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 was already a seasoned door-to-door sales veteran. But today, as CEO of 

, he knocks on far fewer doors and instead is focused on modernizing what he admits is an “outdated industry.”

That’s why he thinks of Brooks as a “sales company that does pest control.” 

When Eric launched Brooks Pest Control in 2018, he made “a decent amount of money”—but was also $30,000 in debt. 

Now in its fifth year, Brooks has branches in three states, generates eight figures in revenue, and is experiencing “crazy fast” growth. But getting here took a series of sharp turns—which 

The challenge: Getting capital to grow—in an "outdated" industry

Dated perceptions about pest control have flowed upstream from the general public to traditional financial services, creating a cycle of slower innovation in the industry and skepticism among institutional investors. Even though “pest control is a need for everyone,” people just don’t see the opportunities, said Eric.

As early growth started to plateau, scaling started to feel “impossible.” Eric and two business partners had poured in their own money to get started, but because they were a young company without collateral—aka few traditional assets—investors just “would[n’t] give them the time of day.”

In fact, when he started looking for funding, it didn’t seem to matter that the company was bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars a month.

Pest control wasn’t catching anyone’s eye—except one backer who, during the company’s second year, was willing to offer financing, but wanted 40% 

 in return. It left the Brooks team in a bind. 

, Eric and team turned down that very dilutive opportunity—but had no idea what they were going to do. 

The solution: Connecting with recurring revenue financing 

The magic of the internet brought Eric and Pipe together. While Eric and his Brooks partners were on a business trip, they happened upon Pipe via Twitter. Eric read everything he could about the company for the next hour—and then got in touch.

“Initially, we didn’t qualify for Pipe,” Eric says. “But we were in close contact with our revenue manager, and they told us exactly what we had to do to qualify… We made the necessary changes, and once we qualified three or four months later, it was cake.” 

, the company was able to access a  $4 million trading limit—which means Eric and the team could pull forward the funds they needed whenever they chose, and could now grow Brooks Pest Control on their terms. 

The Results: Brooks is exterminating their growth hurdles

The explosive growth fueled by access to capital has led to new opportunities as other companies have taken note of Brooks’ momentum.

 by a 70-year-old company, Clark Pest Control, in California. Brooks’ new mission? Keep growing. They’re aiming to add 20,000 to 25,000 new customers in a six-to-eight-month period, using Pipe to fuel growth.

By partnering with Pipe, the growth potential that Eric and team had all along has been unlocked. Put simply: “Without Pipe, we’d be back to square one again.” 

The explosive growth fueled by access to capital has led to new opportunities as other companies have taken note of Brooks’ momentum.


Now in its fifth year, Brooks has branches in three states, generates eight figures in revenue, and is experiencing “crazy fast” growth. See how Pipe helped out. 

How Brooks Pest Control Financed “Crazy” Growth in an Outdated Industry

How Brooks Pest Control financed “crazy” growth in an outdated industry

PAVE is a credit-building subscription service with a mission to “put a stop to the financial inequality that is spreading in our society.”  

Harnessing state-of-the-art analytics that combines open banking data, credit file data, and data from over 100,000 proprietary lending decisions, 

 aims to put individuals and businesses on a sustainable path to good credit. 

Founded in 2018 (originally Portify), the company has raised several equity rounds. In 2022, Pave launched its B2B service, the 

, which helps businesses make the best lending decisions to increase acceptances, reduce risk, and save time. 

Like many entrepreneurs, Pave co-founder and CEO 

 admits to having a love-hate relationship with fundraising. But after growing up in Japan and working in its social finance sector, working for an NGO in Brazil, and moving to London feeling “inspired by the power of what financial services could do for financial inclusion,” he was committed to Pave’s vision. Which meant he’d need to look for capital to have the biggest impact. 

The challenge: Getting the capital to get the word out about the Pave app

With a strong vision in place, investing in marketing would help the company grow faster. But Sho says Pave’s biggest challenge was getting the word out. “As a founder, you don’t want to be spending time fundraising. You want to be building your company.”

After multiple funding rounds—and all the effort that went into them—Sho and team needed a 

 that would help them reach their goals and stay focused on the business.

The solution: Efficient, streamlined access to capital

In the end, though, Sho’s pavement pounding led to a solution to Pave’s problems—and even opened up opportunities he didn’t know were possible. While preparing for a 

 round, Sho got a message from a colleague who recommended 

Within 48 hours of that call, Pave was on track to trade its recurring revenue for up-front non-dilutive capital on Pipe. 

The results: Faster growth through frictionless financing

Pave was able to access capital to invest directly into marketing. And rather than slowing themselves down by reaching out to investors for funding, they got that capital instantly and were free to focus on running the company. 

