Aequum Capital

Aequum Capital

Aequum Capital operates as a specialty finance company headquartered in Chicago, originating and managing secured commercial loans. The firm targets established lower-middle-market businesses across the United States that require working capital, acquisition financing, or equipment funding. Its credit products include revolving lines of credit backed by accounts receivable and inventory, as well as term loans secured by machinery and other hard assets. The lending strategy concentrates on asset-heavy industries where collateral valuation is straightforward. Core sectors include manufacturing, transportation, staffing, and wholesale distribution. Aequum structures loans against specific asset pools rather than relying solely on cash-flow projections, which allows the firm to serve companies with uneven earnings histories. Typical hold sizes range from $2 million to $15 million per credit, with larger participations syndicated to institutional partners. Aequum maintains a lean underwriting team in Chicago and sources deal flow through regional and money-center bank referral networks, turnaround consultants, and private equity sponsors. The firm does not publicly disclose an owned portfolio of equity stakes or venture investments, distinguishing its model from hybrid debt-equity platforms. Its underwriting emphasizes field examination of collateral and direct borrower engagement rather than automated scoring. The structural differentiator is Aequum's balance-sheet lending model in a segment where many competitors act as brokers or originate-to-sell platforms. The firm holds loans through their duration, which aligns its monitoring incentives with credit performance. This architecture places Aequum closer to a non-bank commercial finance company than to a fund manager, with no disclosed fund structures or limited-partner capital calls.