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SaaS Capital
Todd Gardner founded SaaS Capital in 2007 to lend against recurring revenue, deploying over $500M to 90+ software companies, per the firm.
SaaS Capital
Gardner, a former software CFO, launched SaaS Capital at a time when venture debt was the only alternative to equity dilution for growing SaaS firms, but its terms rarely reflected the quality of deferred subscription revenue. The firm started making its own loans in 2012 after initially operating as an advisory matchmaker, and it has since committed over $500 million to the space, per the firm's official communications. SaaS Capital's strategy is single-sector private credit: it writes senior secured term loans ranging from $1 million to $8 million, sized at a multiple of monthly recurring revenue, with growth-oriented SaaS companies primarily based in the United States and Canada. Borrowers span vertical SaaS, FinTech, and Digital Health, and named portfolio companies have included firms such as Pendo, Funnel, and VNDLY. The firm structures its loans with warrants, deferred principal amortization, and no financial covenants tied to profitability, aligning payback with the borrower's growth trajectory rather than current EBITDA. SaaS Capital operates from Cincinnati, with lending decisions centralized under Gardner and a small team. Its benchmark tool, the SaaS Capital Index, which tracks public SaaS company valuations, has become a widely cited resource among operators and investors. In May 2024, the firm published updated historical performance data on its credit portfolio, reporting low single-digit realized loss rates across vintages, according to its own published research. Unlike bank groups that lend against general corporate cash flow or venture debt funds that layer warrants onto standard term sheets, SaaS Capital operates a dedicated lending platform that prices risk using a proprietary model built on twenty years of private SaaS revenue data. This vertical specialization means the firm underwrites loans against churn-adjusted recurring revenue, not founder relationships or VC brand, making it a pure-play credit provider in a market where most competitors are generalists.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
2007
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Cincinnati
Corporate office
Cincinnati, OH, United States
Principals
Todd Gardner
Founder & Managing Director
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
How does SaaS Capital's lending model differ from traditional venture debt?
SaaS Capital sizes its loans entirely against monthly recurring revenue rather than equity raised or path to profitability. Its term sheets typically include warrants, no EBITDA-based covenants, and deferred principal amortization, meaning the repayment structure is designed to flex with the borrower's subscription growth. Traditional venture debt providers, in contrast, often require a recent equity round and impose P&L covenants that SaaS firms may breach while reinvesting in growth.
What size loans does SaaS Capital typically write?
The firm issues senior secured loans from $1 million to $8 million, with the specific amount determined by a multiple of the borrower's annual recurring revenue. SaaS Capital's own guidance suggests it targets companies with at least $3 million in ARR, and the majority of its portfolio has been deployed into U.S.- and Canada-based businesses.
Does SaaS Capital take equity in its portfolio companies?
The firm typically takes warrants as part of its term loan structure, which provide an equity upside if the borrower performs, but it does not operate as a venture capital or growth equity investor. The primary return driver is the interest and fee income from its credit portfolio.
What is the SaaS Capital Index and what does it track?
The SaaS Capital Index is a proprietary benchmark that tracks the enterprise value-to-revenue multiples of publicly traded SaaS companies. The firm publishes the index quarterly, and it has become a widely used reference point in both boardroom discussions and venture capital negotiations for private-company valuation context.
How does SaaS Capital underwrite credit risk without profitability covenants?
The firm relies on a proprietary underwriting model built on two decades of private SaaS revenue data, which forecasts cash consumption based on churn-adjusted recurring revenue, sales efficiency, and historical burn rates. By lending against the stability of the subscription base rather than current margins, the firm argues it can accurately price risk even for unprofitable companies with strong gross retention.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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