Frequently Asked Questions

BASICS

What is Sanlo?

Sanlo is a fintech company that provides a suite of financial tools and solutions for game and app developers and studios to help them scale. Our first product, Sanlo Capital, offers fast, flexible financing so developers can grow on their own terms, without dilution. Our second product, Sanlo Analytics, is the easiest way for game developers to monitor their financials.

How does Sanlo work?

Signing up for Sanlo Analytics and applying for Sanlo Capital is free and only takes minutes. Simply complete the registration process, apply for financing, connect your existing platforms to Sanlo, and receive personalized offers within 24 hours. If you choose to accept an offer from us, we will fund your bank account directly within 72 hours.

Is Sanlo Capital right for my company?

If you’re a game or app development company and you’re looking to grow - yes! Sanlo Capital was built to cater to game and app companies that need capital to grow quickly while retaining full creative control and ownership of their businesses.

How are you different from companies like Pipe, Capchase, Pollen VC, Braavo, Wayflyer, and ClearCo?

Sanlo was built specifically for game and app developers, by game and app developers. Our team has decades of experience in the worlds of gaming and fintech, and have lived through the challenges we’re now addressing for our customers. We’ve designed Sanlo Capital to be the most developer-friendly, simple, and transparent financing option on the market. Onboarding is self-serve, capital offers are auto-generated, and approved funding is delivered within 72 hours. We also offer flexibility in repayment options - choose between revenue-based and fixed-term financing with a one-time flat fee that shows your full cost upfront.

Do I need to tell my customers that we’re using Sanlo?

Nope. Sanlo never disrupts your customer relationships. Your customers never even need to know we’re here - we’re your invisible growth partner.

SANLO CAPITAL

How much capital can I receive?

We can provide funding as low as $500 and upwards of $3,000,000 per financing (tranche), based on your data and growth goals. We’ve found that most companies prefer “just-in-time” capital, where they receive funding in multiple tranches when it’s needed, as opposed to raising an initial, large lump sum that may sit idle in their account. Sanlo Capital amounts scale up and down, fully in sync with our customers’ growth and needs.

How soon can I get money in my account?

We typically generate financing offers within 24 hours after you finish signing up and connecting your banking data, product analytics, and platforms. If you choose to accept an offer from us, we will fund your bank account directly within 72 hours.

What is the cost of financing with Sanlo?

There are no costs to sign up to and apply for Sanlo Capital, and there’s no obligation to accept an offer. Once funding is approved, we charge a one-time flat fee per financing tranche that starts at 4%. There are no other fees, warrants, interest payments, covenants, or any other hidden ways of collecting money. You’ll know exactly how much you’ll need to repay in full before you accept funding from us.

How do you decide on your offer terms?

During your sign-up process, you’ll be asked to connect your banking, accounting and app data to Sanlo. Your information is kept strictly confidential and will never be shared; it is purely used to determine the financing options we can offer. Sanlo Capital will then generate personalized terms specifically for your business based on your data.

How is Sanlo Capital different from working with a publisher?

We will never have any input into how you run your company and build your products. We believe that you know best when it comes to managing your business. Our job is simply to provide you with cash so you can be empowered to grow.

How is Sanlo Capital different from raising equity financing (from venture capital firms, angel investors, etc.)?

Sanlo Capital is non-dilutive. We will never take equity ownership in your company. We believe that you’ve worked hard to build your business, so you should own 100% of it.

How is Sanlo Capital different from traditional loans?

Sanlo Capital is a financial product specifically designed for game developers, while banks typically offer cookie-cutter products that aren’t fit for purpose or secured lending products which may require personal guarantees and have additional fees and charges.

Do you work with companies that do not yet have revenue? If so, how?

Yes, we even work with companies that are in the process of building their product and haven’t launched yet. If your company does not currently have revenue, we can still use a number of other data points to assess its overall financial health and offer you fixed-term financing. You may also be interested in our Starter Advances!

Is Sanlo Capital available to companies based outside the US and UK?

Yes! As long as you have a US, Canada, or UK subsidiary, we can work with you. To confirm whether your company can use Sanlo, go through our sign-up process. If you’re not eligible today, we’ll be glad to notify you as soon as we launch in your country.

Am I eligible for new/additional offers while I’m paying down an existing advance?

Yes. In fact, most of our customers use our financing on a recurring/ongoing basis.

Sanlo Analytics

What is Sanlo Analytics?

Sanlo Analytics is the easiest way for game developers to monitor their financials. See results in real-time while you focus on growth.

How much does Sanlo Analytics cost to use?

Sanlo Analytics is 100% free.

What can Sanlo Analytics do?

