A Lender to Buzzy Brands Is Scrambling, Highlighting Consumer Crunch

Ampla, a consumer startup-focused fintech that has loaned money to buzzy food and beverage brands like Carbone Fine Food pasta sauces and MrBeast-backed snack brand Feastables, is trying to find a buyer after failing to raise a fresh equity round, a person who has participated in deal talks said.

The sale attempts highlight how a pullback in consumer spending has had ripple effects far beyond retailers and brands. Ampla, which provides credit lines to small sellers to cover upfront costs like inventory and marketing, saw revenue growth slow over the past year or so as some borrowers have struggled to pay back their loans, the person said.  At the same time, Ampla has been cutting credit lines and raising interest rates for some borrowers, according to executives at three companies that have borrowed funds from it.