Contact: Denise Dunlap
Managing Partner
Sage Growth Capital
208-890-1528
For more information: www.sagegrowthcapital.com
ACA Honors Kevin Learned with the Hans Severiens Award for Lifetime Achievement in Advancing Angel Investing
(Columbus, OH - May 15, 2024) - Today the Angel Capital Association (“ACA”) announced Sage Growth Capital’s Cofounder and Managing Partner Kevin Learned as the winner of the Hans Severiens Award at its annual ACA Summit hosted in Columbus, Ohio from May 13 - 15, 2024. The Hans Severiens Award is a prestigious accolade honoring the lifetime achievement of an individual advancing the field of angel investing.
“We are proud to award Kevin the Hans Severiens Award for his passion and commitment to the ACA over the years,” said ACA CEO Patrick Gouhin. “The past few years saw many difficult periods such as COVID, yet Kevin persisted to dedicate his time and energy to helping sustain our non-profit organization and its mission to serve and support the national angel investing community.”
Kevin has taken on various roles within the ACA including being a member of the Board of Directors and as Founding Chair of the Education and Smart Practices Committee. Under his leadership, the ACA created the Ann and Bill Payne ACA Angel University, which has now trained thousands of angels through its ten courses in both basic and advanced angel investing.
“I believe in the importance of entrepreneurship as the driver of the American economy. Most of my career has been devoted to creating businesses and promoting, teaching and financing entrepreneurship. I’m very honored to be recognized as an individual who has advanced angel investing,” said Kevin Learned.
In addition to Learned’s involvement in the ACA, he started Sage Growth Capital with partners Denise Dunlap and Molly Otter to create a revenue-finance firm that offers growth capital to early-stage companies throughout the United States. Sage Growth Capital raised its first fund in 2019 and its second fund in 2022.
Sage’s revenue finance model provides a more flexible funding option to companies who need growth capital but don’t fit traditional equity or bank lending, or for whom equity is not an attractive option at this time. This project represents another form of his innovative efforts to create a new asset class for angel investors and flexible capital for entrepreneurs to utilize in growing their businesses without diluting their current shareholders.
Learned also co-founded Loon Creek Capital in 2010 with partner Denise Dunlap, and continues to serve in an advisory capacity to the company. Loon Creek provides consulting and administrative services to angel investor groups across the United States. The company specializes in the formation and administration of funds and SPVs and was born from Learned and Dunlap’s experiences as local angel investors.
Sage Growth Capital Managing Partner Denise Dunlap said, “Kevin has given his time and talent selflessly for decades. As his long-time business partner, I can attest to the fact that he gives 100% to everything he does. I am so proud that his colleagues have honored him with this award.”
About Sage Growth Capital
Sage Growth Capital makes revenue-financed investments in companies at any stage who need growth capital. It is our mission to provide a more flexible funding option to growing companies who do not fit traditional equity or lending models. To learn more about Sage Growth Capital or to apply for funding visit: www.sagegrowthcapital.com.
About Revenue-Financed Capital
Revenue-financed capital (RFC), also referred to as royalty financing, revenue share or revenue-based financing (RBF), is a non-dilutive form of growth capital where investors receive a percentage of monthly revenues until a set amount has been paid. RFC differs from equity financing as the investor does not obtain ownership of the company and it differs from debt financing as there is no collateral required and payments are variable. RFC is designed to empower entrepreneurs to grow their businesses with non-dilutive capital that aligns with their sales cycles.
About Loon Creek Capital Group
Loon Creek Capital Group provides Fund and SPV formation and administration services to angel investors throughout the U.S. Our services are best suited to investor groups who desire a high level of service, need flexibility in service offerings, and value working with actual human beings. You can learn more about our services on our website.
About the Angel Capital Association (ACA)
The Angel Capital Association (ACA) is the professional association of global angel investors to offer education, best practices, data, public policy advocacy, and significant benefits and resources to its membership of more than 15,000 accredited investors, who invest individually or through its 250+ angel groups, accredited platforms, and family offices. Contact: Dannielle Stewart, Marketing Director for the Angel Capital Association 720-496-3646, dstewart@angelcapitalassociation.org, for more information.