Articles by deBanked Staff
Ascentium Capital Reports $2.5 Billion in Managed Assets
July 23, 2020Ascentium Capital announced it has reached $2.5 billion in managed assets, a new record for the Kingswood, Texas-based alternative funder. The news comes after the firm finished Q2 of 2020 with a funding volume of $225 million. Being a subsidy of Regions Bank, Ascentium has been funding businesses since 2011.
“Ascentium’s executive team has successfully weathered several periods of economic uncertainty and we are leveraging this to respond to the current situation as the US faces unexpected uncertainty for an unexpected duration,” Executive Vice President Tom Depping noted in a statement. “Our specialized finance platform incorporates process flexibility which enables us to adjust quickly. We have a strong team in place that is dedicated to meet market demands while managing risk.”
WATCH: NY State Senate Banking Committee Debates The Commercial Finance Disclosure Bill
July 22, 2020The New York State Commercial Finance Disclosure Bill passed through the senate banking committee yesterday, but not until some debate over the merits of it took place. You can watch the full discussion by the Senate Banking Committee below:
The Shakeup’s Impact on Stock Prices
July 15, 2020
Funding Circle US Lays Off 120 Employees
July 9, 2020Funding Circle US laid off 120 employees yesterday, according to a post shared by Ryan Metcalf, Head of U.S. Regulatory Affairs and Social Impact.
Reuters reported that the company will also centralize its technology development in the UK rather than have a separate US team going forward.
The US operation had largely been focusing on PPP lending and SBA 7(a) loans since the shutdowns occurred.
The announcement coincided with its UK business being approved to participate in the Bounce Back Loan Scheme.
Every Business That Got $150,000 or More in PPP Funds (The List)
July 7, 2020In the interest of transparency, the SBA dumped a list of more than 660,000 businesses that got $150,000 or more in PPP funding.
You can download the entire thing right here.
How Should A Merchant Cash Advance Be Structured, What is Syndication, and More?
June 29, 2020A recent roundtable hosted by Pepper Hamilton partner Gregory J. Nowak examined some broad questions about merchant cash advances including:
- What is a merchant cash advance?
- How should a merchant cash advance transaction be structured?
- What are the key features for enforceability?
- Could a merchant cash advance transaction be a security?
- What is participation? is it a security? If yes, what does that mean?
- What is syndication?
- What’s the role of FINRA?
They published the presentation on jdsupra.com and it can be viewed here:
Business Loan Broker “The Tyrant” Pleads Guilty
June 29, 2020
The owner of a Long Island business loan brokerage accused of orchestrating an advance fee loan scheme, pled guilty this month. Demetrios Boudourakis, known in his brief MMA fighting career as The Tyrant, pled guilty to the top charge of grand larceny in the 2nd degree.
Boudourakis was arrested last year after joint law enforcement efforts by the Suffolk and Nassau police and sheriff’s departments, New York State Police, the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration, had been monitoring his company’s business for months. According to the Suffolk County District Attorney, the investigation revealed evidence that Boudourakis offered loans to his targets in exchange for advance fees, and then collected the fees without providing the loans. Once he and his employees had received the advance fees, they would cease contact with the victims. The scheme was determined to have generated stolen proceeds in excess of $2 million.
His sentencing date is on September 4th, where he is expected to serve between 5 and 10 years in prison.
Separately, pending federal drug charges against him were recently dropped.
OnDeck Update 6/23
June 24, 2020On June 23rd, OnDeck filed the following statement with the SEC:
On June 23, 2020, we obtained a limited consent (“Consent”) for our corporate debt facility (“Corporate Facility”). Under the Consent, the lenders consented to delay the effectiveness of the increased monthly principal repayments until July 14, 2020 (or such later date as may be agreed by the Administrative Agent), which were triggered by an Asset Performance Payout Event (Level 2) (“APPE”) that occurred on June 17, 2020. In consideration for the Consent, the Company agreed to make a $5 million principal repayment (“Repayment”) substantially concurrent with the execution of the Consent. Under the Consent, the lenders also agreed that, at the Company’s option, the Repayment will either (i) reduce the amount of the monthly principal repayment due on July 17, 2020 by the amount of the Repayment or (ii) if the parties enter into an amendment on or prior to July 17, 2020, be credited towards any principal repayment required under that amendment. The Company entered into the Consent in contemplation of entering into a broader amendment to the Corporate Facility to address impacts stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. If such an amendment is not entered into, the APPE triggers $21 million monthly principal repayments which, if not cured, would commence on July 17, 2020 and continue until the Corporate Facility is repaid in full. The Company made a payment of approximately $13 million on June 17, 2020 as a result of the previously disclosed Asset Performance Payout Event (Level 1), bringing the total balance outstanding as of that date to approximately $92 million. The Revolving Commitment Termination Date occurred as a result of such Level 1 event. Certain capitalized terms not defined in this section of the report are used with the meanings ascribed to them in the Corporate Facility as amended by prior amendments thereto and the Consent.
Shares of OnDeck closed at 86 cents yesterday. The company was previously warned that long-term pricing below $1/share would result in delisting from the New York Stock Exchange.
