Western Technology Investment (WTI)
NotableThe original venture lender, operating since 1980.
Venture Debt & LendingFirmNorth America
Target market
Early-stage, venture-backed companies (seed to Series B)
Typical check
$1M-$50M+
Geography
North America
Overview
WTI is one of the oldest venture-debt firms in existence and the closest thing venture lending has to an institution. It famously lends earlier and on more founder-friendly terms than banks — often pre-revenue, on the strength of the team and syndicate — and counted Google and Facebook among its early borrowers. Seed and Series A GPs treat a WTI facility as a standard part of the round.
Key facts
- Lending to venture-backed companies since 1980
- Early lender to companies including Google and Facebook
- Willing to lend pre-revenue on team and syndicate quality
- Relationship-driven — repeat business with the same VC firms for decades