Pelorus Equity Group the leading provider of commercial real estate loans for the cannabis sector, announced it has closed an $11.8 million financing with Juva Life Inc. (“Juva Life,” “Juva” or the “Company”), a life science company with pharmaceutical research and development and consumer-facing operations in cannabis production and distribution.
Latest Fintech News: Blis secures Investment from LDC to Accelerate Global Expansion
The primary purpose of the financing, which closed on June 15, 2022, is to finance the exercise of the tenants purchase option on its recently completed Stockton cultivation facility, as well as provide working capital and R&D funding. The facility was recently completed at a cost of $17 million. Juva also plans to use a portion of the funds to further its clinical research development programs on Juva-019 and Juva-041, novel compounds targeting the treatment of inflammation.
“We’re thrilled to fund Juva to acquire its Stockton, California, facility,” said Pelorus Equity Group CEO and Manager of the Pelorus Fund Dan Leimel. “In addition to advancing Juva’s research on its two compounds, this compelling transaction will support Juva’s development of products derived from cannabis that offer evidence-based therapeutics for the treatment of many challenging health conditions. As we continue to expand our assets under management, we look forward to continuing to provide leaders in the cannabis ecosystem with flexible capital markets solutions that meet the complex deal structures of large, mid-sized and small operators.”
Latest Fintech News: Summer Jobs Connect to Provide Summer Job Opportunities, Financial Education, and Banking Access to an Additional 145,000 Young People
“I am extremely pleased to close this round of debt financing, especially given the recent distressed capital markets and economic conditions,” said Juva CEO and Founder Doug Chloupek. “I believe it is a testament to the excitement around Juva’s cannabis operations as well as our clinical research initiatives. As our cannabis operations continue to grow and generate revenue, it was imperative that we secure our real estate holdings while advancing our pharmaceutical programs. This financing allows us to accomplish both of these goals, while retaining significant equity in our Stockton real estate asset. Additionally, the financing will also provide us with the capital needed to finish construction on our downtown Redwood City retail store which, upon completion, will create a new revenue stream for Juva.”
Pelorus Equity Group Managing Partner Travis Goad added, “As the cannabis industry expands, we are continuing to see significant demand for commercial real estate funding. Over the course of the last year, we have rolled out numerous innovative lending solutions for complex transactions, and in the year ahead, we will look forward to providing our clients in the cannabis sector with more innovative lending solutions and loan programs that enable them to strategically scale their operations and meet their business goals and objectives.”
The financing is secured by the assets of Juva and its subsidiaries, including the real estate held in Stockton. It also includes the issuance of 2,500,000 warrants, each convertible into one common share of the Company, exercisable at $0.18 CAD per share for a period of three years post loan maturity. The loan bears a variable interest rate of 11.5% plus 1M SOFR (SOFR floor of 1.5%) over the 36-month term of the financing.
To date, Pelorus has completed 68 commercial real estate loan transactions and deployed $429 million to cannabis businesses and real estate owners, comprising 3.25 million square feet in eight states across the U.S. With the ability to approve construction draws to reimburse borrowers in an average of one-to-three days – and by way of a single agreement that covers the financing of the entire project – the Pelorus Fund helps to stabilize cash flow for clients so they can remain focused on their core business.
Latest Fintech News: Cleantech Building Materials Financing Partner appointed to further Increase China Accoya Production Capacity
[To share your insights with us, please write to sghosh@martechseries.com]
