It's our final newsletter of the year and there's much to celebrate!
Lighter Capital
The leader in Revenue-Based Financing. Non-dilutive, quick, and easy financing to empower your startup’s growth.
Hi there,
It's hard to believe 2024 is already coming to an end, and what a year it has been! SaaS delivered the plot twist we didn't know we needed, ending the year stronger than expected.
Lighter Capital's SaaS Benchmark Report, which sampled data from private B2B SaaS startups with ARR ranging from just over $100K to $7M, showed a slowdown in annual growth going into 2024—there were bright spots, though. Top performers were accelerating growth year over year, and specialty SaaS solutions in niches within Hospitality & Leisure, Healthcare, and Education had grow significantly faster than the median rate.
Overall, it looks like 2025 is shaping up to be a great year for software.
Our entire team is grateful to be a part of this thriving industry and we're proud of the support we've provided to growing SaaS startups this year in the form of non-dilutive funding, useful founder resources, and our vast connected network.
In this final newsletter of the year, we're delighted to celebrate our clients' outstanding achievements, the growth of Lighter's partner network, and some of our own Greatest Hits.
Wishing you joy and serenity this holiday season and a successful start to the new year!
FROM THE FOUNDERS' HUB 👫
Explore how equity gets diluted in a growing startup and how it impacts founders through every funding round and equity raise.
This guide teaches the basics, but doesn't stop there—learn how to get non-dilutive funding and assess its potential value.
Before you sign a loan agreement, make sure to avoid debt that adds unnecessary risk and makes it harder to grow your business.
B2B SaaS Benchmarks Report
Our new interactive SaaS Benchmarks Report lets you filter and compare six financial performance metrics by industry vertical, company age, and calendar year.
Startup Calculators 💻
Compare what happens when you sell equity to grow versus using founder-friendly debt financing and learn what diluting equity could cost you.
Our free valuation calculator uses the latest market data, insights from our own investment portfolio, and a decade of experience financing startups.
How does your startup stack up to its peers? Select any key metric and input your performance data to see if your startup is outperforming other B2B SaaS startups.
Podcast • Bootstrapped: The Lighter Side 🎙️
We recently launched a new season of Bootstrapped with your most-requested additions, including strategies for growing your SaaS, funding growth, and becoming a successful business leader—sourced from an incredible lineup of experts and entrepreneurs.
Check out the latest episode and revisit our most-streamed episodes this year.
The Hidden Costs That Catch Founders by Surprise When Taking On Debt
Learn how to navigate the intricacies and potential pitfalls of funding your startup with debt from two seasoned experts who have seen hundreds of financing offers and term sheets while helping entrepreneurs secure growth capital. In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Tanner Kovacevich, Lighter Capital’s VP of Sales, and Patrick Philley, Lighter’s Lead Underwriter, talk to Melissa Widner about what founders need to know to steer clear of bad debt.
Stream all episodes online or in your favorite podcast player:
Bootstrapped 2024 REWIND ⏪
Bootstrappers' Holiday Reading Guide 📚
Recommended by LinkedIn
LIGHTER COMMUNITY 🏘️
Lighter Capital 2024 Client Summits
In early October, we hosted our fourth annual U.S. Lighter Summit in Boulder, Colorado. Together, we got deep into core topics that impact every startup's journey. A few weeks later, startup leaders Down Under united in Melbourne to drive growth and innovation at the Third Annual Australian Lighter Summit.
A special thanks to our sponsors:
Get Capital to Grow. Keep Your Equity. 📈
If your startup is post-revenue with at least $200K ARR and located in the United States, Canada, or Australia, apply for up to $4M of non-dilutive growth capital to:
✅ Invest in sales and marketing
✅ Expand technology and resources
✅ Build its valuation
✅ Smooth out inconsistent cash flow
✅ Bridge capital between equity rounds
✅ Acquire a company or buyout investors
GET FUNDING ➡️
Debt Funding Buyers Guide
It’s difficult to evaluate business loan costs when you have multiple offers with disparate term sheets and complex repayment structures to choose from. How do you avoid expensive surprises?
Partner Network 🤝
Our partner network just keeps growing! We gained 15 new partners this year, and added $50,000 in new Perks discounts for our clients. Thank you to all our partners who generously contribute to our Client Perk Program and recommend us to startups that need funding.
If you're a Lighter Capital client—or you hope to become one—be sure to explore the nearly $200,000 in product and service discounts from our Client Perks partners. And check back regularly, since we're continually adding resources to help you grow your business more efficiently.
Partner Spotlights
Upcoming Events 🗓️
Connect with the U.S. Lighter Capital team at an event near you:
Silicon Slopes Summit • January 16-17, 2025 • Salt Lake City, UT | US
One of the largest business and tech events in the world, don't miss your front row seat to the world of technology at the Silicon Slopes Summit. Tanner and Anne from the Lighter Team will be there too! Register here and we'll see you in SLC.
Founders N' Funders Happy Hour • January 16, 2025 • Salt Lake City, UT | US
After day one of the Silicon Slopes Summit, get together with more than 500 founders and investors, including Lighter's Anne Gilbert, for Utah's most popular networking event of the year. Apply here to attend.
Investment Team • Connect With Us 📧
We're Hiring!
Lighter Capital is looking for an Investment Director located in the U.S. Southeast or Texas to join our team. We spend our days helping the most amazing people on the planet, entrepreneurs, realize their dreams. View the job description here, and please consider sharing with your network.
Grow Steady,
The Lighter Capital Team
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