“We’re a pretty high-growth business with multi-million revenue,” said Sugihara. Pipe helps Pave feel far more comfortable in its own lane, and forging its own path. “There’s lots of hype on 

, or wherever around large and increasingly larger venture-backed raises… we haven’t raised as much of those types of headlines because, frankly, we haven’t had the need. It’s often quite important not to get distracted by those mega rounds, because that’s not necessarily success.”

Sugihara assumed further dilution was definitely in Pave’s future, but now says “Since we have quite a strong repeatable revenue business, [We’re able] to avoid dilution.” “Pipe’s funding model creates a great alternative structure to retain your interest in your own company longer.”

PAVE is a credit-building subscription service with a mission to “put a stop to the financial inequality that is spreading in our society.

As a founder, you don’t want to be spending time fundraising. You want to be building your company.

How Pave got 7 figures of capital to scale in just 48 hours

Case Study: How Pave got 7 figures of dilution-free capital to scale their business in just 48 hours

How Pave got 7 figures of dilution-free capital to scale their business in just 48 hours

The Manchester, England-based company isn’t exaggerating when it says that its mission is to take 1 million UX and UI beginners and make them eligible for in-demand careers in technology and design. And while Love Circular’s emphasis is helping motivated people join the tech talent pipeline, their bootcamp also serves as a hub to connect people.

Making tech more diverse and inclusive is a cause that founder Zaire Allen believes in deeply. “I grew up in South Manchester,” he says. “There aren’t many people that I had as reference points for what someone in tech looks like, or just to be able to even reach out to them… I thought the best thing I could do is get myself into a career first, and then teach people from there.”

After building an impressive resume as an award-winning designer working with Apple, Google, and Sony, 

 was ready to start his own entrepreneurial journey and start putting his long-term plan into action. Zaire began building an inclusion-minded Slack community in 2016 and in 2020 he launched 

, which is currently in the pre-seed stage.

The challenge: Traditional financing missed the mark for a unique business model

Initially, Love Circular was just Zaire and a small team of instructors. There was no money to hire initial positions in operations to help things run more smoothly, or marketers to help get the word out. Capital was the missing piece for growth—and it was hard to come by. 

“The main challenge [around funding] initially was the fact that we were a bootcamp,” Zaire says. “Logistically, bootcamps don’t scale the same way software companies do.”

That meant Love Circular needed to find new ways to access capital. Zaire says securing bank loans was “really difficult” and applying for grants was too time-consuming. It seemed like the bootcamp model was hard to scale with traditional financing.

The solution: Financing based on the health of the business

 in November 2021. He quickly signed up to trial the platform and found it to be a “breeze.” 

Signing up and connecting billing, bank, and accounting

 “didn’t take longer than 10 minutes. I felt elated, it makes my job much easier in steering the ship not having to 

 in the time-consuming traditional way.”

“I reached out to [my Pipe revenue manager] Scott to really understand how the platform worked,” Zaire says. And with a click of a button, “I saw the money in the bank account the next day.” Ever since, Love Circular has been charting a course to a brighter future and regularly using Pipe as a working 

 partner to finance growth and operations.

“With Pipe, it really felt like someone actually believed in us in the end, especially given how difficult it was chasing banks to get a traditional loan or trying to get funds from grants.” 

“It’s a sigh of relief and a comfort knowing that we are able to maneuver through the financial obstacles that come our way,” said Allen. “It’s so much easier to get funded with Pipe. We’ll continue to use Pipe no matter what stage we’re in. It’s unbiased capital - Pipe just looks at the hard data and makes a decision on the health of the business.”

Since signing up with Pipe, Love Circular has utilized the trading platform on a monthly and quarterly basis to fuel and supplement further growth. They've used the capital to scale their bootcamp initiative, make key new hires, and launch a new flagship course. With the power to grow on their terms, Love Circular is well on its way to raising equity without compromise.

Manchester-based UX/UI bootcamp Love Circular leveraged Pipe’s unbiased capital to scale to 2x revenue fast

When bootstrapping founders hit a growth roadblock, they need to find new ways to access capital. Love Circular found success with Pipe, and you can too.

How Love Circular 2x'd revenue w/recurring revenue financing

Case Study: How Love Circular 2x’d their revenue with alternative financing

How Love Circular 2x’d their revenue with recurring revenue financing

Although Visible has helped loads of entrepreneurs, team members, and investors spark engagement since 2014, that didn’t make Visible exempt from the same snags and complexities wrapped up in managing their own growth.

In the rear-view, Mike remembers a “burdensome process” of “using my own money, trying to find the cheapest flights, cheapest rental cars, cheapest everything and flying across the states trying to pitch people for money.”

For each and every hard-won lead Visible explored, Preuss said, “the process might take months, if not more than months, and you’re trying to close capital in weeks… a lot of times, it might be a waste of time, or they might not be the right fit.”

