Exponent Raises $40 Million to Expand Financial Platform for Franchise Operators

May 15, 2026
Exponent has raised over $40 million in a mix of equity and credit funding to expand its financial infrastructure for multi-location franchise operators across the United States. The Series A round was led by Chailease and Era, with additional credit facilities supporting Exponent’s lending products.

Exponent has raised more than $40 million in combined equity and credit capital to expand its financial platform for multi-location franchise operators in the United States, announced in a press release.

The Series A equity round totaled $7.5 million and was led by Chailease, a multinational asset-backed finance institution, and its chairman Andre Koo. Era, a New York investment firm founded by Jasper Lau, participated as co-lead. Inauguration Capital, founded by Tim Hwang, was a founding investor in Exponent.

The financing also includes over $30 million in committed credit facilities to support Exponent’s lending products. This includes a previously announced $20 million revolving credit facility from Jovian Capital Management, with additional capital expected in the coming months.

Exponent’s platform aims to provide modern financial infrastructure for franchise operators, a segment that generates more than $921 billion in annual output and supports nearly 9 million jobs across 845,000 locations in the United States, according to the International Franchise Association.

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