Bridge, a Citi-backed AI-powered lending platform, has launched a $500 million direct lending fund specifically designed for consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands and retail suppliers fulfilling purchase orders for America’s largest retailers. Since spinning out from Citi in 2023, Bridge has deployed over $800 million and facilitated financing for hundreds of growing businesses. The new fund marks Bridge’s next phase of growth, driven by demand from suppliers selling into major retailers.
The fund addresses a critical pain point for suppliers: the financing gap between winning an order and receiving payment. When a brand secures an order from a major retailer, it must pay for manufacturing, raw materials, packaging, freight, and compliance before the goods are delivered and long before the retailer pays. This timing mismatch can force strong brands to drain operating cash, raise equity for routine production, delay fulfillment, or turn to costly and opaque financing options.
Bridge’s approach leverages AI to analyze the business, the order, and the retailer relationship more deeply than legacy underwriting. This allows the company to move faster and approve strong suppliers that traditional lenders might miss. The company funds up to 100% of a brand’s production costs on expected or confirmed orders, with repayment structured around when brands receive payment from retailers.
“Retail is being reshaped by volatility in tariffs, freight, oil prices, and consumer demand, and the pressure often lands first on the growing suppliers that have the least room to absorb it,” said Rohit Mathur, CEO and Co-Founder of Bridge. “Bridge is using AI to put capital to work for the businesses that need it.”
The fund has already demonstrated its impact through a partnership with Walmart. Bridge funded DogSauce, a pet-food super broth meal topper, which expanded from 1,200 to over 3,000 Walmart stores on a single order that nearly doubled the brand’s prior year revenue. “When Walmart calls with an expansion like this, you don’t want to say no,” said Dakota Sheets, founder of DogSauce. “But the financing gap between production and payment is real, and Bridge makes it possible to fill the orders without giving up equity.”
Walmart’s support is evident. “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,” said Brandy Newhof, Senior Director of Global Treasury at Walmart.
The timing of the fund is crucial, as retail suppliers face increasing pressure from tariffs, freight costs, and fluctuating consumer demand. By providing fast, transparent capital, Bridge helps suppliers scale their businesses and keep products moving through the supply chain. The company’s underwriting is built around the specific payment cycles, fulfillment requirements, and operating realities of each retailer, ensuring that brands can say yes to bigger orders without putting the rest of their business under pressure.
Bridge’s fund is backed by investors including TTV Capital, Citi Ventures, Uncorrelated Ventures, Gilgamesh Ventures, Thayer Partners, and US Bank Ventures. For more information, visit bridge.co.
