Key Takeaways
- E-2 marketing agency owners with retainer-based revenue qualify for Bankable funding
- Team expansion, technology stack investment, and new client acquisition costs are all eligible
- British, Australian, Canadian, and Israeli E-2 holders frequently operate US marketing agencies
- The March 2026 SBA rule change eliminated SBA access for non-citizen agency owners — Bankable fills this gap
- Retainer income provides ideal documentation for 48-hour preliminary funding decisions
Marketing and advertising agencies have become a significant E-2 visa category, particularly for investors from English-speaking treaty nations — the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland — who bring marketing expertise and establish US-based agencies serving American clients. Israeli digital marketing firms, German performance marketing agencies, and Indian content and SEO companies also operate via E-2 investments, leveraging treaty relationships to establish US market presence.
The agency revenue model — monthly retainers from multiple clients — is among the most attractive revenue types for Bankable’s underwriting. A $10,000/month retainer from a stable client is worth more to our underwriters than $10,000/month in sporadic project billing because it represents committed, contracted future income. An agency with 15 retainer clients averaging $8,000/month generates $1.44M annually — well within Bankable’s mid-to-upper qualification tier.
Marketing Agency Capital Uses
- Team expansion: Hiring account managers, strategists, designers, and analysts to service more clients
- Technology stack: Marketing automation, analytics, SEO tools, and project management platforms
- New client acquisition: Sales team, proposals, and business development costs to grow the retainer book
- Office expansion: Moving to a larger space or opening a second office to serve a new market
- Acquisition of a competing agency: Buying a competitor’s client book and team to accelerate growth
Team Expansion Capital
Fund hiring rounds with revenue-based capital tied to your retainer book growth.
Apply Now →Working Capital Line
Revolving access for operational costs between client billing cycles.
Learn More →Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. E-2 marketing agency owners with documented retainer and project revenue qualify for Bankable funding. No green card required.
Digital marketing, SEO, PPC, social media, PR, content, creative, and full-service advertising agencies all qualify.
We accept signed client contracts, invoice aging reports, bank statements, and accounting software exports showing retainer billing.
Most Bankable agency clients have $500K+ in annual retainer revenue. Agencies with strong client retention rates qualify for larger amounts.
Yes. Working capital for hiring rounds as you scale your retainer book is a standard Bankable use case.
Yes. Agency acquisitions with clear client revenue histories are an eligible use of Bankable growth capital.
Yes. Agency revenue can spike with campaign launches and dip in Q1. We evaluate 12-month trailing averages with context.
Yes. Physical office presence is not required. Revenue documentation from a fully remote agency qualifies on the same basis as an office-based firm.