How 3Bears Financed the Growth That Banks Couldn't Back
Ten years ago, Caro and her husband Tim set out to do something deceptively simple: bring porridge to Germany. What started as a single product has grown into the country's number one breakfast brand, now available across DACH, the Netherlands, Belgium, Dubai, and soon Iceland. They did it without the financing system that was supposedly built for businesses like theirs.
Rapid growth comes with a cash flow problem attached
When 3Bears secured a major listing with Albert Heijn, one of the Netherlands' largest supermarket chains, it wasn't just a win. It was a logistics puzzle. Their bestselling products now needed entirely new packaging for a new market—new SKUs, new stock, capital tied up before a single unit sold.
Then came Harry Kane. Partnering with the England captain was a genuine breakthrough, reaching football fans and young families who hadn't yet discovered 3Bears. But the partnership also added five SKUs to the portfolio overnight.
As Caro put it: “When the portfolio grows, you need a lot more working capital, because every product has to be in stock and available.”
The business was doing everything right. The numbers were strong. But traditional financing in Germany wasn't built for brands like 3Bears.
“If you go to a hair salon, you get credit because you have physical assets,” Caro explained. “But if you're producing your own consumer brand and have great numbers, it's sometimes harder. I always think it's crazy that the financial system is so focused on that.”
Banks wanted personal guarantees. They wanted machinery they could put a value on. They took weeks to make decisions. In a fast-moving retail environment, that can cost you a listing.
A financing partner that moves at the speed of growth
Wayflyer's name kept coming up in founder circles. 3Bears found us through recommendation—from other founders who valued the speed, the transparency, and the fact that Wayflyer actually understood how consumer brands work.
“It was mentioned several times in the founder community, because of the high flexibility and the very transparent process,” Caro said.
Wayflyer doesn't ask for personal guarantees or machinery to value. The process starts with how the business is actually performing, and the financing follows from that.
That mattered for a brand like 3Bears, which doesn't own heavy machinery or warehouse space, but does have strong sales, a growing retail footprint, and momentum that a balance sheet alone can't capture.
Scaling into new markets with confidence
With Wayflyer's financing in place, 3Bears could move. The Albert Heijn rollout went ahead as planned. New packaging was produced, new SKUs were launched, and the Harry Kane partnership—plus the five new products that came with it—got off the ground.
The brand is now active across DACH, Benelux, Dubai and expanding further. Approaching their 10th anniversary, they have a full calendar of activations planned and more market entries on the horizon.
For Caro, the difference came down to having a financing partner that actually understood the business—not just the numbers, but the vision behind them.
“It's good to have a partner who sees and understands how a business works—who trusts in your vision and wants to go this way with you. Even if you say, that's a completely new customer, a completely new country, a completely new channel.”
Her advice to other consumer brand owners considering their next growth phase is simple: “Work with a fast, flexible financing partner. Take the quick steps instead of waiting for someone who can't keep up.”
3Bears is the leading oat-based breakfast brand in the DACH market, with distribution across Europe and the Middle East. Founded in Germany by Caro and Tim, the brand is known for its better-for-you ingredients, cultural relevance, and brand partnerships including Harry Kane.