Venture Debt: The New VC Alternative with David Spreng

Today, we welcome David Spreng, the founder of Runway Growth Capital, a Silicon Valley-based investment firm that provides venture debt financing to growth-stage companies. David has over 30 years of experience as a VC and growth debt lender and has been actively involved in the formation and development of nearly 50 technology companies. He has been ranked four times by Forbes magazine on their annual Midas List as one of the top 50 VCs, and in 2006, he was ranked the #8 VC. David’s expertise in how venture debt has become critical for sustaining established companies has helped companies like Madison Reed secure $50 million in venture debt. In this episode, David shares his insights into the rising popularity of venture debt as an alternative to venture capital, particularly for established companies and household names.

Key takeaways:

• Growth lending and venture debt [7:06]
• Counterparty risk and risk management. [14:41]
• The long-term model of venture debt. [17:04]
• Being a good partner is about knowing the risk. [42:35]

Want to learn more about Runway Growth Capital?

Check out their website here where you can view case studies and learn more about growth lending and venture debt.

You can also email David directly at ds@runwaygrowth.com or on LinkedIn.