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Introducing Seasonal Credit

Introducing Seasonal Credit

Gilion Team
Posted:
March 6, 2025

We’re expanding our product offering with our new financing product Seasonal Credit

Over the past few years, we’ve seen incredible success with our Growth Loan—our long-term, non-dilutive financing alternative to equity for startups across Europe. Designed for founders looking to scale without giving away equity, they have used it to expand into new markets, hire talent, and reach new revenue milestones without sacrificing ownership.As we’ve worked with our customers, we’ve recognized another critical need: shorter-term financing solutions to cover their seasonal cycles.

Take, for example, a B2B SaaS company providing workflow automation software for marketing agencies. Their business relies on annual contracts, with most customer renewals happening in Q1. However, new sales tend to peak in Q4 when agencies are finalizing their budgets for the next year. This means cash flow is at its lowest in the summer months, when revenue from new customers slows down, but expenses—like team salaries and infrastructure costs—remain the same.

This predictable revenue cycle makes it difficult to invest in growth initiatives like hiring sales reps or increasing ad spend at the right time. While the company knows revenue will rebound with the renewal cycle, securing capital in a way that aligns with this pattern has always been a challenge.

Many of our customers need money not just to grow over the next ten years but also to handle ups and downs in their cash flow. With our platform, we realized we could help with both.

The Missing Piece in Startup Financing

For years, startups have had to choose between rigid bank loans, costly short-term revenue-based financing, or venture debt that comes with hidden equity components. None of these options truly support the nature of software startups with seasonal cash flow cycles. They have been built on a one-fits-all approach, which to be honest doesn’t make it a truly great product for anyone.

Traditional lenders demand collateral and fixed repayments, ignoring the natural ups and downs of startup revenue. Revenue-based financing terms are full of hidden fees, while venture debt locks founders into restrictive terms and equity commitments.Seasonal Credit is built to solve this.

Instead of forcing startups into fixed repayment schedules, it adapts to their business cycles, allowing them to draw funds when needed and repay only when cash flow turns positive again.

Leveraging Data to Build a Better Solution

The journey of startups is unique and often unpredictable. And at Gilion we strive to be the one that “gets it”. With great understanding, comes greater trust and even greater terms. By analyzing company performance at a deeper level—including revenue patterns, cash flow cycles, and financial health—we can now with Seasonal Credit offer a product that is far more tailored and flexible than what traditional lenders out there can do. This level of precision simply wasn’t possible before.

With the power of data from the Gilion platform, we’ve built Seasonal Credit to be the most startup-friendly short-term financing solution.

On the surface, it might seem simple: access capital when you need it and repay when your cash flow improves. But achieving this level of flexibility we now offer requires a robust technical infrastructure, advanced financial models, and real-time data insights—something traditional lenders simply aren't equipped to handle. The power of the Gilion platform makes it possible.

"This has given us the flexibility to manage our working capital efficiently while maintaining full control over our company’s direction. This seasonal credit allows us to draw funds precisely when needed, ensuring optimal financial management as we continue to grow and innovate in the video technology space."
– Dr. Ingo Hofacker, CEO at Movingimage

With Seasonal Credit, startups get:

  • Access a large funding pool upfront and draw down only what you need.
  • No unnecessary costs—you don’t start repaying until your cash flow turns positive.
  • Flexible repayment that fits your revenue cycles, reducing financial strain during your slower months.

Rather than forcing businesses into rigid loan structures, Seasonal Credit empowers founders and finance teams with the flexibility to make strategic decisions on their own terms—something that was never this seamless before.

Interested in knowing more about our Seasonal Credit?
You can read more about it here and reach out to our team to get the ball rolling.

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