Ventra Capital: short-term second mortgage and caveat loans for SMEs

Picture a manufacturer with a solid order book, a home worth well over its mortgage, and about $400k tied up in raw materials until the finished goods are invoiced and paid. The bank would happily refinance the house, but that takes weeks and means breaking a fixed rate. What the owner really wants is to leave the first mortgage alone and borrow behind it, for a few months, quickly. That’s the exact gap Ventra Capital is built for.

Ventra Capital Private Pty Ltd is a Sydney private lender with its office in Martin Place. Its website is short and specific: one core product, clear limits and very fast timeframes. Everything below is drawn from that site as at October 2026.

What does Ventra Capital offer?

Ventra focuses on one structure: a secured private business loan backed by a second mortgage or caveat. The published settings are:

Feature	Ventra Capital’s published position
Maximum amount	Up to $2.5m
Security	Second mortgage or caveat over property
Maximum LVR	Up to 80%, subject to credit assessment
Valuation	Not required, subject to credit assessment
Term	3 to 12 months
Approval	Within 24 hours (for loans up to $2.5m)
Settlement	Two to three working days

Its listed uses are broad: everyday cash flow and working capital, bridging, refinancing, clearing ATO debt, waiting on R&D tax refunds, construction, investment loans and buying a business.

If you want the mechanics of ranking behind another lender, see how second mortgage business loans work, and the caveat loans page explains how a caveat differs from a registered mortgage.

What does “no valuation required” really mean?

This is Ventra’s most distinctive claim, so it’s worth unpacking. A formal valuation can add days and a few thousand dollars to a private loan. Skipping it is one reason a two-to-three-day settlement is possible.

But no lender advances money blind. The phrase is qualified with “subject to credit assessment”, which in practice usually means the lender forms its own view of value from other evidence, such as recent comparable sales, an automated estimate or a desktop review. Two practical points follow:

• Your idea of the value and the lender’s may differ. If its estimate is lower, the 80% LVR applies to the lower figure. Run both numbers through our second mortgage calculator so you know your range before you ask.
• The 80% is combined. It covers your first mortgage plus Ventra’s loan, not Ventra’s loan alone. On a $1.5m property with an $800k first mortgage, 80% is $1.2m, leaving room for roughly $400k before costs.

Which businesses suit Ventra Capital?

From its published model, Ventra makes most sense for:

• SMEs with clear equity in property (home, investment or commercial) who need money within days.
• Owners waiting on a known payment, such as a large customer invoice, a property sale or an R&D tax incentive refund. Under the incentive, eligible companies claim the benefit through their company tax return, so the refund lands only once that return is lodged and processed, which can leave a gap after the research money has already been spent.
• Borrowers who don’t want to disturb their first mortgage, perhaps because it’s on a good fixed deal or would cost a lot to break.

It’s a weaker fit if you need more than 12 months, have little or no equity left, or need more than $2.5m. A 12-month ceiling also means the loan is a bridge, not a cure for a business that keeps trading at a loss.

Not sure if a short second mortgage is right for your cash flow? Run the numbers past us first; checking your options doesn’t involve a credit search.

Who runs Ventra Capital?

Ventra names its leadership on its website, which is more than many private lenders do. The managing director lists more than 25 years in financial services, including chief investment officer roles at large Australian funds managers, and also owns an invoice and supply chain finance franchise. A second director lists more than 30 years in global credit and risk at an international investment bank. The site says the directors have more than 80 years of combined experience in funds management and lending.

Credit and structuring backgrounds matter in a lender like this, because the whole product depends on judging property equity and an exit quickly.

Questions to ask Ventra (or any caveat lender)

Short-term secured loans are simple to describe and easy to get wrong. Before you sign, get written answers to:

1. What is the total dollar cost over the full term, including establishment, legal and discharge costs?
2. Will you pay interest each month, or will it be capitalised onto the balance? Capitalised interest raises your payout figure at the end.
3. What happens at month 12 if the sale or refinance hasn’t happened? Ask about extension fees and default interest.
4. Will the first mortgagee have to sign off on Ventra registering behind it, and what happens if it refuses?
5. Is it a caveat or a registered second mortgage? Our comparison of the two explains why the answer changes your risk.

For loans secured over NSW property, NSW Land Registry Services records the mortgage or caveat on the title, and you can buy a title search there to confirm what is already registered.

When Ventra Capital can’t help

A decline usually has a specific cause. Match yours below:

• Not enough equity: a first mortgage business loan that refinances everything, or a second property as extra security, may work where a second-ranking loan doesn’t.
• You need longer than 12 months: a non-bank first mortgage or business term loan can run for years.
• The purpose is an ATO debt and the timing is tight: our guide to ATO tax debt business loans sets out your choices, including a payment plan.
• You want to compare other second-mortgage lenders: Property Based Lending lends against commercial and investment property, and Esteb Capital publishes clear LVR tiers.

Find out where your deal fits

Ventra is a clean, quick option when your equity is strong and your timeline is short. Whether it’s your best option depends on details like how much is owed on the first mortgage, what the property is, and how confident your exit really is.

Send us those details through our short enquiry, which takes about a minute to complete. Your credit report stays untouched at the enquiry stage. We hold onto your file ourselves instead of passing it around the market. A specialist who knows second mortgages goes through your situation personally and rings to discuss it. Please fill the figures in carefully: accurate numbers are how we land on a workable structure first time round.

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