DENVER — P2Binvestor, a Denver-based crowdlending platform, recently added another Colorado company to its funding portfolio: Boulder-based natural beverage company Bhakti Chai. Founded in 2007, Bhakti Chai offers an array of spice-infused chai beverage products. P2Binvestor’s working capital line will provide important support for Bhakti Chai’s expansion plans by bridging the gap in cash flow related to their rapid growth. The funding deal with Bhakti Chai boosts P2Binvestor to over $2 million in new business lines inked in the last two months.
“As we continue to see 70% sales growth, cash flow is a challenge,” said Brook Eddy, founder and CEO of Bhakti Chai. “Order growth creates significant up-front costs that can take months to recoup, and P2Binvestor’s financing helps us manage cash flow and continue our robust growth strategy,” Eddy added.
P2Binvestor is the first crowdfunding platform to offer working capital loans through a receivables-financing model to companies that meet its underwriting standards. Following a successful Series A round in late 2013, the site began funding companies in January.
“We are thrilled to be working with Bhakti Chai,” said Krista Morgan, cofounder and COO of P2Binvestor. “We love working with natural food and beverage companies, and we’re especially excited to be funding a great company in our own backyard.”
P2Binvestor addresses the lack of accessible and affordable capital for small and medium businesses that experience slow-paying customers and cash-flow issues due to spikes in sales or growth. The company helps businesses overcome these issues with competitive rates, quick decisions, flexible funding options, and lending lines of up to $5 million.
“More and more companies are realizing the inherent advantages of the crowdfunding model,” Bruce Morgan, cofounder and CEO of P2Binvestor, remarked. “If you cannot get a bank line with terms that make sense for your business, P2Binvestor can finance your growth until you can.”