Mercatus Finance launched a cash flow lending specialty finance company, strategically backed with equity from Arena Investors, for smaller companies seeking cash flow based loans from $20 million to $75 million.

Robert Kiesel will lead Mercatus as CEO. He joined Mercatus with deep domain expertise in private credit and a proven track record with over 25 years of creating unique working capital structures to help borrowers finance their liquidity needs, mergers or dividends to owners.

Prior to Mercatus, Kiesel was previously chief investment officer at Pillar Life Insurance and global head of credit at alternative credit advisor GB Capital. He was a partner at Fifth Street Capital and has held various positions at Intermediate Capital Group and ORIX USA.

“Mercatus is thrilled to begin this journey, with support from Arena, as a customer focused lender,” Kiesel said. “Our unique approach to stressed and unstressed situations alike positions us at an exciting and growing place in today’s lending market.”