Lighter Capital

Venture Capital Firm

Lighter Capital is a financial services company that provides non-dilutive growth capital to tech startups, allowing them to expand without giving up equity or board control. They offer up to $4 million in flexible financing without requiring personal guarantees or covenants. Lighter Capital is particularly focused on SaaS startups and provides additional benefits such as product and service discounts, a supportive startup community, and access to a network of capital and partners. The company operates primarily in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, and targets startups with at least $200K in annual recurring revenue. Their financing process is designed to be fast, transparent, and founder-friendly, emphasizing the retention of ownership and control for entrepreneurs.

Team

Melissa Widner

CEO

Melissa Widner is the CEO of Lighter Capital, a leading provider of revenue-based financing for SaaS companies. With a deep understanding of the entrepreneurial journey and the importance of growth capital, Melissa has previously served as the Managing Director of NAB Ventures, the venture capital arm of National Australia Bank. In this role, she invested in and served as a director for several global fintech companies, including Lighter Capital.Melissa has successfully led two companies to acquisitions that provided over a 10X return to investors. She co-founded and was the CEO of 7Software, an enterprise software company acquired by Concur Technologies (NASDAQ: CNQR), which was later acquired by SAP. As a general partner at SeaPoint Ventures, she focused on mobile technologies and SaaS enterprise software solutions.An active angel investor, Melissa served on the board of the Alliance of Angels, one of the most active angel groups in the world. She has also lectured on Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship at the University of Washington’s MBA program.In 2009, Melissa relocated to Sydney, Australia, with her husband. She co-founded and chairs Heads Over Heels, an organization supporting women entrepreneurs leading high-growth companies. Melissa has served on the boards of the Australian Investment Council and currently serves on the boards of the Shore Foundation and Heads Over Heels. She is the proud mother of four boys.