Alternative Finance Network

What Alternative Finance Network does

Alternative Finance Network (AFN) is a Colorado-based cannabis and hemp financing intermediary founded in 2019 by Scott Jordan. The company operates a curated network of more than 113 capital providers — 8 banks, 7 credit unions, 3 life insurance companies, and approximately 95 private lenders, hedge funds, leasing companies, and working capital providers — and channels cannabis and hemp borrowers in the US and Canada into debt capital from this network. AFN's core technology is the lender network itself combined with a single-application intake that surfaces multiple competing offers to a borrower; there is no proprietary AI, software platform, or patent portfolio disclosed, and the Director of Operations manages digital assets using standard web infrastructure.

AFN's product portfolio spans working capital loans (minimum $250K, terms up to 5 years), equipment financing (minimum $250K, terms up to 4 years), real estate loans (minimum $500K, up to 80% LTV, terms 1-20 years), sale-leaseback financing, and — most strategically — non-dilutive M&A financing launched in 2021. Landmark transactions include a $10 million revolving credit facility for Jupiter Research LLC (TILT Holdings subsidiary) at prime plus 3.5% and a $3.15 million sale-leaseback for Stem Holdings' Oregon cultivation property, contributing to a lifetime facilitated volume exceeding $80 million across more than 100 transactions.

The business model is a transaction-fee brokerage: AFN earns commissions on completed loans sourced through its network, with no publicly disclosed fee schedule. GTM is founder-led and relationship-driven, leveraging Scott Jordan's decades of cannabis industry contacts, an active pipeline of approximately 66 cannabis and ancillary businesses, and presence at major cannabis trade shows (MJBizCon, Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference). The team of six operates at capacity and is actively hiring additional loan originators and marketing personnel.

Name

Alternative Finance Network

Legal name

Alternative Finance Network

Website

https://alternativefinancenetwork.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Alternative Finance Network is a Colorado-based cannabis and hemp loan broker founded in 2019 that connects operators with a network of 8 banks, 7 credit unions, 3 life insurance companies, and ~95 private lenders across the US and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cannabis Commercial Lending Brokerage

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) & Revenue-Based Financing (FSAKAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Alternative Data & Credit Scoring (Cashflow, Telco, Utility, Open Banking) (FSAGAHAC)

Keywords

• Cannabis business lending
• Commercial loan brokerage
• Equipment financing services
• Real estate financing
• Working capital loans

Headquarters

HQ city

Highlands Ranch

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Loan Brokering/Matching: The company acts as an intermediary connecting cannabis business owners seeking financing with a network of lenders including banks, credit unions, and private money sources. They submit applications on behalf of borrowers, gather necessary documentation, and facilitate loan transactions. Revenue likely comes from fees or commissions on completed transactions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Alternative Finance Network is a loan brokerage and matching service that connects licensed cannabis and hemp businesses in the U.S. and Canada with a vetted network of capital providers including 8 banks, 7 credit unions, 3 life insurance companies, hedge funds, leasing companies, and approximately 95 private lenders. The company submits a single application on behalf of borrowers to multiple lenders and facilitates transactions across working capital loans, equipment financing, real estate loans, sale-leasebacks, and merger & acquisition financing, with minimums starting at $250,000 for working capital and equipment and $500,000 for real estate.

