Insights

Growth-stage companies across North America are becoming increasingly selective about equity dilution as venture fundraising timelines lengthen, valuation discipline tightens, and liquidity events remain constrained across private markets. In a market defined by longer fundraising cycles, valuation pressure, and higher capital costs, founders are reassessing how growth capital is structured. Non-dilutive funding, once viewed as supplemental financing, has become a core part o

NAV lending has become a more active part of private market financing as sponsors and growth-stage companies look for liquidity without immediate equity dilution. The structure works well when asset value is strong but cash flow visibility is uneven. According to Oaktree Capital, NAV financing activity rose roughly 30% year-over-year in North America and 20% in Europe in 2023, with total deal flow more than doubling between 2020 and 2023 to reach $44 billion.¹ The challenge i

Private credit, specifically warehouse financing, has become the gating factor for whether many fintech lenders can scale. For equity investors, lawyers, and advisors in the ecosystem, the key question is no longer just “can this company originate loans?” It is: can it access, maintain, and scale institutional credit? Why This Matters for Equity Investors For venture investors in fintech lenders, warehouse financing is not just a funding tool, it is a constraint on growth, a

In today’s market environment, access to capital is no longer the primary constraint. Alignment is. Growth-stage companies are finding that traditional options, whether bank debt or equity, often do not match the pace or structure required for expansion. Private credit has emerged as a strong alternative. Not only because it is faster or more flexible, but because it can be used as part of a broader capital strategy. This is often supported by experienced debt capital advisor

Understanding the dynamics of interest rates is crucial for any growth-stage company aiming to optimize its capital structure and unlock liquidity. These rates influence borrowing costs, investment decisions, and overall financial strategy. In this post, we will walk you through the fundamentals of interest rates, their impact on businesses, and practical ways to navigate this complex financial landscape. The Impact of Interest Rates on Business Strategy Interest rates play a

Image source: Unsplash Founder-led businesses in the lower middle market often find themselves in a tight spot. They need capital to grow, support working capital, acquisitions, capital equipment, and even shareholder dynamics (buyouts and liquidity events). However, business owners are often hesitant to give up ownership, or control, and funding options can be limited. Survey data supports the strength of that ownership instinct . In a recent global study of family and foun

Image by Unsplash Private credit, once a specialized channel, now anchors global corporate finance, with over US $3 trillion in AUM. As banks recalibrate under regulatory pressure, private lenders have stepped in to fill the void, redefining how debt capital is sourced and deployed. The shift is structural and increasingly systemic. Scaling to Norm U.S. private credit surpassed US $1.3 trillion by mid-2024; globally, the market now exceeds US $3 trillion. Banks’ retrenchment

Source: figure.ai A New Phase of AI Investment The evolution of Figure.ai illustrates a notable shift in how capital is being deployed across artificial intelligence and automation. The company has raised over $1.8 billion at a $39 billion valuation, positioning itself as one of the early leaders in humanoid robotics. Founded in 2022 by Brett Adcock, Figure.ai draws on engineering talent from Tesla, Boston Dynamics, DeepMind, and NASA—combining embodied AI with scalable man

Why Debt Matters for VC-Backed Companies Equity has been the growth engine for startups, but debt is increasingly a strategic complement . Importantly, the value of debt depends on a company’s business model : SaaS companies often use recurring revenue lines or venture debt tied to ARR. Consumer goods companies benefit from AR/working capital lines. Fintechs often rely on warehouse or forward-flow facilities. Life sciences and hardware firms frequently need equipment fina

Image by Unsplash At Axis Group Ventures , we specialize in strategic debt placements across venture growth, the lower middle market,...

We previously shared this investor spotlight on our Linkedin Channel . Over the years, we have followed and admired this week’s investor...

A version of this was recently posted on our LinkedIn channels. Manulife Investment Management (Manulife IM) recently announced its...

Some interesting news from PitchBook's 2023 Annual Global Private Markets Fundraising Report. In 2023, Approximately $1,174.6 billion was raised across all global private capital strategies. The aggregate YoY change was down (20.5%). All strategies were down YoY with the exception of secondaries, though secondaries only accounted for $78.3 billion. Of note, Secondaries had a substantial increase (but from a smaller base). Venture capital, real estate, real assets, and fund o

February 16, 2024 The Latest 2023 Insights: A Recap of Last Year's Alternative Investments We drafted this blog post at the end of 2023,...

November 29, 2023 The Latest What Happened to Convoy? When I first heard the news that Convoy was collapsing, it felt like a shock. The...

At AXIS Capital Markets , we specialize in global debt placement and secondaries for VC and PE-backed companies. The pace of growth in...

Tokyo October 30, 2023 NAV Financing Extending Life Funds and Staying Liquid with NAV Financing Over the last 1 to 2 years, NAV (Net Asset Value) credit facilities have become a more popular topic among GPs and LPs of Private Equity funds. NAV credit facilities have been in the market for a number of years, but there is more attention on the product offering given the current market conditions. What market conditions are driving NAV consideration? A few things are important

Source: Shutterstock Safety-First AGI as a Capital Strategy Anthropic represents a different frontier in artificial intelligence: not embodied, but aligned . Founded in 2021 by ex-OpenAI executives Dario and Daniela Amodei, the company has raised $3.3 billion to date and is positioning itself as a global leader in safe, steerable, and scalable language models . Claude, its flagship assistant, is designed with Constitutional AI —a unique framework that allows the model to gov

https://www.abladvisor.com/articles/34086/middle-market-challenges-continue-to-impact-borrowers-and-lenders

CIT Northbridge provides $65M to Hello Bello. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cit-northbridge-provides-65-million-to-family-care...