Trinity Capital Inc. Launches Sponsor Finance Vertical with New Strategic Hires

New business to provide growth capital for private-equity-backed companies

PHOENIX, May 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Trinity Capital Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIN) ("Trinity" or the "Company"), a leading provider of diversified financial solutions to growth-oriented companies, today announced the expansion of its business with the addition of a new Sponsor Finance vertical. This strategic expansion naturally extends the Company's established expertise in providing direct lending solutions to sponsor-backed companies across a range of industries.

"We see the ability to leverage our market knowledge and extensive networks to offer customized financing solutions to both our evolving client base and new entrants in the market, underscoring our dedication to supporting companies at every stage of their growth journey," said Kyle Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Trinity.

Spearheading Trinity's Sponsor Finance initiative is seasoned industry veteran Chris Erro, joining as a Senior Managing Director based in the firm's San Diego office. With over 20 years of experience across the capital markets and corporate finance, Mr. Erro has successfully managed and closed leveraged buyout transactions totaling more than $2.5 billion. Joining him on the Sponsor Finance team are Jorge Sandoval as Senior Managing Director, Credit & Portfolio, and Will Cook as Director, Credit & Portfolio.

"We are proud of Trinity's growth to date and are excited to continue investing in our platform's capabilities to bring capital solutions to even more companies," added Brown. "The establishment of our Sponsor Finance vertical with the addition of Chris, Jorge, and Will is a key step in our ongoing commitment to enhance the Trinity platform comprehensively. In addition, we are significantly investing in technology and infrastructure, alongside expanding our team, to build a robust and scalable foundation for the long term. This allows us to optimize our operations and capitalize on new investment opportunities that offer substantial value to our shareholders."

"I am thrilled to join Trinity to build out the firm's Sponsor Finance capabilities as a complement to its established growth capital platform," said Mr. Erro. "As the lending market continues to diversify beyond traditional banks, the ability to provide capital solutions to later-stage, private equity-backed companies represents an exciting opportunity, and I look forward to working with Trinity's talented team to bring the benefit of these investments to the firm's shareholders."

"I am excited to be a part of the Trinity team and look forward to contributing to their well-established and robust credit and portfolio management processes and strategies," said Mr. Sandoval.

Mr. Erro brings a wealth of experience from renowned firms in the industry, most recently as a Senior Director in the Corporate Finance group of Ally Bank, where he cofounded the Technology Finance practice in 2015. Prior to Ally Bank, Chris was an early team member of Square 1 Bank, joining in 2006 shortly after the bank's founding. Chris held multiple roles at Square 1 Bank, including overseeing the Southern California region for the bank and playing a senior role in the national Structured Finance group.

Mr. Sandoval has over 20 years of experience in the financial sector, most recently as the Senior Director in the Corporate Finance group of Ally Bank, serving as the Head of Underwriting and Portfolio Management for the Technology Finance practice. Prior to this, he had direct experience with deal origination, leading underwriting teams, and portfolio management within the Sponsor Finance practice. Previously, Mr. Sandoval was a principal at a private equity group, serving on the boards of several portfolio companies. During this time, he stepped into an operational role as the CFO of a portfolio company. Early in his career, he held finance positions at GE Capital, GMAC Financial Services, and Raytheon Missile Systems.

Mr. Cook comes from the Corporate Finance group of Ally Bank, where he spent seven years in underwriting, document negotiation, credit analysis and portfolio management of sponsor-backed, middle market companies, eventually transitioning to the Technology Finance practice where he focused on underwriting and portfolio management.

About Trinity Capital Inc.

Trinity Capital Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIN), an internally managed business development company, is a leading provider of diversified financial solutions to growth-stage companies with institutional equity investors. Trinity Capital's investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation through investments, including term loans and equipment financings and equity-related investments. Trinity Capital believes it is one of only a select group of specialty lenders that has the depth of knowledge, experience and track record in lending to growth stage companies. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.trinitycap.com.

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SOURCE Trinity Capital Inc.