Lafayette Square

What Lafayette Square does

Lafayette Square Holding Company, LLC is a Miami-based private credit firm founded in 2020 by Damien Dwin, a former co-founder and co-CEO of Brightwood Capital Advisors. The firm originates first lien senior secured loans and other debt financing to growing middle-market companies headquartered in working-class communities across the United States, defined using U.S. Census Bureau data on areas where earnings fall below 80% of area median income. As of December 31, 2025, the firm reports $872.7M in capital deployed at fair market value, $791.0M of portfolio built up since Q2 2022, 54 investments, and 31,230 workers employed across its portfolio companies.

The firm operates through three integrated branded divisions. LS Investments is the direct lending platform that sources, structures, underwrites, and manages senior secured loans to portfolio companies. LS Technologies is a data analytics platform that aggregates 195GB of community-level data from 65+ public and private sources to inform place-based investment decisions. LS Solutions provides hands-on managerial assistance, operational expertise, and a network of service providers to portfolio companies to improve employee well-being, retention, and productivity. Supporting products include an SSBIC (Small Business Investment Company) investment vehicle that enables direct lending to underserved SMBs and a sustainability-linked loan structure with KPI ratchets tied to the firm's Goal2030 commitments (100,000 working-class jobs supported, 50% of capital deployed to working-class communities, and enhanced benefits for 50% of portfolio companies by 2030). The firm holds a BBB (low) credit rating from Morningstar DBRS.

Lafayette Square generates revenue primarily through net interest income on its loan portfolio, supplemented by management and performance fees on committed capital from its private fund clients. Capital formation is supported by relationships with Goldman Sachs (lead placement agent on a 2025 $65M senior notes private placement), ING Capital (hybrid credit facility), Morgan Stanley (2021 equity round), and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. Distribution is direct-to-borrower via the investment team, and the firm markets itself to limited partners and policymakers through its corporate website, LinkedIn presence, newsletter, and the OUTCOME2030 conference series. The team of 101-250 employees is staffed with alumni of Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Brightwood Capital, Citigroup, Bank of America, PNC, GE Capital, and Cerberus across investment, capital formation, risk, compliance, operations, and technology functions.

Name

Lafayette Square

Legal name

Lafayette Square Holding Company, LLC

Website

https://lafayettesquare.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Lafayette Square is a Miami-based private credit firm founded in 2020 that provides first lien senior secured loans and managerial assistance to middle-market companies located in working-class communities across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Credit Lending

NAICS

Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

Middle-Market Lending (FSANADAI)

Keywords

• Private credit lending
• Middle market financing
• Direct lending platform
• Senior secured loans
• Place-based investing

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Interest Income from Direct Lending: Company generates revenue through interest income on loans provided to middle market companies. As a private credit firm and BDC (Business Development Company), they provide senior secured loans, direct loans, and debt financing to growing businesses, primarily first lien senior secured loans.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lafayette Square is a private credit firm and Business Development Company that operates as a direct lending platform deploying capital to middle market companies, primarily through first lien senior secured loans. The firm targets businesses in working-class communities and combines LS Investments (lending), LS Technologies (data analytics), and LS Solutions (managerial assistance) to provide integrated capital and operational support.

Product overview

Lafayette Square operates as a unified direct lending platform structured around three integrated solutions: LS Investments (core lending), LS Technologies (data analytics), and LS Solutions (managerial assistance). The platform is anchored by Goal2030™, a social impact initiative targeting Working-Class communities through measurable commitments. Additional products include sustainability-linked loans (SLL) with ESG-linked KPIs and an SBIC investment vehicle for direct lending to underserved markets. The company focuses on middle market companies in Working-Class areas and uses place-based data analytics to drive investment decisions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LS Investments Direct lending platform that invests capital in growing middle market businesses through first lien senior secured loans, with a focus on companies in Working-Class communities.
• LS Technologies Data analytics platform that gathers and analyzes community-level economic data to inform investment decisions, utilizing 195GB of data collected from 65+ public and private sources to assess economic opportunity in local markets.
• LS Solutions Managerial assistance program that delivers hands-on strategic guidance, operational expertise, and a network of service providers to improve employee well-being, retention, and productivity at portfolio companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 31,230 workers employed by portfolio companies as of December 31, 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Worker SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026Worker Solutions co-organizes the OUTCOME2030 conference with Lafayette Square USA, Inc. and Lafayette Square Technologies. The conference brings together investors, policymakers, and business leaders to discuss how AI, private capital, and workplace benefits can support Working-Class Americans and middle market businesses, aligned with Lafayette Square's Goal2030 commitments.
• Boxwood PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 17 December 2025Boxwood Partners served as the exclusive financial advisor to Prime IV Hydration & Wellness in securing senior secured financing from Lafayette Square. This intermediary relationship facilitated the deal between Lafayette Square and Prime IV for national expansion funding.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Brightwood Capital Advisors: Middle-market private credit firm co-founded by Lafayette Square CEO Damien Dwin before he left to start Lafayette Square. Targets similar sponsor and non-sponsored borrowers with senior secured loans, making it the closest direct comparable in strategy, scale, and origination approach.
• White Wolf Capital: Middle-market private credit and special situations firm where Lafayette Square MD Judd Kohn previously served as Head of Private Credit. Provides senior secured loans to lower middle-market companies, directly comparable on borrower profile and product mix.
• Star Mountain Capital: Lower middle-market private credit and special situations investor focused on U.S. businesses typically generating $10M–$50M EBITDA. Lafayette Square MD Vishnu Amin previously worked at Star Mountain, and the firms share a similar borrower profile and direct lending approach.
• Capitala Group: Lower middle-market direct lending and SBIC-licensed investment firm providing senior secured debt to U.S. small and mid-sized businesses. Highly comparable to Lafayette Square on borrower size, SBIC structure, and non-sponsored direct loan strategy.
• Comvest Partners: Middle-market direct lender providing senior secured loans, unitranche, and equity co-investments to U.S. businesses with similar EBITDA profiles. Overlaps with Lafayette Square's non-sponsored, founder-owned borrower focus and credit structuring approach.
• Varagon Capital Partners: Middle-market direct lending platform focused on first lien senior secured loans to sponsored and non-sponsored U.S. companies. Comparable to Lafayette Square on product type, borrower profile, and partnership-driven origination model.
• Calmwater Capital: Middle-market direct lender originating senior secured loans to non-sponsored and sponsored companies, often in the same $10M–$50M EBITDA range Lafayette Square targets. Highly comparable borrower profile and direct origination approach.

Broad incumbents

• Ares Capital Corporation: Largest publicly traded BDC with a broad middle-market direct lending franchise spanning first lien senior secured loans. Overlaps with Lafayette Square on product type but serves materially larger borrowers and offers far greater scale and balance sheet capacity.
• Golub Capital: One of the largest middle-market direct lenders, with a senior loan platform that includes sponsor-backed and non-sponsored transactions. Comparable on product mix and borrower segment but at materially greater scale, with established institutional LP and capital markets relationships.

Emerging players

• Founders First Capital Partners: Revenue-based financing and growth capital provider focused on underserved small businesses outside major U.S. metropolitan areas. Shares Lafayette Square's place-based focus on working-class and minority-owned businesses, but operates at smaller ticket sizes and through a different financing structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lafayettesquare

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments16 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lafayette Square