Drake Star Partners

What Drake Star Partners does

Drake Star Partners is a global boutique investment bank founded in 2003 that provides mergers and acquisitions advisory and corporate finance services exclusively to technology, media, and communications companies. The firm is headquartered in New York and operates eight fully staffed international offices in London, Paris, Munich, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Berlin, and Dubai, plus a West Palm Beach office, employing more than 100 senior professionals across eight sector verticals: Software/SaaS, HR Tech, Digital Media, FinTech, Digital Services, Industrial Tech, Mobility & Sustainability, and Consumer & Retail Tech. Its core capabilities include sell-side and buy-side M&A mandates, private placements, growth equity financings, and strategic corporate finance advisory for entrepreneurs, private equity and venture capital funds, and large technology corporates.

The firm was formed through the 2016 merger of Redwood Capital and LD&A Jupiter and has since completed more than 500 transactions representing over $22 billion in cumulative deal volume. Drake Star's business model is purely fee-based, with revenue derived from advisory mandates and transaction success fees; specific pricing structures are not publicly disclosed. The firm complements its transaction work with a substantive proprietary research publication program covering Gaming, Sports Tech, HR Tech, MSP, FinTech, Telemedicine, and Retail Tech, which functions as a top-of-funnel marketing channel and reinforces sector credibility. US securities activities are executed through Drake Star Securities LLC (FINRA-regulated, SIPC member) and UK activities through Drake Star UK Limited (FCA-authorized via Razlin Ltd).

Drake Star's competitive position rests on sector specialization, senior-led relationship coverage, and cross-border execution capability at a boutique scale, evidenced by consecutive 'Boutique TMT Investment Bank of the Year' recognitions at the M&A Atlas Awards, multiple Deal of the Year awards, and individual banker accolades including International Investment Banker of the Year and Americas Rising Star. The firm also operates Drake Star Academy, an internal training program (FROSH 1-3) for junior professional development, indicating investment in bench depth. Drake Star is privately held, does not publish financial results, and has no parent company.

Name

Drake Star Partners

Legal name

Drake Star Partners Limited

Website

https://drakestar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Drake Star Partners is a global boutique investment bank founded in 2003 that provides M&A advisory and corporate finance services to technology, media, and communications companies, serving entrepreneurs, private equity and venture capital funds, and corporates across eight international offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Banking (M&A and Corporate Finance Advisory)

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory (BPAHADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Buy-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAB)

Keywords

• Mergers and acquisitions
• Corporate finance advisory
• Technology investment banking
• Sell-side advisory
• Private placement services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. M&A Advisory Fees: The firm earns advisory fees for acting as exclusive financial advisor on M&A transactions, including sell-side mandates, buy-side transactions, and divestitures for tech companies.
2. Corporate Finance Advisory: Fees generated from capital raising advisory including private placements, growth equity financings, and other corporate finance transactions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Drake Star Partners is a global investment bank providing M&A advisory and corporate finance services to technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) companies. Core services include sell-side and buy-side M&A mandates, private placements, growth equity financings, divestitures, and strategic advisory, delivered across eight sector verticals including Software/SaaS, HR Tech, Digital Media, FinTech, Industrial Tech, Mobility & Sustainability, and Consumer & Retail Tech. The firm supplements deal execution with sector-specific research publications covering gaming, sports tech, HR tech, MSPs, fintech, telemedicine, and retail tech.

Product overview

Drake Star Partners is a global investment bank offering M&A and corporate finance advisory services for technology companies. The firm provides sector-specific research reports (Global Gaming Report, Sports Tech Report, HR Tech Reports, MSP Market Reports, FinTech Sector Reports, Telemedicine Reports, and Retail Tech Market Report) alongside core advisory services. The company operates across multiple technology sectors including Software/SaaS, HR Tech, Digital Media, Digital Services, FinTech, Industrial Tech, Mobility & Sustainability, and Consumer & Retail Tech. Additional offerings include Drake Star Academy, an internal training program for junior professionals. The firm does not offer a unified software platform but rather delivers advisory services supported by proprietary market research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M&A Advisory Services Buy-side and sell-side M&A advisory, divestitures, carve-outs, and strategic advisory mandates for technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) companies across the firm's eight sector verticals.
• Corporate Finance Advisory Capital raising, growth equity financing, private placement, and strategic corporate finance advisory services for technology companies across all eight of Drake Star's sector verticals.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ralf HofmanncoreOthers · 1 January 2025Drake Star Managing Partner Ralf Hofmann provides expert commentary and market outlook on HR technology trends, consolidation activity, and AI adoption in HR tech sector.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• PJT Partners: PJT Partners provides M&A and strategic advisory services including in technology and digital media, competing with Drake Star on larger mandates while serving broader sectors such as healthcare, energy, and financial services.
• Canaccord Genuity: Canaccord Genuity has a dedicated technology investment banking practice handling M&A and capital raising for software, digital media, and fintech companies, overlapping meaningfully with Drake Star's mid-market tech coverage.
• Lazard: Lazard's global technology M&A advisory practice competes with Drake Star on larger cross-border tech transactions while also serving a much broader set of industries and clients.
• Jefferies: Jefferies runs a large global technology, media, and telecom investment banking franchise, offering Drake Star direct competition in tech M&A while covering a broader range of sectors and capital markets services.
• Stifel: Stifel Financial's investment banking group includes a sizable technology, media, and communications practice that competes with Drake Star on mid-market tech M&A and growth equity financings in the US and Europe.
• William Blair: William Blair is a diversified global investment bank with a sizable technology investment banking group, competing with Drake Star on tech M&A and equity capital markets while also serving broader industries.

Direct peers

• Hampleton Partners: Hampleton Partners is a tech M&A advisory firm serving software, digital media, and fintech sellers and buyers across Europe and the US, directly competing with Drake Star on similar mid-market tech mandates and sector-specialist positioning.
• GP Bullhound: GP Bullhound is a tech-focused boutique investment bank with comparable sector coverage (software, fintech, digital media) and overlapping European and US footprint, making it Drake Star's closest direct competitor for tech M&A mandates in the mid-market.
• Lincoln International: Lincoln International is a global mid-market investment bank with a deep technology, media, and telecom practice that competes directly with Drake Star on sell-side, buy-side, and capital raising mandates for tech companies in the $50M-$1B EV range.
• Oakley Advisory: Oakley Advisory is a UK-based independent corporate finance advisory firm with a dedicated technology and media practice, competing with Drake Star on European tech M&A mandates of similar size.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/DrakeStar_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC0Vby2U94hNwfd0Fwno2HtA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drake-star

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A2 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Drake Star Partners