What SDR Ventures does

SDR Ventures is a privately held boutique investment bank founded in 2002 and headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado. The firm provides M&A advisory, private capital formation, and business consulting services to private business owners in the lower middle market, with a stated focus on companies with enterprise values up to $500 million. Securities services are delivered through its wholly owned subsidiary, SDR Capital Markets, LLC, a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and a member of FINRA and SIPC. Over its 24-year history, SDR has completed 160+ transactions across 41 of 50 US states and reports an 88% close rate, serving a horizontal mix of industries including Manufacturing, Business Services, Marketing, Software & IT Services, and others.

The firm generates revenue primarily through transaction-based success fees on M&A engagements (both sell-side and buy-side advisory) and private placement fees. Its product portfolio spans three core advisory services — M&A Advisory, Private Capital Formation, and Business Consulting — complemented by proprietary research products including Industry Reports and Industry Snapshots distributed through reports.sdrventures.com. Distribution is purely direct, relying on relationship-based sales, referrals, industry networks (including YPO), thought leadership content, and visibility on the Axial M&A platform, where the firm holds 11 Industry Top 50 designations and 13 League Table appearances. The firm is sales-led with no technology product offering and no disclosed AI capabilities.

Under CEO Geoff Eliason, who joined in 2021, SDR has doubled its annual deal volume. The firm has been actively scaling its senior team in 2026 with the addition of Partner Matt Huebner (capital advisory), Managing Director Marla DiCarlo (SMB Division), the promotion of Scott Mitchell to Managing Partner, and former Lockheed Martin Space EVP Rick Ambrose as Strategic Advisor — collectively signaling continued investment in sector depth and advisory capacity. The firm is privately held with no institutional investors, no parent company, and no public listing.

Name

SDR Ventures

Legal name

SDR Ventures, LLC

Website

https://sdrventures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SDR Ventures is a privately held boutique investment bank founded in 2002 that provides M&A advisory, private capital formation, and business consulting to private business owners in the lower middle market with enterprise values up to $500 million, delivering securities services through its FINRA-registered subsidiary SDR Capital Markets, LLC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Banking Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Buy-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAB)

Keywords

• Investment banking services
• Mergers and acquisitions advisory
• Private capital formation
• Lower middle market advisory
• Business transition consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenwood Village

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. M&A Advisory Fees: SDR Ventures generates revenue through M&A advisory services, including sell-side and buy-side advisory engagements for lower middle market businesses. The firm acts as exclusive financial advisor in transactions, earning fees typically structured as success fees tied to transaction closing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SDR Ventures is a boutique investment bank that provides sell-side and buy-side mergers and acquisitions advisory, private capital formation (private placements), and strategic business consulting for private business owners in the lower middle market with enterprise values up to $500 million. Securities and broker-dealer services are delivered through its wholly owned subsidiary SDR Capital Markets, LLC (a registered SEC broker-dealer and FINRA/SIPC member). The firm supplements advisory work with proprietary industry research products (Industry Reports and Industry Snapshots) covering M&A activity across multiple sectors.

Product overview

SDR Ventures is a boutique investment bank offering a unified suite of advisory services centered on M&A transaction execution and capital advisory for lower middle market business owners. The core offering consists of sell-side and buy-side M&A advisory services, private capital formation, and business consulting, all delivered through SDR Capital Markets, LLC (a FINRA/SIPC member). The firm complements its advisory services with proprietary industry research products—Industry Reports and Industry Snapshots—that provide M&A market intelligence and trend analysis across multiple sectors. The advisory services and research products are offered as integrated offerings rather than modular add-ons, with the research supporting the firm's advisory positioning and client thought leadership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M&A Advisory Services Sell-side and buy-side mergers and acquisitions advisory services for lower middle market private business owners, including strategic positioning, buyer identification, deal structuring, and transaction execution for businesses with enterprise values up to $500 million.
• Private Capital Formation Capital raising and private placement services helping business owners secure growth capital, connecting issuers with private investors and institutional capital sources.
• Business Consulting Strategic advisory services to help business owners navigate the complexities of M&A, including valuation analysis, process management, and transition planning.
• Industry Reports Curated research publications covering M&A activity, capital market conditions, and emerging trends across multiple industries including Pet Industry, Manufacturing, Software & IT Services, Wellness & Health Services, Professional Services, Distribution & Logistics, Agribusiness & Food Value Chain, and Industrial & Infrastructure Services.
• Industry Snapshots

Quantifiable outcome

• 88% close rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AxialcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAxial is an M&A platform that connects sell-side advisors with buy-side members including private equity firms, family offices, and strategic acquirers. SDR Ventures has been recognized with multiple rankings on Axial's platform including 11 Industry Top 50 designations and 13 League Table appearances. The partnership provides visibility and credibility within the lower middle market M&A community.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Capstone Partners: Capstone Partners is a mid-market investment bank providing M&A advisory, capital raising, and financial advisory services to lower and middle market companies. Highly comparable to SDR Ventures in deal size focus and service mix; notably, Matt Huebner previously built Capstone's private placement desk before joining SDR.
• Generational Group: Generational Group is one of the largest lower middle market M&A advisory firms in North America, completing hundreds of transactions per year. Direct competitor to SDR Ventures with comparable enterprise value range (up to ~$500M) and similar sell-side focus.
• Benchmark International: Benchmark International is a lower middle market M&A advisor serving privately held businesses across multiple sectors globally. Directly comparable in transaction size range, sell-side orientation, and cross-border reach below the bulge bracket.
• Transworld M&A Advisors: Transworld M&A Advisors is a lower middle market M&A advisory franchise with a network of owner-operator advisors. Comparable to SDR in targeting privately held businesses in the sub-$500M enterprise value band with sell-side advisory services.
• Woodbridge International: Woodbridge International is a boutique middle-market M&A advisory firm serving lower middle market private businesses. Comparable deal size band, sell-side advisory model, and cross-border (North America/Europe) capability.
• Calder Capital: Calder Capital is a lower middle market M&A advisory firm focused on businesses generally under $200M in revenue. Comparable boutique profile, sell-side orientation, and regional/national coverage to SDR Ventures.
• Cornerstone Business Services: Cornerstone Business Services is a lower middle market advisory firm providing M&A and business brokerage services for SMBs. Directly comparable target segment (private owners in lower middle market) and sell-side advisory orientation.
• Morgan & Westfield: Morgan & Westfield is a lower middle market M&A advisory and business valuation firm serving privately held businesses. Comparable in size, deal range, and service offering to SDR Ventures' advisory practice.

Broad incumbents

• Houlihan Lokey: Houlihan Lokey is a global investment bank with a strong middle-market M&A franchise that overlaps with SDR's lower middle market target. Represents the scaled incumbent that SDR competes against on larger sub-$500M mandates.

Others

• ACG (Association for Corporate Growth): ACG is the leading global association for middle-market dealmaking, providing networking, league tables, and education for M&A advisors and investors. Relevant as an ecosystem counterpart to Axial in SDR's GTM mix and as a peer-credentialing body.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sdr-ventures-inc
• Xx.com/sdrventures

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about SDR Ventures