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AccrueMe Featured in TechCrunch: From Profit-Sharing Investments to Data-Driven Credit
TechCrunch published a contributor feature on how AccrueMe grew from small profit-sharing investments in online sellers into a provider of multiyear credit facilities for established ecommerce brands. For operators, it is the clearest public explanation of how AccrueMe works today and why the model changed.
What TechCrunch covered
AccrueMe was founded in 2018. In its early years, the company made small investments in many sellers in exchange for a share of their profits. As the market shifted toward larger, more experienced operators, AccrueMe moved to credit facilities for established brands, exclusive distributors and experienced resellers. Today its investments typically range from six figures into the millions and are structured as working capital tied to each business's growth plan.
The heart of the piece is product-level underwriting. Rather than taking a seller's total inventory figure at face value, AccrueMe values each SKU on its sales history, seasonality, stock levels, and selling price after fees. Only products that meet that bar count toward the borrowing base. Co-founder Ben Kotch reduces the test to one question: "Is this inventory liquid and profitable?"
The article also explains why data replaces the on-site inventory audits many traditional lenders rely on. AccrueMe connects to Amazon, Shopify, Walmart and TikTok Shop through APIs and reads sales and inventory data directly, while still reviewing financial statements and verifying identity. The model was built in-house, is primarily statistical, and runs its analysis in seconds once accounts are connected. After funding, automated systems review inventory and sales several times a day.
Finally, the piece places the change in market context. Citing Marketplace Pulse, it notes that the number of Amazon sellers with $1 million or more in annual sales grew from about 60,000 in 2021 to more than 100,000, while new seller sign-ups in 2025 fell to their lowest level on record. Larger, more experienced operators need larger, longer-term capital, and that is the business AccrueMe now serves.
What this means for ecommerce brands
AccrueMe no longer uses profit sharing. Today, AccrueMe Private Credit provides revolving credit facilities, typically from $100K to $5M, at fixed simple interest generally between 10% and 18% a year. There are no required monthly payments, repayment can be deferred for up to three years, and the capital is non-dilutive, so you keep full ownership and control of your brand.
SKU-level underwriting matters because your facility is sized on the products that actually sell, not on a blunt revenue multiple or a snapshot of total stock. And because pricing is fixed and known up front, you can model your cost of capital before you draw a dollar.
Learn more about AccrueMe
New to AccrueMe? Read What is AccrueMe? for an overview, or see our FAQ for details on eligibility, pricing and repayment.
Ready to see what a facility could look like for your business? Apply at app.accrueme.com.
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