Jake Lerner is the Chief Revenue Officer at Revenued, where he channels a career in alternative finance and SMB lending to build more flexible, real-time funding solutions for small businesses. Having led organizations like Vantage Capital and worked closely with entrepreneurs across nearly every industry, he saw firsthand how rigid, slow, and outdated traditional loan products often were, and helped shape Revenued’s model of buying future receivables through a card and flex line that moves in sync with a company’s actual performance.
Through Revenued’s partnership with Eqvista, Jake stresses clean financials, transparent entity structures, and steady cash flow discipline to accelerate approvals and better terms for founders. He is particularly focused on the evolving needs of SaaS and tech companies, continuous underwriting, and non-dilutive funding strategies that let founders preserve equity while extending their runway and hitting key milestones.
Jake, can you walk us through your journey that led you to Revenued?
My background has always been in alternative finance and SMB lending. Prior to Revenued my background included being President of Vantage Capital and several years at Fora Financial, all working directly with businesses across basically every industry. I saw firsthand how traditional financing products often weren’t keeping up with how businesses actually operate. They were rigid in payback structure, slow in execution, and didn’t adapt as revenue changed.
The idea behind Revenued was financing SMB’s with a dynamic cost structure, through a card and flex line. To me, it felt like a natural evolution to produce a product ultimately that gave the business owner the keys to determine how much capital they need, and how long they need it for. It was built around real-time performance and flexibility, which aligned with how modern businesses manage cash flow. The rest, as they say, is history.
Revenued’s model buys future receivables via a Visa card with dynamic limits. How does this differ from traditional loans, and what SMB pain points does it solve best?
The biggest difference is flexibility. Traditional loans are fixed: fixed amounts, fixed repayment schedules, and very little room to adapt if a business has seasonal swings or uneven cash flow. Revenued’s model is designed to move with the business.
By purchasing future receivables and delivering access through a Visa card or the Flex Line, businesses can draw capital when they need it and see limits adjust based on real performance. This helps solve one of the most common SMB challenges: timing. Many businesses are profitable on paper but struggle with short-term cash flow gaps. Our model is designed to smooth those gaps without locking founders into inflexible debt. They have the ability to pay off the balance in real time with massive cost savings.
With economic shifts in 2026, how has Revenued adapted its underwriting for SaaS and tech startups with recurring revenue but volatile growth?
We’ve become much more focused on the quality and consistency of revenue rather than just top-line growth. For SaaS and tech startups, that means looking closely at metrics like churn, customer concentration, billing frequency, and retention.
Volatile growth isn’t necessarily a problem if the underlying revenue is recurring and supported by strong customer behavior. By integrating more directly with banking and financial data sources, we’re able to move faster on approvals while still maintaining disciplined risk standards. The goal is always speed but now it’s through clarity, not speed through shortcuts.
Many startups use revenue-based financing as a bridge before equity raises. What signals tell you a startup is RBF-ready versus needing traditional VC funding?
Revenue-based financing works best when a startup has already demonstrated product-market fit. Really, we look for at least six months of proven business history. Our underwriting looks for consistent revenue numbers, improving margins, and the opportunity for growth.
If a company is still experimenting with its core product or relies heavily on funding to discover its market, venture capital may be the better fit. RBF is most effective when it’s used to scale what’s already working, not to figure out what might work.
For a solo founder hitting $10K per month but dipping negative on weekends, what metrics should they track daily?
Daily cash balance and deposit timing are critical. Many founders focus on monthly revenue but don’t account for settlement delays or fixed expenses that hit regardless of revenue flow. Tracking average daily revenue, pending deposits, and overdraft frequency can make a big difference.
What we care about most is recovery. A single negative day isn’t a deal breaker, but patterns of repeated overdrafts without a quick rebound can signal risk. Awareness and discipline go a long way.
Early-stage founders juggle product development and sales. What’s the smartest way to deploy Revenued capital on marketing sprints?
The smartest approach is short, controlled marketing sprints with clear performance benchmarks. Founders should focus on channels where attribution is strong, such as paid search or retargeting, and set clear thresholds for success.
If customer acquisition costs rise without corresponding revenue growth, that’s the signal to pull back. One of the advantages of flexible capital is the ability to stop just as easily as you start. From my experience, discipline matters as much as ambition.
Based on the partnership between Eqvista and Revenued, what should Eqvista clients focus on first to improve approval speed and terms?
Organization and transparency. Clean financials, clear entity structure, and accurate revenue records significantly speed up underwriting. When ownership and financial data are easy to verify, approvals tend to move much faster and terms improve naturally.
If a bootstrapped founder gets denied, what are the top quick fixes to reapply successfully?
Most denials are timing-related, not permanent. Reducing overdrafts, consolidating revenue into a primary account, stabilizing deposits, and cutting unnecessary expenses can make a meaningful difference within 30 to 60 days. Showing consistent operational discipline is often the fastest path to approval.
Looking ahead, what do you see as the biggest challenge for SMB financing in 2026 and beyond?
The biggest challenge is that many financing products haven’t evolved as quickly as small businesses have. SMBs are more dynamic, data-driven, and fast-moving than ever before. Revenued is focused on continuous underwriting and flexible access to capital that adapts alongside the business rather than forcing businesses into outdated models.
For founders balancing QSBS eligibility and non-dilutive funding, how does RBF from Revenued fit into a compliant funding stack?
Revenue-based financing fits well because it doesn’t dilute ownership or alter equity structure. When used strategically, RBF can extend a business founder’s runway so to speak and help reach key milestones without complicating long-term tax or equity planning.
