H. C. Wainwright & Co.

Investment Bankinghcwco.com

H.C. Wainwright & Co. is a privately-held, FINRA/SIPC-registered broker-dealer and boutique investment bank founded in 1868, headquartered in New York, serving small and mid-size growth companies across healthcare, technology, crypto, metals & mining, and clean tech with PIPE/RD placement, advisory, equity research, sales & trading, and corporate access services, ranked #1 in PIPE/RD placement since 1998.

Company typePrivate
Founded1868
HeadquartersNew York, United States
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What H. C. Wainwright & Co. does

H.C. Wainwright & Co. is a privately-held, FINRA- and SIPC-registered broker-dealer and investment bank founded in 1868 in Boston and now headquartered at 430 Park Avenue, New York. The firm operates an integrated platform across five service lines: Investment Banking (with a specialized PIPE / Registered Direct placement franchise ranked #1 cumulatively since 1998 by Sagient Research Systems / PlacementTracker), Advisory (M&A and strategic financing), Research (equity coverage spanning healthcare/biotech, technology, cryptocurrency & FinTech, metals & mining, and clean tech), Sales & Trading (block trading and liquidity provision in illiquid small/mid-cap equities), and Corporate Access (conferences, roadshows, one-on-one meetings). The firm serves small and mid-size growth companies as its primary customer segment, with institutional investors (hedge funds, asset managers, family offices) as a secondary segment reached through the sales & trading and corporate access channels.

The firm has no proprietary software products or disclosed technology platform; its core "technology" is the integrated workflow of research publication, sales-and-trading desk, and placement execution, supported by standard broker-dealer compliance and trading infrastructure. Approximately 11–50 employees serve a coverage universe of more than 500 companies, with lean staffing reflecting the boutique model.

H.C. Wainwright's revenue mechanics are predominantly transaction-based: placement fees on PIPE and RD offerings (typically 5–8% of gross proceeds per disclosed commentary), advisory fees on M&A and capital-markets mandates, and sales & trading commissions. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by deal size and complexity. Distribution is sales-led, with dedicated institutional sales coverage, an annual global investment conference, and ongoing corporate access events. Recent leadership changes in 2025 (CEO Mark E. Kaplan, CFO Scott Gray, Executive Vice Chairman Mark Viklund) and 2024–2026 senior hires in healthcare investment banking and healthcare equities sales indicate active franchise reinvestment at the senior level.

H. C. Wainwright & Co. firmographics

Firmographics

Name: H. C. Wainwright & Co.
Legal name: H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC
Website: https://hcwco.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1868
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: H.C. Wainwright & Co. is a privately-held, FINRA/SIPC-registered broker-dealer and boutique investment bank founded in 1868, headquartered in New York, serving small and mid-size growth companies across healthcare, technology, crypto, metals & mining, and clean tech with PIPE/RD placement, advisory, equity research, sales & trading, and corporate access services, ranked #1 in PIPE/RD placement since 1998.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

H. C. Wainwright & Co. industry classification

Industry

Product category: Investment Banking
NAICS: Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)
SIC: Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)
akta.pro primary industry: Industry-Specialist / Sector-Focused M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAJ)
akta.pro secondary industries: Independent Broker-Dealer / Registered Representative Networks (FSAEACAG), Fairness Opinions & Independent Board Advice (FSAEAGAF)

Keywords

Investment banking services
PIPE placements
Equity research
Sales and trading
Corporate access

Where H. C. Wainwright & Co. is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: New York
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

H. C. Wainwright & Co. business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

Investment Banking - PIPE and Registered Direct Offerings: H.C. Wainwright serves as exclusive placement agent for equity offerings including PIPE (Private Investment in Public Equity) and RD (Registered Direct) transactions, generating fees from transaction structuring and placement services.
Research Services: The firm generates revenue through equity research coverage of healthcare, technology, metals & mining, cryptocurrency, and clean technology sectors, supporting investment banking activities and client visibility.
Advisory Services: Strategic advisory services for mergers, acquisitions, and capital markets transactions for small and mid-size market companies.
Sales & Trading: Sales and trading services specializing in block trading and providing liquidity in illiquid equities, generating commissions and transaction fees.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Other	Pay-as-you-go	Transaction-based investment banking fees

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

H. C. Wainwright & Co. product offering

Product offering

Core offering

H. C. Wainwright & Co. is a privately-held investment bank founded in 1868 and headquartered in New York, providing investment banking, advisory, equity research, sales & trading, and corporate access services. The firm specializes in PIPE (Private Investment in Public Equity) and RD (Registered Direct) financings, serving small and mid-size growth companies alongside institutional investors.

