Growth financing for SaaS companies

Growth debt is a form of financing that is specifically tailored to scalable, technology-driven companies. It combines debt financing with a clear focus on growth.

The most important advantages:

• no dilution of the shareholder structure
• financial flexibility for expansion and product development
• plannable repayment structures
• ideal for businesses with recurring revenue

For medium-sized SaaS companies especially, growth debt is becoming an attractive alternative to traditional equity rounds.

BBVA has provided Lanes & Planes with growth financing in the tens of millions. The agreement, concluded at the end of 2025, is intended to facilitate the company's continued growth in 2026 and beyond.

The financing secures:

• sufficient liquidity for scaling
• focus on operational and strategic goals; long-term planning security

For BBVA, the transaction is part of a clear strategy of providing targeted support to innovative companies that have a strong focus on technology.

Lanes & Planes is a Munich-based SaaS company that brings together business travel and expense management in a central CFO platform. The solution functions as a system of record for complex travel and billing processes.

Key figures at a glance:

• founding: 2017
• tripled sales in three years
• over 1,500 customers
• Customers from medium-sized businesses and enterprises

Investors: Smash Capital, Battery Ventures, DN Capital, Coparion

Companies such as Enpal, Personio and the edding Group are already using the platform.

In many companies, travel and expense processes are still fragmented. Different tools, manual steps and a lack of transparency mean that they are often time-consuming.

Digital platforms like Lanes & Planes offer clear advantages here:

• automation, from booking to invoicing
• up to 30% lower travel costs
• better oversight and transparency for finance teams
• high level of user-friendliness for employees

In medium-sized businesses especially, efficiency in the area of finance is increasingly becoming a strategic success factor.

BBVA takes a straight-forward approach with its Venture & Growth Lending unit: long-term partnerships instead of short-term transactions.

“Our goal is to support innovative and ambitious companies with strong long-term potential,” says Donatella Callegaris, Head of Venture & Growth Lending at BBVA in Europe.

The financing for Lanes & Planes is already BBVA's second growth deal in Germany, following its venture debt transaction with Roadsurfer. BBVA has also implemented similar financing projects across Europe, including in Finland, the United Kingdom, and Portugal.

For Lanes & Planes, growth financing is a key milestone. CEO and co-founder Veit Blumschein emphasizes it strategic importance in particular:

• more financial leeway for scaling
• focus on continuing to develop the end-to-end solution
• strengthening one's market position in Europe

With BBVA, the company gets an international financing partner with experience in the European tech ecosystem.