"Our ability to base our lending decisions not just on AR, but also now in a developer's existing user base is unique and will be a game changer for the industry."
Pollen VC’s data driven credit models now have a more granular view of how revenue is generated over time, enabling them to expand credit lines based on live performance metrics. Access to additional capital via a transparent revolving credit facility enables developers to supercharge their growth without relying on venture capital or revenue based loans.
In contrast to the revenue-based lending (RBL) approach, Pollen VC provides a flexible line of credit that is based on a live picture of a developer's accounts receivable (AR), plus an estimate of the residual value remaining in live user cohorts. The company had previously provided pure AR financing, but with the addition of the ability to borrow against the value of existing users combined into one facility, it’s now possible to borrow more via this model than through RBL.
App and game developers rely on finance to help them market and promote their products whilst they wait to be paid from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. With more than $120bn being spent on apps and games globally, these businesses face cashflow squeezes on a regular basis.
Pollen VC's finance works alongside venture capital funding as a non-dilutive complimentary funding source. To meet application criteria, the business must have one or more live apps on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, $20,000 - $5,000,000 in monthly revenue and three months or more of transaction history in its business bank account.
Martin Macmillan, CEO and founder at Pollen VC, commented: “Developer revenue isn’t just realised at the point of download, monetization occurs over their consumer’s lifetime usage of the app or game. Our ability to base our lending decisions not just on AR, but also now in a developer's existing user base is unique and will be a game changer for the industry. The amount of available credit is recalculated on a daily basis so as marketing performance improves, so the amount available to borrow will grow.”
“The revenue-based lending model works well for industries such as SaaS where stable, predictable revenue streams exist. But, in mobile gaming, users can churn much faster, making the model less applicable for the app and gaming sector generally, and opening up both developers and lenders to additional risk if loans can’t be repaid. Our “AR plus residual cohort” model is our take on the revenue-based lending model, but built from the ground up for our vertical.
“We have worked with hundreds of app and gaming developers since 2014 and the industry has changed radically since the early days. Our new lending approach provides a breath of fresh air to the industry which will enable gaming and app founders to really understand their numbers and enable faster growth and the ability to scale in a capital efficient way. We will provide developers with greater access to capital and financial knowledge to really transform the industry.”