Sanlo Analytics works effortlessly with your existing tools. Securely sync your app analytics, app stores and payment systems, and bank accounts. Track your cash balance, revenues, and more in one place.

I want capital to grow faster. Should I still sign up for Sanlo Analytics?

Yes! All Sanlo Analytics users can unlock Sanlo Capital offers automatically as they scale, as soon as they need it. We'll notify you when you qualify for a financing offer - no need to even apply.

Starter Advance

What is a Starter Advance?

Our mission at Sanlo is to help game and app developers of all sizes grow and thrive. As long as you are currently building or have just launched a game or app, you may be eligible for a Starter Advance: a $4,000 financing from Sanlo.

Do you work with companies that do not yet have revenue? If so, how?

I’m interested in applying for a Starter Advance. How soon can I get money in my account?

We typically generate Starter Advance offers within 24 hours after you finish signing up and connecting your banking data, product analytics, and platforms. If you choose to accept an offer from us, we will fund your bank account directly within 72 hours.

What is pre-approval? How can I get pre-approved?

If you meet the following criteria - 1) 1+ live, published game/app, 2) $5K+ monthly revenue, 3) 6+ months of runway, and 4) based in the US, Canada, or UK - then you should sign up for a Starter Advance right now because you are guaranteed to secure an offer for $4,000 in zero-fee financing from Sanlo!

LINE OF CREDIT

How do lines of credit work?

Sanlo offers app developers their own line of credit, which is a fixed credit balance that you can withdraw funds from at any time, as many times as you want, as long as you don't exceed the maximum limit. It works similar to a typical credit card, where your available credit balance gets replenished when you pay back the amount borrowed.

What are the costs associated with a line of credit?

You don’t pay anything for getting the line of credit. When you borrow from it, pay a convenience fee of as little as 1% only on the amount you borrowed. No prepayment penalties.

How can I get a Sanlo line of credit?

App developers can get approved for a line of credit in as little as 24 hours. We typically require business information, business banking data, as well as mobile marketing platform data to assess eligibility. If approved, Sanlo will provide the terms associated with the line of credit, including the maximum credit limit available and the fee rate.

What is revolving credit?

Many businesses utilize a line of credit to increase their working capital. This is a great way to bridge the gap between the tasks you need to do and the cash flow you need to get them done.

As an example, This type of funding is ideal for app developers looking to manage the monthly cash inflows and outflows of running a business: paying bills, covering payroll, dealing with cash flow shortages or making short-term investments and improvements. The structure of a line of credit allows you to dip into your available balance frequently and pay back quickly to help manage any bumps in the road and keep moving forward.

Lines of credit are typically revolving credit instruments. This makes them faster and more flexible than installment loans. If you need working capital quickly, this can be a great option to allow you to stay focused on your game development, instead of spending time looking for financing. As long as you make your minimum payments and avoid taking on more debt than your business can handle, revolving credit can be an effective cash flow management tool for your business.

Is a revolving line of credit a good fit for my business?

Typically, lines of credit are best used for short-term working capital needs, like covering payroll for new developers, increasing marketing spend to acquire new users, or offsetting seasonal fluctuations in cash flow. If you know you'll need funds soon but you're not sure exactly how much you'll need or when, revolving credit can give you the flexibility to navigate your business through those periods.

The advantage of a line of credit over a regular business loan is that you usually don’t have to pay a fee on the funds you are not using. Additionally, your business can draw on the line of credit at any time.

Revolving line of credit vs. Business credit cards?

While a revolving line of credit is very similar to a credit card, it's important to remember that they aren't the same. Credit cards tend to have lower limits, higher interest rates and charge additional fees for cash advance and balance transfers. Business credit cards are unsecured loans, so they may require personal guarantees, which makes you liable for any unpaid debts. If you're trying to grow your business, a line of credit may be a better option.

FINANCING

What is revenue-based financing?

With revenue-based financing, a business pays back funds using a portion of its future revenues. This means there’s no fixed term or monthly repayment amount, as both will fluctuate with your revenues.

What is fixed-term financing?

Founders and CEOs have several options when it comes to financing their businesses. Equity financing is the most common - there’s no repayment obligation, but you’ll own a smaller portion of your company (dilution), and you may not have 100% control over the future business. Non-dilutive financing can be a more attractive option if you have an existing product with a performance track record and you’re looking to grow through ways like user acquisition or expanding your product suite. With non-dilutive financing, your lenders won’t take an ownership stake or have any input into your company’s decision making. However, it does mean that the financed amount needs to be repaid, plus an additional amount in the form of interest, fees, or other structural features of the agreement.

What is non-dilutive financing, and what are some of its benefits?