This trial-and-error process isn’t unique to Visible—it might sound familiar to anyone who’s tried to start or grow their own company. When it comes to 

, it can be, as Mike says “complex” and “opaque”—and rejection is often a grudgingly accepted part of the deal.

With 70% of their customers on monthly subscriptions, recurring revenue was the name of the game for Visible.

 right as the platform emerged—in fact, Visible was an early customer on Pipe’s trading platform. He quickly dug in to the opportunity for Visible to take monthly customers, and treat them as if they were annual customers, creating all kinds of new ways to invest and grow their business.

The results: 80% growth for Visible, and a new relationship with the future

Mike says Visible grew 80% in 2021 without “burn[ing] a single dollar.” Using Pipe each month has not only given Mike a much faster and more streamlined way to 

 but also new ways to think about financing many aspects of the business, from growth to new hires and marketing campaigns. 

By reframing monthly and quarterly contracts as an annual value, Visible has tapped into capital without dilution. And Mike says it dramatically shifted the company’s relationship with its own future. 

We’re able to think in years and not months because of Pipe

… Pipe’s been incredible for helping us keep control of our own destiny.” 

A new way to access capital has enabled Visible to think differently when it comes to hiring employees or launching marketing campaigns.

Learn how Visible.vc was able to grow their company 80% in one year without burning their cash reserves by using Pipe's growth financing.

Case Study: How Visible.vc grew 80% in one year without burning a single dollar

Through MUD\WTR, he’s working to share an alternative that gives people a lift while respecting—maybe even improving—their mental health. 

The company’s mission has resonated: Today, MUD\WTR has 130,000+ monthly subscribers.

After co-founding the company in 2018, Paul enjoyed both the opportunities and challenges of running a burgeoning business alongside a small but nimble team. And he quickly found himself managing explosive growth and a desire to ensure the company stayed focused. “Our first year, we grew over 400%, and our second year, 300%,” he says.

When it came to funding that growth, “We didn’t discriminate on how we were going to get money—we just really needed it quickly.”

The challenge: Streamlining growth while avoiding obstacles 

“When you have [working capital], the next step is you try to pour gasoline on it to go faster,” says Paul. MUD\WTR’s ambitions to grow could have been bogged down by the familiar hassles—and time-sucks—brought on by fundraising. Securing funding is often necessary and a worthwhile effort—but chasing a funding round can be stressful, sap resources, and can pull founders away from the mission that motivated them to start the business in the first place.

“We have the craziest testimonials from customers that they’re dreaming again, that they’re able to sleep, that they’re not anxious,” Paul says. “That’s why we’re excited to do what we do, and why we want to keep finding more [customers].” 

 know all too well: “Sometimes when your company’s doing really well, cash in the bank is going down because you have to keep buying inventory for the next set of customers.”

The solution: Flexible access to non-restrictive financing 

Paul says he was sold on Pipe within “20 minutes.” Because unlike traditional financing, Pipe didn’t come with the often tricky fine print, restrictions, or complications. 

“When you’re looking for working capital, you want to negotiate 

 down, you’re trying to negotiate fees down, and you’re trying to negotiate payment plans or the speed at which you pay back,” Paul says. Pipe made it simple.

Freed from the pitching, guesswork, and negotiations of fundraising, MUD\WTR didn’t have to prove its worthiness to an outside party. Instead, they got back to building their business. “We don’t need to convince anybody [to give us capital]—we see what’s available [on the Pipe platform] based on how well we’re doing as a company.”

After educating himself on Pipe, Paul secured MUD\WTR $18,000 just to test the waters—and later $1.2 million. With Pipe, the company was able to instantly get access to cash flow, and stop worrying about what’s in the bank. 

“This is going to fundamentally change how we raise money and how we scale,” Paul says. “The only thing I don’t like about Pipe is that I didn’t start it.”

how Pipe works for D2C subscription companies

customers are using Pipe to grow on their terms

How the coffee-alternative startup used their recurring revenue to grow—and got back to focusing on the business.

Sometimes when your company’s doing really well, cash in the bank is going down because you have to keep buying inventory for the next set of customers.

How MUD\WTR changed their relationship with fundraising

Case Study: How MUD\WTR changed their relationship with equity fundraising

How MUD\WTR changed their relationship with equity fundraising | Pipe Blog

Founded in 2019, the startup quickly saw rapid growth. By 2021, 

 were looking to expand its offerings and reach, and to acquire the mission-aligned and Gen Z-focused 

The challenge: An acquisition that required liquid capital—immediately 

 take cash—and with limited capital available, especially within the CBD industry, to close the Penguin deal, Verma was at risk of hitting a wall. “We had 72 hours to close on over seven figures of funding… we were up against this huge deadline to get this deal done. We looked at 

, we looked at traditional loans, and none of this was able to get the deal done on time.” AJ and team needed a solution, and they needed it fast.

