Victory Park Capital (VPC), an investment firm focused on private middle-market debt and equity investments, announced today it has provided a $100 million senior secured credit facility to Cognical, Inc. (d/b/a Zibby), to expand its omnichannel lease-to-own payment platform for in-store and online shopping. The credit facility, along with the accompanying equity investment, will help the company grow and scale its lease portfolio, providing underbanked consumers with an affordable alternative for acquiring durable consumer goods such as furniture, appliances and electronics.
“Zibby has identified an underserved lease-to-own financing niche within the non-bank financial services landscape and has developed the underwriting and risk analytics to capitalize on it,” said Gordon Watson, partner at VPC. “Zibby attempts to empower underbanked consumers with limited credit profiles by providing a payment option for acquiring household necessities that they otherwise could not afford.”
Based in New York, Zibby already offers its payment solution online and in-store across 46 states and is expanding its presence among retailers in the United States. “We are looking forward to a long partnership with VPC and highly value the team’s knowledge and track record within the specialty finance sector,” said Brandon Wright, CEO of Zibby. “Their investment will provide Zibby with the debt capital necessary to dramatically expand our retailer footprint and help those retailers support this huge, underserved customer base.”
Victory Park Capital Advisors, LLC (VPC) is an investment firm with a focus on alternative credit and a commitment to delivering attractive risk-adjusted returns and capital preservation for its clients. VPC provides privately negotiated debt and equity capital solutions to small and middle market companies across a wide range of industries. We target fundamentally sound businesses in need of liquidity and/or capital structure transformation and often take a leadership role in the financial restructuring process. VPC’s offerings leverage the firm’s special situations and credit structuring expertise and differentiated deal origination capabilities. The firm was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Chicago, with resources in London, Los Angeles and New York. VPC is privately held and a Registered Investment Advisor with the SEC.