The problem
Small and mid-sized trading companies need working capital to bridge the gap between shipping goods and getting paid, but traditional lenders charge them exorbitant rates or turn them away entirely. At the same time, trade finance has long been a closed market that ordinary investors could never access. Capital sits on one side and opportunity on the other, with no fair way to connect them.
What we did
We helped build MerchantSponsor, a platform that lets merchants raise short-term financing against their invoices and letters of credit while giving retail investors a transparent way to participate in the trade-finance market. Merchants list a deal, submit their documentation, and secure funding through a simple four-step flow. Deals are backed by letters of credit to support repayment, and the platform runs on a low commission so more value stays with both sides. It serves traders across industries from electronics and apparel to FMCG and medical goods.
The outcome
A clearer path to working capital for smaller traders, and a transparent on-ramp into trade finance for investors who were previously locked out.