The solution: Industry-agnostic, non-dilutive capital 

When AJ contacted Pipe, he was petrified about the situation he was facing. Aware of the deadline, one of Pipe’s revenue managers sent a calendar invite that same day, and soon they were on the phone going through the financials to get the deal done. “I’m still in shock about how much they did to help me,” says AJ. 

 was able to help Verma Farms secure the funding, without dilution, and without the restrictive clauses of traditional bank loans. “And they celebrated with us,” AJ adds. “I think what separates Pipe is the speed at which they can provide funding…. [and they’re] super-friendly [to startups] in terms of the equity that they’re able to hold without diluting the company in any way.”

That strategic acquisition—and finding the right financing scenario to get the deal done—has helped Verma find even more momentum. “Since our deal with Pipe, we’ve grown a high percentage month-over-month,” says AJ. “Now our company has had more and more offers for an M&A transaction, which has been really interesting. It’s kind of the company coming full circle.” In fact in December 2021, Verma Farms was itself acquired by FE International, Inc.—an award-winning global M&A advisor of SaaS, e-commerce, and content businesses.

Spoiler alert: They leveraged their recurring revenue to access non-dilutive capital when time was of the essence.

We had 72 hours to close on over seven figures of funding... We looked at VC funding, we looked at loans, and none were able to get the deal done on time.

How Verma Farms financed an acquisition in 72 hours

Case study: How Verma Farms got access to financing in 72 hours

How Verma Farms financed an acquisition in 72 hours | Pipe Blog

MEET BUNGALOW—a residential real estate company and co-living platform reinventing how people live and move.

 The San Francisco-based company has been growing into major markets across the US to expand options for both tenants and landlords. They’re harnessing tech to modernize what had previously been one of the biggest low-tech gambles you could make—making real estate and roommate decisions.

The challenge: Staying focused on the business—not fundraising—while growing quickly

To deliver a truly great experience to their customer—and an app that matches you to the right housing and the right roommates—it’s crucial for CEO and co-founder 

 and team to prioritize their time and resources. 

’s people-centered value propositions hinge on decisive leadership, but in a fast-growing company, fundraising could easily pull Andrew away from the business:

“Fundraising is a distraction ultimately from running the business and doing the things and building that I think all entrepreneurs love doing best,” said Collins. “One of the most stressful parts about running an organization—and the least fun—is fundraising.”

The solution: Self-serve access to non-dilutive capital through Pipe

Bungalow leveraged Pipe’s trading platform to connect to non-dilutive capital with the click of a button.

Andrew says he was “blown away” by Pipe after trying it out. That he could see how much capital Bungalow was eligible for, and then choose how much of that limit to withdraw with a drag and a click was “nothing short of incredible.” The hustle and time spent raising capital could be diverted back to the business with growth capital suddenly at his fingertips.

“At the end of the day,” Andrew says, “if you have future cash flows, you can pull that regardless of who you are, or where you are.” 

The results: More focus, more flexibility, more growth

In the post-COVID world, Andrew stresses that flexibility in how people live, work, and move is here to stay. With flexible access to funding through Pipe’s trading platform, Bungalow scaled into 10 new markets over the course of 12 months, and they plan to expand into 10 more in the next 12.

“The best part about Pipe is the accessibility,” he says. “That democratizes the platform so you can make those growth investments… when you’re running a business, when you’re starting a business, when you’re building? 

Bungalow CEO Andrew Collins shares how the company used Pipe to leverage their recurring revenue and grow.

In this blog post, Andrew Collins, CEO of Bungalow, an early user at Pipe, talks about his experience using the product and scaling a startup.

Customer Stories

How Brooks Pest Control financed “crazy” growth in an outdated industry

Case Study: How Pave got 7 figures of dilution-free capital to scale their business in just 48 hours

Case Study: How Love Circular 2x’d their revenue with alternative financing

Case Study: How Visible.vc grew 80% in one year without burning a single dollar

Case Study: How MUD\WTR changed their relationship with equity fundraising

Case study: How Verma Farms got access to financing in 72 hours

Case study: How Bungalow used Pipe to expand into new markets

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Customer Stories

How Brooks Pest Control financed “crazy” growth in an outdated industry

Case Study: How Pave got 7 figures of dilution-free capital to scale their business in just 48 hours

Case Study: How Love Circular 2x’d their revenue with alternative financing

Case Study: How Visible.vc grew 80% in one year without burning a single dollar

Case Study: How MUD\WTR changed their relationship with equity fundraising

Case study: How Verma Farms got access to financing in 72 hours

Case study: How Bungalow used Pipe to expand into new markets

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Pipe Blog

SubscribeGet the best of Pipe's Blog