Bankers Edge Advisory Launches Service to Help Firms Grow Through Acquisitions
New York, Saturday, 11 July 2026.
Launched on July 10, 2026, this new service eliminates repeated capital fundraising by securing financial partners committed to backing a firm’s entire long-term acquisition strategy.
A Consolidated Model for Platform Builders
In the highly competitive landscape of corporate consolidation, Birmingham, Michigan-based advisory firm Bankers Edge Advisory officially launched its dedicated buy-side merger and acquisition (M&A) practice on July 10, 2026 [1][2]. This specialized service is specifically engineered to support lower middle market platform builders, including private equity firms, family offices, independent sponsors, search funds, and highly acquisitive corporations [1][2]. By consolidating deal origination, platform strategy, capital formation, and transaction execution under a single advisory umbrella, the firm aims to eliminate the friction and inefficiencies typically associated with executing sequential add-on acquisitions [1].
Overcoming the Capital Raise Hurdle
The core philosophy behind this launch addresses a persistent challenge in “buy-and-build” investment strategies: the constant need to raise capital for individual transactions [1]. In traditional roll-up models, sponsors often secure capital for an initial platform acquisition but must repeatedly return to the market to fund subsequent add-ons [1]. According to Mitch Vermet, Managing Partner at Bankers Edge Advisory, most capital partners only commit to the specific deal directly in front of them, forcing sponsors to re-run a fundraising process for every single add-on acquisition [1]. This repetitive cycle can slow down growth and divert valuable operational focus away from scaling the actual business [GPT].
Securing Long-Term Capital Alignment
To resolve this bottleneck, Bankers Edge Advisory’s new practice pairs disciplined deal origination with capital partners who align with the sponsor’s entire long-term investment thesis rather than just a single transaction [1]. Richard Consul, Founder and Managing Partner of Bankers Edge Advisory, emphasized that while most traditional advisors assist solely with buying a company, his firm is focused on helping sponsors systematically build a platform [1]. This approach secures capital backing for the entire build-out process up front, ensuring that the momentum of a roll-up strategy does not stall due to funding gaps [1].
Strategic Leadership and Proven Execution
To spearhead the deal-origination engine of this new practice, Bankers Edge Advisory has appointed Kevin Hong, the founder of Caprae Capital, as Strategic Adviser [1]. Hong pointed out that the most difficult aspect of executing any acquisition is identifying and engaging with the right business owner before competitors do [1]. In a highly competitive buy-and-build market, having a disciplined origination process combined with a team capable of structuring and closing complex deals provides platform builders with a distinct competitive advantage [1].
A Track Record of Structuring Complex Transactions
The firm’s capability to execute these complex structures is backed by its established track record [1]. Bankers Edge Advisory possesses more than 30 years of combined capital markets experience, maintaining an average transaction size of approximately $37 million [1]. In a representative engagement demonstrating their model, the firm successfully structured a total financing package of 57 million for a sponsor, which consisted of $47 million in initial acquisition financing and a $10 million delayed-draw term loan (DDTL) [1]. This capital structure allowed the sponsor to complete an accretive add-on acquisition smoothly prior to executing an auction exit [1].
Navigating the Lower Middle Market
The lower middle market has increasingly become a hotbed for consolidation and platform-building strategies [GPT]. However, executing these roll-ups successfully requires highly coordinated execution and deep market relationships [1][GPT]. By integrating deal origination directly with capital markets and transaction execution, Bankers Edge Advisory provides a cohesive framework that helps sponsors scale their platforms efficiently [1][2]. This launch reflects a broader trend toward specialized boutique advisory services that cater to the unique operational and financial needs of lower middle market investors [GPT].