Investors who use mezzanine finance are subordinated to senior debt lenders; they are less particular with collateral. They tend to be more rigid in their due diligence and they emphasize the generation of cash in the business. In a way, investors for mezzanine finance are looking at the same criteria as equity investors. The only difference is the focus on the management team. The team must have a credible track record to run the business. Since mezzanine finance requires consistent interest payments, the business must have a compelling growth story. This way, not only will the investors/borrower meet the consistent interest payments for the development finance UK, but it will also provide the potential upside in the equity call option or the specific formula that is tied to the performance of the company.
Mezzanine investors need to convince the lenders for the 100% development finance that both the industry and the company have a promising future. As lenders require consistent interest payments from the borrowers, they usually stay clear of start-ups and turnaround situations.

