Bridge financing is a form of temporary financing intended to cover a company’s short-term costs until the moment when regular long-term financing is secured. Thus, it is named as bridge financing since it is like a bridge that connects a company to debt capital through short-term borrowings.
An institution that urgently needs capital to meet its short-term obligations (e.g., working capital financing) can choose to obtain a bridge loan that serves as a form of bridge financing. It is usually issued by an investment bank or venture capital firm. Equity financing (equity-for-capital swap) can also be an option for those seeking bridge financing. In all cases, bridge loans are expensive because lenders bear a significant portion of default risk loaning the funds for a short period.
Bridge financing is used in the initial public offerings (IPOs) to cover the flotation expenses (e.g., underwriting, stock exchange fees, etc.).