River SaaS Capital, SaaS lenders that help you continue growing.

How River SaaS Capital Became Trusted SaaS Lenders

River SaaS Capital was founded in 2015 as a provider of alternative venture financing to early-stage SaaS companies throughout the U.S. Proudly based in Cleveland, Ohio, as established SaaS lenders, we offer alternative financing models, entrepreneurship mentoring, and a long-term, partnership-based approach.

At River SaaS Capital, our goal is to help our borrowers grow, and we recognize that providing cash through SaaS lending is only one piece of the puzzle. Along with our knowledge of and passion for technology, we have the precise blend of talent to help early-stage technology companies grow their business.

Contact us to learn more about our SaaS lending solutions.

The leaders behind River SaaS, and our parent company River Capital Finance, bring more than 100 years of combined lending, credit and operational success — experience we bring to bear with each one of our portfolio companies.

Meet Our Expert SaaS Lenders At River SaaS Capital — Fund Leadership Team

Matt Kennedy

Matthew Kennedy

President, River Capital Finance; Co-Managing Member, TruWest Companies

Matt is president of River SaaS Capital’s parent company, River Capital Finance and Co-Managing Member of TruWest Companies, the parent organization of River Capital Finance. In these roles, he is responsible for the development and implementation of high-level strategic sales plans to drive revenue and ultimately increase market share.

Matt founded River SaaS Capital to help founders grow their dreams while protecting their ownership.

Wendy Jarchow

Wendy Jarchow

Chief Investment Officer, River SaaS Capital

Wendy is Chief Investment Officer of River SaaS Capital. She leads the company’s due diligence and lending activities to help growing SaaS businesses fund their growth plans with non-dilutive capital and manages the company’s portfolio of loans.

Wendy has over 20 years of experience working at large financial institutions and venture funds where she has held diverse business roles, including business development, risk management, access to capital through venture investing, and strategic planning and implementation. Prior to joining River SaaS Capital in June 2016, Wendy was a Venture Partner at JumpStart, a Northeast Ohio Venture Development Organization where she assisted client companies with developing funding strategies and secured capital for both start-ups and scaleup businesses.

Joe Granzier

Joe Granzier

Chief Development Officer, River SaaS Capital

Joe is Chief Development Officer of River SaaS Capital. He manages River SaaS Capital’s investor relations and devises strategies for fund growth.

Before joining River SaaS, Joe spent over 30 years in high-net worth portfolio management, corporate retirement plan consulting and education funding strategies. He has worked for both public financial conglomerates as well as smaller boutique investment firms and has been a participant in the esteemed Securities Institute Association (SIA) at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania.

Joe holds multiple industry licenses (6, 66, 7, life, health, LTC) and is a certified Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF).

ashley_smith

Ashley Smith

VP of Investments, River SaaS Capital

Ashley is an experienced investment professional with a history of working in Venture Capital, Investment Banking and Private Equity. She joined River SaaS Capital in April 2023 as VP of Investments where she is responsible for deal flow, deal execution and portfolio management.

Before joining River SaaS Capital, Ashley was a Partner at a Private Equity firm, ScaleCo Capital. She also spent over 7 years as a Principal in Venture Capital at JumpStart Ventures, where she focused on Seed and Series A investments in software and healthcare businesses.

Meet Our Expert SaaS Lenders — Deal Review Committee

Our Service Providers

Fund Administrator:

Oakpoint Fund Services

Tom Niehaus, Managing Director

Auditor:

Neitzel, Luke, & Associates

Mike Salopek, CPA, Partner

General Partner & Fund Legal:

Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP

Howard Bobrow, Partner

BDO

Fund Auditor:

BDO

Nick Maroules, Partner, Financial Services and Private Equity

Investment Legal:

Kohrman Jackson & Krantz

Jon Pinney, Managing Partner

Contact River SaaS Capital Today

When you require strategic growth insight and fast, flexible funding that sets you up for success and is tailored to your needs, turn to River SaaS Capital. Our skilled SaaS lenders are prepared to help you discover your ideal financing solutions and support your growth. Contact our team today to get started.

“Accessing capital is one of the biggest challenges facing young companies in the Midwest. Debt-based options from lenders like River SaaS Capital are becoming an increasingly important piece of the solution for young software startups — especially SaaS startups.”

Ray Leach
CEO, JumpStart, Inc.

