Mercatus Finance Announces Launch of Cash Flow Lending Business with Backing from Arena Investors

NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercatus Finance ("Mercatus"), a cash flow lending specialty finance company, announced its official launch. Strategically backed with equity from Arena Investors, LP ("Arena"), Mercatus fills an important void for smaller companies seeking cash flow based loans from $20 million to $75 million. Mercatus also has the flexibility, primarily in conjunction with first lien loans, to consider smaller second lien and subordinated debt and equity investments.

Mercatus provides highly customized credit solutions to lower middle and middle market businesses without the constraints typical of conventional institutional lenders or alternative credit providers. Mercatus targets lending to companies across industries requiring liquidity to support business transitions, organic growth, acquisitions, restructurings, and changes in ownership or control. Mercatus' experienced team will work quickly and creatively with owners and management to craft flexible solutions tailored to the specific opportunity, properly assessing situations that are misperceived by traditional lenders.

Robert Kiesel leads Mercatus as Chief Executive Officer. He comes to Mercatus with deep domain expertise in private credit and a proven track record with over 25 years of creating unique working capital structures to help borrowers finance their liquidity needs, mergers, or dividends to owners. Prior to Mercatus, Kiesel was previously Chief Investment Officer at Pillar Life Insurance and global head of credit at alternative credit advisor GB Capital. He was a partner at Fifth Street Capital and has held various positions at Intermediate Capital Group and ORIX USA.

"Mercatus is thrilled to begin this journey, with support from Arena, as a customer focused lender," explained Kiesel. "Our unique approach to stressed and unstressed situations alike positions us at an exciting and growing place in today's lending market."

About Mercatus Finance

Mercatus Finance provides customized credit solutions to underserved lower middle and middle market businesses across a variety of industries. We work with stakeholders to provide liquidity for working capital, growth, M&A, and restructurings.  The company focuses on originating, underwriting, and managing commercial cash flow loans from $20 million to $75 million in commitment size.  See www.mercatusfinance.com for more information.

About Arena Investors, LP

Arena Investors, LP is an institutional asset manager founded in partnership with The Westaim Corporation. With approximately $3.5 billion of invested and committed assets under management as of October 1, 2023, and a team of over 100 employees in offices globally, Arena provides creative solutions for those seeking capital in special situations. The firm brings individuals with decades of experience, a track record of comfort with complexity, the ability to deliver within time constraints, and the flexibility to engage in transactions that cannot be addressed by banks and other conventional financial institutions. See www.arenaco.com for more information.

Media Contacts:

Mercatus:
Rob Kiesel
[email protected]

Arena:
Parag Shah
[email protected]  

Arena Media:
Lindsay Jablonski
[email protected] 

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SOURCE Mercatus Finance