Services | Aquaria Funding Solutions

Over $100,000,000 Raised Supporting Small Business since 1989

Over the last 28 years, Aquaria’s Principal, Roberto Barragan, has worked with hundreds of nonprofits and thousands of small and micro businesses to mobilize capital of over $300 million to startups and growing businesses.

Community Reinvestment

Banks of all sizes and origins are required to make loans in their communities, i.e. assessment areas as fulfillment of their Lending Test. Small Business lending not only meets that test but provides banks larger and more profitable loans. Aquaria can design and develop implementation plans, including identifying appropriate partners, to deploy capital to small businesses in cost effective strategies.

Cities also need to secure capital for their communities’ small businesses to create jobs, support resident goods and services and generate tax revenues.

Aquaria provides the following services to support bank and government efforts to meet their Community Reinvestment obligations:

CRA Plan review and analysis
Small business program review and assessment, including community development loans
Development of small business and micro loan strategies and partner identification
Development of CDFI small and micro lending programs, including credit and underwriting policies

CDFI Support

Aquaria has the capacity and experience to assist with fund development and fundraising, accessing capital and building small and micro lending programs.

Aquaria provides the following services to support CDFIs, other nonprofit organizations and member associations serving CDFI type organizations

Fund development assessments that determine fund raising readiness, provide blueprints for new fund development strategies seeking loan capital as well as loan loss reserve and operational grants, and can lay the groundwork for new fund raising programs
Proposal and application preparation for Small Business Administration Micro Loan and Community Advantage programs, OCS\Community Economic Development grant programs
Develop and assist organization staff to implement in house small and micro lending programs, including credit and underwriting policies and staff training
Provide outsourcing support from loan origination to loan collection and special assets, including acting as back office underwriting, closing and servicing

Small Business

Aquaria’s principal and team have provided capital to thousands of small businesses over the last 30 years. Loans from $50,000 to $3,000,000 have been secured to start, grow and expand businesses across the country. Aquaria maintains a network of both traditional and alternative lenders in order to provide the maximum number of options to access capital. Aquaria can quickly assess the viability of any loan request.

Aquaria will assess loan possibility for any business type
If viable, Aquaria will package the loan and can prepare projections if needed
Aquaria will identify lender possibilities and make recommendations
Aquaria will act as intermediary to lender and assist borrower to address application needs
Aquaria will assist borrower through the loan approval and closing process

Roberto’s work with MEDA has been critical in developing the vision, mission and strategy for our nascent CDFI. He has been particularly thoughtful and insightful regarding our approach to carrying out small business lending. Aside from the specific deliverables, what I have appreciated the most is his initiative in advocating on our behalf with federal, private and other funders and influencers. He is truly one of our key team members.

Luis Granados, Mission Economic Development Agency, San Francisco, CA
Roberto believed in me 20 years ago when I bought this business, and he believed in me again last year with new financing. He meets small business, especially woman and minorities, where they live. And gets them the capital to succeed.

Naomi Prado, Southwest Molding, North Hollywood, California
“I have known, admired and respected Roberto for many years. This past year we had the opportunity to work together to launch a new lending initiative in Los Angeles. Roberto’s deep knowledge of small business lending and his numerous connections with funders and supporters both locally and on a national basis were key to the success of our efforts and have led to significant early success.”

Kurt Chilcott, President & CEO of CDC Small Business Finance