Bridge Loans: From Impasse to Impact
Facing a delay?
Our loans keep operations and impact on track while you work to close incoming financing
Whether it’s closing a Series A round or supply chain delays, we provide fast, flexible, and affordable financing in the form of short-term bridge loans that ensure high-impact companies, fund managers, and projects can continue to scale their growth without interruption.
We fund globally across all sizes and growth stages to organizations addressing climate change and reducing inequality.
Keeping Operations & Impact on Track
Funding Delays
- Regulatory approvals
- Legal structuring
- Redomiciling
- Inter-creditor negotiations
- Delayed payment terms for major/government contracts
- Non-operational conditions precedent
Open Road Loan
Impact Kept on Track
- Continue operating and serving customers
- Employees paid and retained
- Maintain momentum for entering new markets
- Keep projects on track
- Enable partnership opportunities requiring upfront investments
Our Criteria
Open Road provides rapid access to bridge financing to “unstick” impact capital across geographies and sectors.
Our loans range from $250K to $1M with a tenor up to 12 months. On average, Open Road's loans are $700K over 7.5 months. The projects we fund must meet the following criteria:
Impact First
Short-Term
Funding Need
Accountability
The organization is impact first, meaning their products or services explicitly solve a social need at scale, and the company explicitly tracks this outcome.
Meets Criteria
A fast-growing startup with a mission to deliver reliable, affordable, renewable-based grid-quality electricity to remote and underserved communities. The company is scaling an innovative solar mini-grid business model to provide energy access to over 25,000 people.
Does Not Meet Criteria
A wearable tech company with a vision to provide athletes with precise data to enhance their performance aims to expand its reach across U.S. college campuses.
The organization is experiencing a short-term financing need bridging to a clear future cash flow event.
Meets Criteria
A company secured a large contract from a government entity to expand its impact, but the contract only pays in arrears. The company requires upfront capital to service the contract. Once the contract begins paying out, the company will reach profitability and be able to attract commercial debt to serve its long-term capital needs.
Does Not Meet Criteria
A company has a cash flow mismatch between when they are obligated to pay suppliers and when receivables are converted to cash.
Our short-term bridge loan can fully solve the funding gap, enabling the company to continue to scale.
Meets Criteria
A company has a cash gap and needs $1M to cover its operating expenses for the next 5 months as it works toward closing its fully-identified financing round to close.
Does Not Meet Criteria
A company is raising a financing round and needs $1M to complete the round.
The organization can fully repay the loan.
Meets Criteria
A company is raising a Series A and has a binding term sheet from a lead investor. The round is fully committed, but legal due diligence and paperwork are delaying disbursement.
Does Not Meet Criteria
A company is raising a Series A and is in early-stage conversations with a few potential leads. While there appears to be strong interest, the round has not been priced, and the Investment Committee from the preferred lead has not taken place.
Application Process
We accept applications on a rolling basis and follow a proven screening process designed for speed. Our diligence process for bridge loans typically takes four to six weeks.
1. Inquiry Submission
The process begins when you submit an inquiry through our website.
2. Initial Review
A member of our Investments Team will review the submitted inquiry and determine eligibility.
3. Data Room Acess
Potential borrowers will be invited to share their data room with our Investments Team
4. Initial Call
We will schedule an initial conversation to learn more about your situation and continue diligence.
5. Impact Call
Prior to final IC, each potential borrower joins the Investment Committee for a dedicated Impact Call to understand the deal's impact merits & risks.
6. Final Call & Decision
Open Road's Investment Committee meets and provides feedback within 48 hours.
Think It’s a Fit?
Our investment strategy is designed to keep impact first. We seek to maximize social returns while meeting financial requirements. If you think that you are eligible for an Open Road loan, please submit an inquiry.