Michael Kennedy

Chief Executive Officer, TruWest Companies

Mike Kennedy is CEO of TruWest Companies, the parent organization of River Capital Finance, River SaaS Capital, TRG and MRK Technologies. He began his business career with the Burroughs Corporation (now Unisys), before co-founding L.D.I. Corporation, a computer distributor and leasing company that grew to $75 million in sales by 1987, when it went public.

Under Mike’s leadership as President and COO, L.D.I. increased sales to $350 million by 1994, when it was acquired by NationsBank. Prior to the sale, he led a management buyout of several company divisions to form a new company called MRK Technologies. In 2000, Mike expanded again with the formation of MRK Leasing, later rebranding as River Capital Finance.

Matthew Kennedy

Co-Managing Member, TruWest Companies

Matt is president of River SaaS Capital’s parent company, River Capital Finance and Co-Managing Member of TruWest Companies, the parent organization of River Capital Finance. In these roles, he is responsible for the development and implementation of high-level strategic sales plans to drive revenue and ultimately increase market share.

Matt founded River SaaS Capital to help founders grow their dreams while protecting their ownership.

Sean Kennedy

Co-Managing Member, TruWest Companies

Sean Kennedy is a Co-Managing Member of TruWest Companies, the parent organization of River Capital Finance, River SaaS Capital, TRG and MRK Technologies.

Sean began his career with MRK Technologies and in 2004, founded TRG, then a provider of refurbished equipment to the AIDC and mobile technology market. He has since transformed TRG into one of the largest hardware, software and solutions providers in the mobile computing, barcode, POS and payment processing industries. Sean is a 2002 graduate of Ohio University with a B.A. in Communications.

Wendy Jarchow

Chief Investment Officer, River SaaS Capital

Wendy is Chief Investment Officer of River SaaS Capital. She leads the company’s due diligence and lending activities to help growing SaaS businesses fund their growth plans with non-dilutive capital and manages the company’s portfolio of loans.

Wendy has over 20 years of experience working at large financial institutions and venture funds where she has held diverse business roles, including business development, risk management, access to capital through venture investing, and strategic planning and implementation. Prior to joining River SaaS Capital in June 2016, Wendy was a Venture Partner at JumpStart, a Northeast Ohio Venture Development Organization where she assisted client companies with developing funding strategies and secured capital for both start-ups and scaleup businesses.

Joe Granzier

Chief Development Officer, River SaaS Capital

Joe is Chief Development Officer of River SaaS Capital. He manages River SaaS Capital’s investor relations and devises strategies for fund growth.

Before joining River SaaS, Joe spent over 30 years in high-net worth portfolio management, corporate retirement plan consulting and education funding strategies. He has worked for both public financial conglomerates as well as smaller boutique investment firms and has been a participant in the esteemed Securities Institute Association (SIA) at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania.

Joe holds multiple industry licenses (6, 66, 7, life, health, LTC) and is a certified Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF).

Ashley Smith

VP of Investments, River SaaS Capital

Ashley is an experienced investment professional with a history of working in Venture Capital, Investment Banking and Private Equity. She joined River SaaS Capital in April 2023 as VP of Investments where she is responsible for deal flow, deal execution and portfolio management.

Before joining River SaaS Capital, Ashley was a Partner at a Private Equity firm, ScaleCo Capital. She also spent over 7 years as a Principal in Venture Capital at JumpStart Ventures, where she focused on Seed and Series A investments in software and healthcare businesses.

Chris Free

Chief Financial Officer, TruWest Companies

Chris Free is Chief Financial Officer of TruWest Companies, the parent organization of River Capital Finance, River SaaS Capital, TRG and MRK Technologies. Chris joined TruWest in 2018 with over 14 years of experience in financial management, mostly recently serving as Chief Financial Officer at Sandridge Foods, a family-owned leader in the fresh food manufacturing industry. Chris has also served as Group Controller and Manager of Financial Planning & Analysis at Nordson Corporation and has experience in a variety of roles at Ernst & Young LLP. Chris earned both his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in accounting from Miami University.

Joseph Yanoska

Chief Information Officer, TruWest Companies

Joseph Yanoska is Chief Information Officer of TruWest Companies, the parent organization of River Capital Finance, River SaaS Capital, TRG Solutions, MRK Technologies and Sibling Revelry Brewing. He is a technology veteran with a background in the online social expression and banking industries. Joe helps our portfolio investments as a technology mentor. He strategizes along with your team on development roadmaps and security assessments. He would love to help you scale your technology to grow with your business.