Product overview

Alternative Finance Network is a financing network for cannabis and hemp companies that offers multiple lending products through a network of vetted capital partners including banks, credit unions, and private lenders. The core product portfolio consists of Working Capital Loans, Equipment Financing, Real Estate Loans, M&A Financing, and Sale-Leaseback Financing. The company acts as an intermediary, gathering loan applications and presenting them to multiple lenders to secure the best terms for cannabis business owners seeking equipment, real estate, or working capital financing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Working Capital Loans Financing for tenant improvements, building out retail facilities, and general business purposes. Available as revolving lines of credit or term loans up to 5 years, starting at $250,000 for startups and businesses operating 2+ years. Targeted at licensed cannabis and hemp businesses needing operating liquidity.
• Equipment Financing Equipment acquisition financing with low down payments and terms up to 4 years, starting at $250,000. Includes operating leases, capital leases, sale-leaseback of existing equipment, and creative structures such as graduated or interest-only payments. Designed for cannabis operators acquiring cultivation, processing, retail or manufacturing equipment.
• Real Estate Loans Purchase financing for buildings, land, warehouses, and hemp farms; refinances and cash-out options. Minimum loan size $500,000 with up to 80% loan-to-value for purchases, offering bank rates (as low as 5.75% for well-qualified borrowers), interest-only options, and fully amortized loans with terms from 1 to 20 years. Targeted at cannabis and hemp real estate buyers and owners.
• M&A Financing Groundbreaking merger and acquisition financing for cannabis companies with no equity dilution for purchasers. Includes 100% financing for M&A and greenhouse construction with less than 5% down. Designed for public cannabis companies and multi-state operators (MSOs) executing acquisitions and consolidations.
• Sale-Leaseback Financing Transaction structure where investors purchase a property and lease it back to the cannabis business owner, providing working capital while allowing the business to continue operating at the location. Used for owned cultivation, retail or industrial real estate to unlock liquidity without disrupting operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rates as low as 5% for real estate loans for well-qualified borrowers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Upwise CapitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoe Lustberg and James Oakes from Upwise Capital appeared on a podcast with Scott Jordan to discuss cannabis financing, PACE programs, and industry trends. Upwise Capital appears to be a cannabis-focused financing company.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bespoke Financial: Cannabis-specialized direct lender providing working capital, bridge financing, and factoring to California-licensed operators. Closely comparable to AFN because it operates in the same cannabis-vertical, bank-disintermediation gap, targeting overlapping cannabis business borrowers.
• Green Leaf Business Solutions: Cannabis-focused financing and consulting firm that brokers debt and real estate capital to cannabis operators. Direct comparable to AFN as it targets the same cannabis-vertical broker economics across equipment, real estate, and working capital.
• Cannabis Real Estate Consultants: Brokerage and advisory focused on cannabis real estate financing, including purchases, refinances, and sale-leasebacks. Direct comparable to AFN in real-estate loan brokerage for cannabis operators.
• Safe Harbor Financial: Banking-as-a-service platform purpose-built for the cannabis industry, providing depository, lending, and payment services. Comparable to AFN as both compete for the cannabis business financing dollar and serve borrowers locked out of traditional banks.
• MariCapital: Private lending source specializing in cannabis and hemp working capital loans. Directly comparable to AFN because it operates in the same cannabis-vertical alternative financing space with similar product terms.
• Cova Capital: Direct lender to cannabis and hemp businesses offering working capital and commercial real estate loans. Comparable to AFN as both serve cannabis borrowers shut out of traditional banks with similar broker-style debt products.
• Leafworth: Cannabis-specialized commercial real estate financing firm providing purchase, refinance, and sale-leaseback loans. Direct competitor to AFN's real estate loan brokerage offering in the cannabis vertical.

Emerging players

• Green Check Verified: Cannabis fintech and compliance platform that connects cannabis businesses with banks and payment processors. Comparable to AFN because both build technology-enabled bridges between cannabis operators and regulated financial institutions.
• Measure 8: Cannabis-focused fintech that built underwriting infrastructure for hemp-derived CBD and cannabis operators. Comparable to AFN because it tackles the same 'fit-for-purpose credit decisioning for cannabis' problem and competes for fintech-savvy cannabis borrowers.

Broad incumbents

• NewLake Capital Partners: Public cannabis-industry real estate investment trust (REIT) that finances cannabis-tenant real estate with sale-leasebacks and build-to-suit. Overlaps with AFN's real estate and sale-leaseback product categories but operates as a direct capital provider rather than a broker.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookalternativefinancenetwork.com/apply-for-a-loan-equipment-financing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Alternative Finance Network