When Elena Rossi stepped into her weekly board meeting in late 2024, she knew she was about to face some tough questions. As the CEO of Quantum Leap AI, a rapidly growing computer vision company, she had just spotted a rare opportunity: their biggest competitor was struggling and potentially open to an acquisition. The only problem? Their Series A funds were earmarked for product development, and raising an emergency equity round would mean significant dilution at a less-than-ideal valuation.

The turning point

"I remember refreshing our bank account balance for the hundredth time that week," Elena recalls, laughing in her London office, now twice the size of their original space. "We had amazing technology, growing revenue, and a clear path to market dominance. But in tech, sometimes you need to move fast or lose the opportunity forever. That's when our lead investor mentioned Finns."

The numbers told a compelling story: Quantum Leap was growing 15% month-over-month, had a stellar team of 28 AI researchers and engineers, and was sitting on a game-changing patent. But traditional banks saw only a cash-burning startup, and venture debt providers wanted warrant coverage that would effectively make the financing as expensive as equity.

Finding the right partner

"What struck me about Finns wasn't just their terms – though they were competitive," Elena explains, gesturing to a whiteboard still covered in financial projections. "It was how deeply they understood our business model. Their team had previously built and scaled AI companies. The conversation wasn't about our assets or personal guarantees; it was about our tech moat and go-to-market strategy."

Within three weeks of their first meeting, Quantum Leap had secured €8 million in venture debt through Finns' growth financing program. The terms were structured to match their cash flow patterns, with interest-only payments during their development sprints and no warrant coverage – a stark contrast to traditional venture debt offerings.

The power of strategic timing

"Looking back, the timing was everything," says Marcus Chen, Quantum Leap's CFO. "We knew our Series B was likely 18 months away, and we wanted to hit specific milestones before raising. Finns' financing gave us the firepower to seize the opportunity while keeping our cap table clean."

The results spoke for themselves. With the additional capital, Quantum Leap:

• Successfully acquired and integrated their main competitor

• Expanded their engineering team by 40%

• Launched in three new markets

• Doubled their annual recurring revenue

Navigating challenges with a true partner

Not everything went according to plan. When a key enterprise client delayed their contract signing by two months, threatening their runway calculations, Finns proved to be more than just a capital provider.

"That's when I realized what partnership really meant," Elena reflects. "Our Finns relationship manager had gone through similar challenges in his own startup. He helped us restructure our payment schedule and even introduced us to two new clients from their portfolio. Try getting that from a traditional bank."

Beyond the numbers

Today, Quantum Leap AI is the market leader in their niche, with offices in London, Berlin, and Singapore. Their recent Series B valued the company at €280 million – more than triple their valuation when they first approached Finns.

"The best part? We still own the same percentage of our company as we did before the acquisition," Elena says with pride. "Finns helped us turn market uncertainty into a competitive advantage. We're not just another venture debt success story – we're proof that with the right financial partner, you can grow aggressively while staying in control of your destiny."

For startups eyeing similar growth trajectories, Elena has one piece of advice: "Think of financing as a strategic weapon, not just fuel in the tank. With Finns, we didn't just get capital; we got a partner who helped us see around corners. In the startup world, that's worth its weight in gold."

As our interview wraps up, Elena's phone buzzes with another opportunity – this time in the APAC market. She grins and shares one final thought: "The best part about having Finns as a partner? I know exactly who to call to help us seize this one too."