BondIt

Positioned as a key financier in the media landscape, BondIt Media Capital operates as a senior secured lender for the film, television, and entertainment industries. The company was established in 2013 by Matthew Helderman and Luke Taylor. Their journey began with the creation of Buffalo 8 Productions, a venture started while Helderman was still an undergraduate, which provided them with firsthand experience of the financial hurdles producers face. This direct exposure to the industry's funding gaps sparked the idea for BondIt, which they launched to address the financing difficulties prevalent in media production.

BondIt's business model is centered on providing secured debt financing rather than equity financing. Revenue is generated by providing a variety of loans collateralized against predictable assets. These financial products include loans against union deposits (for guilds like SAG-AFTRA, DGA, and IATSE), tax credits, pre-sales agreements, and minimum guarantees from distributors. The company also offers bridge loans, working capital for media companies, and gap financing for projects. By focusing on a high volume of projects, typically investing in 50 or more films annually, and securing its loans with hard collateral, BondIt mitigates risk and aims for dependable returns. This strategy involves being first in line to recoup its investment from a film's revenue waterfall. The firm evaluates over 1,500 opportunities each year to select its slate.

The company's target clients range from early-stage filmmakers to established production companies and sales agents. BondIt has successfully deployed over $500 million across more than 500 projects since its inception. Its portfolio includes a diverse range of productions from the Oscar-nominated "Loving Vincent" to the Roland Emmerich-directed "Midway" and Anna Kendrick's directorial debut, "Woman of the Hour." A significant milestone was the partial sale of the company to the publicly traded Accord Financial (TSX: ACD), which backs BondIt alongside Keystone National Group. This has supported the expansion of its credit facilities, enabling it to finance a broad spectrum of projects in the entertainment sector.

Keywords: film finance, media lending, television financing, debt financing, movie production loans, entertainment capital, pre-sales financing, tax credit loans, gap financing, union deposit loans, Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor, Buffalo 8, senior secured lending, bridge loans, media project funding, independent film financing, entertainment industry loans, production financing, Accord Financial, Keystone National Group