What Consensus does

Consensus Advisory Services LLC (DBA Consensus Advisors) is a boutique investment bank founded in February 2006 by Michael A. O'Hara and headquartered at 600 Madison Avenue in New York, with additional offices in Norwood, Massachusetts (Boston area) and London. The firm is structured as a private LLC with reported headcount in the 1–10 range, serving exclusively consumer-facing companies across beauty, health and wellness, CPG, apparel, footwear, accessories, and retail. Its go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, with senior professionals engaging directly with company leadership and boards on a per-engagement basis.

The firm operates three core service lines on a professional-services, transaction-based fee model: (1) Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory, providing full-service buy-side and sell-side execution from strategy review through closing; (2) Capital Raising, including private placements, growth capital, and debt financing for high-growth consumer brands; and (3) Analytical & Valuation Services, offering due diligence, fairness opinions, and benchmarking for investors, lenders, boards, and acquirers. The underlying technology is a human-advisory platform augmented by two proprietary content/community assets: The Weekly Consensus newsletter (a trademarked Monday-morning consumer-industry digest) and the Great Brands Show (an annual New York conference launched in 2010/2011 that connects emerging brands with capital sources).

Revenue mechanics rely on negotiated, transaction-based fees per mandate. Distribution is handled through direct senior-led engagements, industry reputation, referral networks, and the firm's branded event. Global reach is achieved through membership in The Terra Alliance, a network of 16 investment banks operating across 27 offices in 45 countries that collectively advised on 515 M&A transactions valued at $112 billion over five years. The customer base spans enterprise (Nine West, Toys 'R' Us IP, Centric Brands, Timex, Kirkland's Home, Hanky Panky, Paul Stuart), mid-market (FitVine), and startup (Kettlebell Kitchen, Carbon Beauty) consumer companies.

Name

Consensus

Legal name

Consensus Advisory Services LLC

Website

https://consensusadvisors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Consensus is a boutique investment bank founded in 2006 that provides M&A advisory, capital raising, and valuation services exclusively to consumer-facing companies, leveraging a senior-led advisory model and global reach through the Terra Alliance network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Banking

NAICS

Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Buy-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAB), Fairness Opinions & Independent Financial Advice (BPAHAOAF), Valuation & Fairness Opinions (BPAHADAF)

Keywords

• Investment banking services
• Mergers and acquisitions advisory
• Consumer brand capital raising
• Valuation and due diligence
• Boutique advisory firm

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory: Full-service M&A advisory including buy-side and sell-side transactions, strategic advisory, and process management from strategy review through transaction closing
2. Capital Raising: Growth capital and financing advisory for high-growth consumer brands, including private placements and debt financing
3. Analytical & Valuation Services: Due diligence services, valuations, fairness opinions, and benchmarking services for investors, lenders, boards, and acquirers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Consensus is a boutique investment bank that provides full-service mergers and acquisitions advisory, capital raising, and analytical and valuation services exclusively for consumer-facing companies. The firm advises on sell-side and buy-side M&A, growth capital and debt financing, fairness opinions, and due diligence for investors, lenders, and boards. Support services include The Weekly Consensus newsletter and the annual Great Brands Show conference, with global reach provided through membership in the Terra Alliance.

Product overview

Consensus is a boutique investment bank focused exclusively on consumer-facing companies. The firm offers three core service lines: Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory (full-service M&A services optimizing exit values), Capital Raising (for high-growth consumer brands), and Analytical & Valuation Services (due diligence, valuations, fairness opinions). Supporting these core services are ancillary offerings including The Weekly Consensus™ newsletter and The Great Brands Show annual conference. Through its Terra Alliance membership, Consensus provides global reach via a network of 16 investment banks across 27 offices worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory
• Capital Raising
• Analytical & Valuation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 515 M&A transactions totaling $112 billion in deal value over 5 years (Terra Alliance)

Named customers6 records

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.

• Terra AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsensus is a member of The Terra Alliance, a group of 16 investment banks operating in 45 countries around the world. The alliance was formed to enhance the ability of member firms to serve their clients through mutual cooperation and sharing of cross-border perspectives and ideas. Collectively, over the past five years, the alliance has advised on 515 M&A transactions with a total value of U.S. $112 billion.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Threadstone Advisors: Threadstone Advisors is a boutique investment bank exclusively focused on consumer and retail M&A. Closely comparable to Consensus in vertical specialization, boutique scale, and middle-market consumer transaction focus.
• Harris Williams: Harris Williams is a middle-market M&A advisor with a dedicated Consumer Group covering retail, beauty, and consumer products. Comparable to Consensus in middle-market consumer M&A focus and transaction-based advisory model.
• Lincoln International: Lincoln International is a global middle-market investment bank with a strong consumer practice offering M&A advisory, capital raising, and valuation services. Directly comparable to Consensus in boutique positioning, middle-market deal focus, and cross-border execution capabilities.
• Peter J. Solomon Company: Peter J. Solomon Company is a boutique investment bank providing strategic advisory and M&A services across consumer, retail, and related sectors. Comparable as a similarly-sized boutique advisor with senior-led engagement model and consumer practice overlap.
• Financo (Raymond James): Financo was a consumer-focused boutique investment bank acquired by Raymond James. Highly comparable historical peer to Consensus in exclusive consumer M&A focus, though now operating within a larger platform.

Broad incumbents

• Moelis & Company: Moelis is a global independent investment bank with strong consumer M&A and capital raising capabilities. Overlaps with Consensus on strategic advisory mandates but operates at significantly larger scale with broader sector coverage.
• Jefferies: Jefferies is a global investment bank with a dedicated consumer and retail M&A franchise. Comparable in consumer sector focus but materially larger, with bulge-bracket deal capabilities and capital markets services beyond Consensus's boutique reach.
• Piper Sandler: Piper Sandler is a diversified investment bank with a sizeable consumer middle-market M&A practice. Overlaps with Consensus on consumer advisory mandates but at greater scale and broader sector coverage including healthcare and financial services.

Emerging players

• Drake Star Partners: Drake Star Partners is an advisory firm specializing in consumer, retail, and technology M&A. Comparable to Consensus in vertical focus and middle-market positioning, with growing cross-border capabilities for digital and brand-led businesses.

Others

• L Catterton: L Catterton is a consumer-focused private equity firm. While a capital provider rather than advisor, it represents the same consumer brand ecosystem that Consensus serves, frequently appearing on the buy-side of the firm's sell-side mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/consensusib
• Xx.com/consensusadviso

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

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 Consensus