Stratus Financial Announces New Up to $50 Million Forward Flow Facility with Monachil Capital Partners

New partnership provides Stratus with significant capacity for continued growth in offering innovative financing solutions to students pursuing aviation education

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Stratus Financial LLC (“Stratus” or the "Company"), a trusted consumer finance platform committed to providing student loans to aspiring student pilots at all levels of experience, today announced a forward flow facility of up to $50 million from funds managed by Monachil Capital Partners LP ("Monachil"). Stratus intends to use the new financing to originate new student loans, further diversifying its existing base of capital providers. The new financing partnership includes an initial sale of Stratus’ existing portfolio of loans and will primarily support the origination of new loans.

“This level of partnership with Monachil Capital Partners represents a significant milestone in the evolution of our capital markets strategies. This partnership not only underscores the growing sophistication of our approach but also reflects our commitment to fostering institutional relationships that drive our mission forward,” said Alan Rios, Chief Investment Officer at Stratus.

“Stratus has built an impressive origination and servicing platform serving a highly-attractive niche in consumer lending. Stratus has a unique business model and generates attractive assets in an underserved market, providing much-needed solutions to consumers,” said Jacob Zeldin, Portfolio Manager at Monachil. “We believe strongly in the Company’s mission and look forward to supporting its growth plans with this new partnership.”

“This new financing agreement with Monachil Capital Partners aligns Stratus with a capital partner that shares our vision and enhances our ability to deliver impactful solutions to the aviation education market,” said Anthony Geraci, CEO and Co-Founder of Stratus. “Monachil has proven to be a valuable partner, demonstrating a deep understanding of our business and values. We are excited to build this partnership and continuing to provide our borrowers with a seamless and exceptional lending experience.”

“This new round of funding will empower more aspiring aviators to earn their wings in 2024, solidifying Stratus’ position as the premier provider of flight training financing,” said Brandon Martini, COO and Co-Founder of Stratus.

The Monachil partnership supports future growth at Stratus, which since inception has originated more than 600 loans and is currently working with more than 260 FAA-chartered flight schools throughout North America. Stratus has also been recognized for its particular focus on super-prime borrowers giving the Company an edge over other consumer finance strategies.

Edgar Matthews & Co. LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to Stratus on the transaction.

About Monachil

Founded in 2019, Monachil Capital Partners LP is a Greenwich, CT based private credit manager focused on opportunistic investing. The firm specializes in providing bespoke funding to global lending and tech-enabled platforms that operate in the alternative lending space and are participating in the disintermediation of the traditional banking complex. Monachil leverages proprietary technology to create an interface with borrowers’ platforms, enabling the consumption of real-time data and allowing for the active management of inherent risks.

About Stratus Financial

Founded in 2020 by FAA Certified Flight and Ground Instructors who are passionate about helping others achieve their dreams of flight, Stratus is a consumer finance platform providing flexible and innovative educational funding solutions to students pursuing aviation education and training. Stratus is fully geared to marry Student Success and School Success with several programs designed for Flight Schools, by Flight Schools and is on a mission to help aspiring pilots achieve their flight dreams as swiftly as possible through hassle-free flight school loan programs.