Many independent sponsors think the job is finding an investor. In reality, the job is building a file that an investor can underwrite, defend internally, and close on a deadline. When the file is incomplete, investors stall because stalling is safer than funding uncertainty.
Independent sponsors do not lose only to bigger funds. They lose to better prepared bidders. Bidders with cleaner equity certainty, cleaner diligence sequencing, and fewer unanswered questions.
If equity is not real, debt will not price and legal will not move fast.
Investors and lenders fund files that look like internal credit work, not marketing.
Sponsors underestimate how much capital providers price governance risk.
This burns credibility fast and creates a quiet no.
Sponsors often focus on the target. Investors focus on the full risk stack: the business, the deal terms, the downside, and whether the sponsor can execute under pressure.
| Area | What they need to believe | What convinces them |
|---|---|---|
| Cash flow quality | Debt service works in a stress case | Clean QoE logic, defensible add backs, conservative assumptions |
| Deal terms | Mechanics do not blow up at closing | Working capital peg, earn out clarity, reps and warranties realism |
| Equity certainty | The equity closes on time | Named equity sources, check sizes, timing, written commitment logic |
| Operating plan | Execution is credible after close | Operator depth, measurable initiatives, 100 day plan, reporting discipline |
| Governance | Capital is protected | Board rights, consent matters, covenants, information rights, controls |
The best improvements are boring, repeatable, and measurable. That is also why they work.
For how to package an acquisition file, see How Do I Get a Loan to Buy a Business? and Leveraged Finance Guide.
Equity shortfall is common. The fix is structure, not wishful thinking. Start with How to Raise the Equity for a Business Acquisition.
Generalist sponsors compete with everyone. Specialist sponsors get remembered.
For a structured outreach model, see Lender Introductions and Term Sheet Auction and Lender Introductions for Business Financing.
Independent sponsors win by solving the gap between what the seller wants and what capital providers will approve. That usually means using more than one lever.
| Gap | Common fix | What it trades off |
|---|---|---|
| Equity is short | Seller rollover, preferred equity, co investor syndicate | More governance rights and economics shared |
| Leverage is tight | Lower purchase price, earn out, stronger covenants and reporting | Seller negotiation complexity and more lender control |
| Timing is hard | Bridge facility to carry to a permanent refinance | Higher cost and tighter controls |
| Cash conversion is messy | Working capital facility, borrowing base controls, reporting upgrade | Operational discipline required after close |
If the deal has a deadline problem, see Bridge Loan for Business Acquisition. If the raise is larger and credit led, see Private Debt Advisory and Debt Placement Agent Services for SMEs.
Answer these cleanly before outreach. If these are vague, the raise will drag.
Financely helps independent sponsors convert a live acquisition into a lender and investor ready file, then runs a controlled outreach process to written outcomes. The focus is disciplined packaging, matched distribution, and decisioning that respects real timelines.
| Deliverable | What it includes | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Lender and investor package | Underwriting memo, model checks, sources and uses, debt schedule, covenant view, diligence plan, controlled data room | Turns “interesting” into an underwriteable file |
| Matched outreach | Targeted routing to debt and equity providers aligned to sector and structure | Reduces wasted submissions and credibility loss |
| Decisioning workflow | Submission tracking, Q and A routing, term comparison, documented outcomes | Produces decisions you can act on |
If you have an LOI or a live opportunity and want a real raise process, start with Acquisition Finance Advisory for Independent Sponsors and Search Funds or submit directly via Contact Us.
In most cases, yes. Debt providers want to know the equity is real, timed for closing, and aligned with governance and reporting. Soft interest is not enough.
Produce a single consistent lender grade package, define the downside, and show a clean diligence plan. Credibility is a paperwork and process outcome.
Usually because the file does not support underwriting. Missing documents, inconsistent numbers, unclear equity, and unclear governance create a slow no.
This page is for general information only and does not constitute legal, tax, investment, or regulatory advice. Financely is not a bank and does not lend. Financely does not promise approvals or funding. Any engagement is subject to diligence, KYC, AML, sanctions screening, capital provider criteria, and definitive documentation.
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.
To proceed,
request a quote
and receive indicative commercial terms. If you require guidance before engaging,
book a paid telephone consultation.
Security notice: we are aware of third parties using Financely’s name without authorization. Only emails sent from our official domains and communications through our portal are valid. Please verify any outreach before sharing documents or sending payments, and read our impersonation warning.
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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