Bridge, a Citi-backed AI-powered lending platform, has announced the launch of a $500 million direct lending fund specifically designed for CPG brands and retail suppliers fulfilling purchase orders for America's largest retailers. This initiative comes as the company has already deployed over $800 million since its spin-out from Citi in 2023, facilitating financing for hundreds of growing businesses. The new fund marks a significant expansion driven by increasing demand from suppliers selling into major retail chains.
The financing gap that Bridge addresses is a common yet overlooked challenge: when a brand secures a large order from a major retailer, it must cover manufacturing, raw materials, packaging, freight, and compliance costs before the goods are delivered and well before the retailer pays. This timing mismatch often forces growing suppliers to drain operating cash, raise equity, delay fulfillment, or turn to costly and opaque financing options. Bridge's AI-driven underwriting looks forward at upcoming orders rather than backward at historical profits, enabling it to fund demand in days, up to 100% of production costs on confirmed or expected orders.
Through its work with Walmart, Bridge funded DogSauce, a pet-food super broth meal topper that expanded from 1,200 to over 3,000 Walmart stores on a single order that nearly doubled the brand's prior year revenue. Founder Dakota Sheets noted, "When Walmart calls with an expansion like this, you don't want to say no. But the financing gap between production and payment is real, and Bridge makes it possible to fill the orders without giving up equity."
The launch is timely as retail faces volatility from tariffs, freight costs, oil prices, and shifting consumer demand. Rohit Mathur, CEO and Co-Founder of Bridge, emphasized that the pressure often lands first on growing suppliers with the least room to absorb it. "Bridge is using AI to put capital to work for the businesses that need it. By analyzing the business, the order, and the retailer relationship more deeply than legacy underwriting allows, Bridge can move faster and get from no to yes for strong suppliers that traditional lenders might miss."
Walmart's Senior Director of Global Treasury, Brandy Newhof, expressed support: "Bridge's Purchase Order Financing Program gives Walmart suppliers an additional option for funding their orders. Expanding the range of capital options available to our suppliers is one of the ways we support our supplier community."
Bridge's approach differs from traditional lenders in that it lends against the credit risk of major retailers, not just the supplier's historical performance. Co-Founder and COO Harte Thompson explained, "Plenty of lenders are happy to extend capital once a brand has delivered the goods and there's an invoice out. Lending against the credit risk of a major retailer like Walmart isn't hard. But Bridge supports growing brands when they actually need it, when they are building the inventory to fill an upcoming order. That's the moment capital is hardest to find, and when it's not there, good brands get pushed into expensive, opaque financing or dilutive equity raises just to fund routine production. Bridge was built for that moment instead."
Access to production capital is vital for scaling businesses and keeping shelves stocked. Bridge's AI-powered infrastructure is tailored to the specific payment cycles, fulfillment requirements, and operating realities of each retailer, helping brands seize growth opportunities without compromising their financial stability. For more information, visit bridge.co.
