HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. & SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hyper Martial Arts, innovators of a high-intensity martial arts training curriculum for martial arts athletes around the world, today announced that it has secured $400,000 in growth funding from Lighter Capital, a Seattle-based investment lender specializing in Revenue-Based Financing for small businesses. The funding will allow Hyper Martial Arts to launch an online training platform for martial artists around the world, expand its bully defense outreach program, and to reach and inspire more martial arts schools to use its curriculums.
Hyper Martial Arts was launched in 2009 in an effort to spotlight an emerging martial arts sub-culture and to give the world-class athletes that currently train in the martial arts a platform for exposing their skills and talent. Similar to how skateboarding, BMX biking, and surfing became popularized decades ago, Hyper Martial Arts is introducing the martial arts lifestyle to millions of people around the world by exposing its elite action lifestyle athletes and allowing them to help and inspire others to become better martial artists. The company’s Hyper Training curriculum is currently taught at more than 700 training locations around the world – including approximately 600 training facilities in the United States alone.
In addition to moving its Hyper Training curriculum online, the company is also looking to build out its Hyper Bully Defense program, providing resources for martial arts instructors to host anti-bully workshops and seminars for kids. The program gives kids various strategies for dealing with bullying and offers a plan of action for defending themselves.
“Hyper Martial Arts is an action lifestyle brand that’s taking the martial arts to another level by showing people what’s out there and exposing them to something that they didn’t know existed,” said Roland Osborne, Founder of Hyper Martial Arts. “Hyper is a mix of traditional martial arts styles, including self-defense, sparring, competition forms and weapons – and a bit of tricking, gymnastics and parkour.”
The debt funding from Lighter Capital is the first outside investment for Hyper Martial Arts – which has been “revenue funded” since its inception – and will enable the company to grow without adversely impacting the company’s cash flow or sacrificing equity. Lighter Capital’s Revenue-Based Financing model is uniquely structured to match the ebb and flow of small business. Loan payments adjust in proportion to revenue, and there’s no loss of control or restrictive financial covenants.
“Hyper Martial Arts is among the most interesting and unique businesses that we’ve ever funded,” said Molly Otter, Chief Investment Officer for Lighter Capital. “The company has built an entire action lifestyle brand that’s grown organically, fueled by a combination of subscriptions, training materials and apparel sales. They’re actively cultivating a huge global market and serving as a source of inspiration for kids everywhere. We’re honored to play a role in their growth and we look forward to working with them.”
“Lighter Capital was a terrific recommendation from our financial advisor,” Osborne said. “The entire funding process was really simple and everything came together quite quickly. We’re very happy about the relationship.”
About Hyper Martial Arts
Hyper Martial Arts, headquartered in Huntington Beach, CA and with various instruction locations around the world, offers Hyper Pro Training, Hyper Fight Club & Bully Defense, Hyper Training Camps & Events – providing innovative martial arts training and important life preparation skills to young people. Hyper’s mission is to promote the martial arts lifestyle and recognize the incredible athletes that train in the martial arts.
About Lighter Capital
Lighter Capital provides $50,000 to $1 million in funding for growing technology businesses looking to accelerate their sales, marketing or product development efforts. Lighter Capital’s RevenueLoans are more flexible than traditional loans and equity investments - repayments rise and fall with a business’s revenue, there are no personal guarantees and no dilution. Through its proprietary underwriting process, which blends automated analysis with a deep understanding of technology business models, the company has created a new source of capital for growing businesses.
