18+ ways to structure capital.

Investor receives a fixed percentage of monthly revenue until a capped return (e.g. 1.5–2x) is reached. FX-indexed caps protect both sides.

A permanent 2–5% slice of revenue, paid indefinitely. No cap, no maturity — a perpetual royalty.

Economic rights (dividends, exit payout) without legal ownership. Pays based on valuation growth or profit milestones.

Confirmed invoices from creditworthy buyers are packaged and sold to investors at a discount. Investor earns the spread when the buyer pays.

A large institutional buyer backstops a credit facility by confirming purchase commitments. Investor lends against the offtake contract.

Investor funds inventory upfront and retains ownership until it sells. Business sells on consignment and shares proceeds.

Short-term capital deployed ahead of a predictable revenue peak (harvest, holiday, back-to-school) and repaid from the seasonal cash flow.

Multiple SMEs in the same sector pool purchasing power. Investor funds the bulk order; businesses draw down what they need and repay from savings.

Structured investment pools for diaspora investors who want to deploy back home but need professional structuring. Dual-class units — yield (fixed) and growth (upside).

A group of SMEs cross-guarantee each other's loans, reducing single-lender risk. A formalised chama with institutional backing.

Layered financing combining grant (first-loss), concessional debt (DFI), and commercial capital (senior tranche) in one deal.

Debt that converts to equity only on specific performance milestones. Otherwise repays as fixed debt. Conversion terms improve with performance.

Starts as a grant, converts to soft loan, then to commercial terms as the business proves itself. Each graduation triggered by milestones.

Traditional senior debt from a commercial bank, usually collateralised.

Supplier-extended credit on goods purchased, typically 30–90 days.

Individual investor capital in exchange for equity, typically at the earliest stages.

Institutional venture capital in exchange for preferred equity.

Non-dilutive grant capital from a development finance institution.

Loan from a savings and credit cooperative based on member savings.

Small-ticket loans from MFIs, often group-guaranteed.