Credit facilities, treasury and finance infrastructure, built to institutional standard.
LSS Research advises fintechs and venture-backed companies raising debt, building treasury, and putting finance infrastructure in place. Every engagement is run by Anthony Cao, who has spent his career in treasury and capital markets at Atlas, Robinhood, Strike, Vacasa, Postmates and Dropbox.
- Advisor
- LSS Research, LLC (the “Advisor”)
- Principal
- Anthony Cao. The principal runs every engagement personally. Nothing is handed to junior staff.
- Company
- Fintechs and venture-backed companies, seed through growth stage (the “Company”). Deepest in lending, card, payments and digital-asset businesses.
- Scope
- Debt capital raising, treasury operations and finance infrastructure. See §2
- Track record
- More than $2.8 billion in credit facilities negotiated. See Schedule A
- Structure
- Fixed-scope project or monthly retainer. See §4
- Capacity
- Limited to a small number of concurrent clients.
- Confidentiality
- All conversations are confidential.
Why companies engage the Advisor
Whereas, the Company needs capital, and the lenders across the table have negotiated far more facilities than the Company’s team has;
Whereas, the Company’s cash, banking and liquidity decisions now carry real consequences, and do not yet justify a full-time treasurer;
Whereas, the Company would rather build these things once, correctly, than rebuild them after a bank failure, an audit finding or a diligence request;
Now, therefore, the Company engages the Advisor on the terms below.
Scope of services
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2.1
Debt capital raising
Warehouse and forward-flow facilities, venture debt and corporate credit. The Advisor runs the process end to end: lender sourcing and outreach, the model and data room, term sheet negotiation, diligence and closing. After close, the borrowing base and covenant reporting that keep the facility in good standing.
- Advance rates
- Eligibility criteria
- Concentration limits
- Financial covenants
- Performance triggers
- Pricing & fees
DeliverablesLender map and process timeline, term sheet comparison, closing checklist, borrowing base model.
-
2.2
Treasury operations
Banking architecture and counterparty diversification. Cash management and investment policy. Thirteen-week cash flow forecasting. Bank fee review. Payment rails, settlement and digital-asset custody. Treasury controls that hold up in audit and in bank partner review.
DeliverablesBank and account map, investment policy, 13-week cash flow model, treasury controls documentation.
-
2.3
Finance infrastructure
Forecasting models, cash visibility and reporting dashboards, audit readiness, and the lender and investor materials that come up in every diligence process.
DeliverablesThree-statement model, cash and liquidity dashboard (Looker, Metabase), audit-ready reconciliation and close process.
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2.4
Exclusions. The Advisor does not provide legal, tax or investment advice, and does not act as a broker-dealer or placement agent.
Representations of the Advisor
The Advisor represents that its principal:
- has spent his career in treasury and capital markets, most recently as VP Finance at Atlas, a premium charge card company, and previously at Robinhood, Strike, Vacasa, Postmates and Dropbox;
- has led the negotiation of more than $2.8 billion in credit facilities;
- has run treasury at companies from early-stage startups to public companies, including banking, cash management, forecasting and treasury systems;
- has worked in regulated, high-scrutiny environments, including SOX-compliant public companies and money transmission programs; and
- holds a BBA with High Distinction from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
How an engagement works
- 4.1
Introduction. A short call to understand the situation and decide whether there is a fit.
- 4.2
Proposal. A written scope with defined deliverables, timeline and fee, agreed before work begins.
- 4.3
Structure. Fixed-scope projects for discrete work, such as a facility raise or a treasury build-out. Monthly retainers for ongoing treasury and capital markets support.
- 4.4
Confidentiality. All conversations are confidential, from the first call onward.
Start a conversation
Notices to the Advisor may be delivered using the form below. Qualified inquiries receive a reply within two business days.
Prior experience of the principal
| Company | Business | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Atlas | Premium charge card | Finance, capital markets, credit |
| Robinhood | Brokerage and crypto | Credit facilities, banking, liquidity |
| Strike | Bitcoin payments | Treasury, digital-asset operations |
| Vacasa | Vacation rental management | Treasury, cash management, banking |
| Postmates | On-demand delivery | Debt execution, financing |
| Dropbox | Cloud software | Cash forecasting, FX, treasury systems |
Company names identify prior employers only. They do not indicate endorsement of the Advisor or a client relationship.