Product overview

H.C. Wainwright & Co. is a financial services firm offering a unified suite of investment banking, advisory, research, sales & trading, and corporate access services. The firm specializes in capital raising through PIPE and registered direct offerings, with equity research coverage spanning healthcare (biotech, pharma), technology, cryptocurrency, clean technology, and metals & mining sectors. The investment banking service serves as the core revenue driver, supported by advisory capabilities and an extensive distribution network through sales & trading and corporate access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Investment Banking
Advisory Services
Equity Research
Sales & Trading
Corporate Access

Quantifiable outcome

Ranked #1 Placement Agent in PIPE and RD transactions cumulatively since 1998
+1 more outcomes

Companies that use H. C. Wainwright & Co.

Customer profile

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

H. C. Wainwright & Co. technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

H. C. Wainwright & Co. partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

H. C. Wainwright & Co. competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Maxim Group: A boutique investment bank and research firm focused on healthcare, technology, and consumer sectors — directly competes with H.C. Wainwright in PIPE placements, equity research coverage, and small-cap advisory mandates.
Chardan Capital Markets: A boutique investment bank focused on healthcare, technology, and small-cap advisory, with HCW hiring multiple senior staff from Chardan (Director of Research David Lenchus, Head of Healthcare Research Andrew Fein) — making it a closely comparable talent and business model competitor.
Lake Street Capital Markets: A Minneapolis-based boutique investment bank with research and advisory focus on small/mid-cap growth companies — competes in similar sectors with HCW for equity research sponsorship, capital raising, and corporate access mandates.
Aegis Capital Corp. A full-service broker-dealer and investment bank with research and capital markets focus on small/mid-cap companies — directly comparable to HCW in sector-specialized equity research and PIPE/placement activity.
Cantor Fitzgerald: A diversified financial services firm with substantial equity research, investment banking, and sales/trading operations covering small/mid-cap biotech and growth companies — a key competitor for HCW's healthcare research and placement mandates.
Rodman & Renshaw: A boutique investment bank historically focused on small/mid-cap healthcare and technology equity financing — direct competitor in PIPE and registered direct offerings, with multiple HCW analysts having previously worked at Rodman.
Roth Capital Partners: A boutique investment bank specializing in small and mid-cap public companies across similar sectors to H.C. Wainwright, with comparable PIPE/placement, equity research, and advisory services — competing head-to-head in the same healthcare and growth-company segments.

Emerging players

ThinkEquity: A boutique investment bank providing capital markets services, research, and advisory to small/mid-cap growth companies — overlaps with HCW's PIPE/RD placement and research sponsorship business, particularly in technology and growth sectors.
EF Hutton: A newer boutique investment bank emphasizing small/mid-cap advisory and capital markets — competes for the same issuer client base as HCW, with overlapping research and placement capabilities, though with a smaller institutional footprint.

Broad incumbents

B. Riley Financial: A larger diversified financial services firm offering investment banking, research, wealth management, and capital markets — competes with HCW in small/mid-cap advisory and research, with broader product capabilities and balance sheet access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

H. C. Wainwright & Co. compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance3 records

H. C. Wainwright & Co. financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

H. C. Wainwright & Co. leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

H. C. Wainwright & Co. funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

H. C. Wainwright & Co. M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments12 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about H. C. Wainwright & Co.

What does H. C. Wainwright & Co. do?

Is H. C. Wainwright & Co. a public or private company?

H. C. Wainwright & Co. is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.

When was H. C. Wainwright & Co. founded?

H. C. Wainwright & Co. was founded in 1868. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is H. C. Wainwright & Co. based?

H. C. Wainwright & Co. is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.

How does H. C. Wainwright & Co. make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Investment Banking - PIPE and Registered Direct Offerings are the primary driver. The others are research Services, advisory Services and sales & Trading.

Who are H. C. Wainwright & Co.'s main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Maxim Group, Chardan Capital Markets, Lake Street Capital Markets, Aegis Capital Corp., Cantor Fitzgerald, Rodman & Renshaw and Roth Capital Partners. Emerging players are ThinkEquity and EF Hutton. B. Riley Financial is listed as a broad incumbent.

Does H. C. Wainwright & Co. have an API?

No public API is recorded for H. C. Wainwright & Co..

What industry is H. C. Wainwright & Co. in?

H. C. Wainwright & Co.'s product category is Investment Banking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAGAJ, Industry-Specialist / Sector-Focused M&A Advisory, with a secondary code of FSAEACAG, Independent Broker-Dealer / Registered Representative Networks. Its NAICS code is 523 and its SIC code is 6211.