The Forbes M+A Group
The Forbes M+A Group is a Denver-area boutique investment bank founded in 2004 that provides sell-side, buy-side, capital raising, ESOP, and special situations advisory to U.S. middle-market companies across business services, consumer, healthcare, industrials, and technology verticals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersGreenwood Village, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Forbes M+A Group does
The Forbes M+A Group operates as a boutique investment bank, closely affiliated with Forbes Partners (a registered broker-dealer and FINRA / SIPC member), delivering mergers and acquisitions advisory, capital raising, and business valuation services to middle-market companies. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in the Denver, Colorado metropolitan area (Greenwood Village), the firm is privately held with 11-50 employees and a deliberately small client base, working with only a select few clients each year. Its service suite comprises six core offerings: sell-side advisory, buy-side advisory, business capital and financing solutions, ESOP transaction services, special situations advisory, and end-to-end business transaction advisory, supported by sector specialists across five verticals (Business Services, Consumer, Healthcare, Industrials, and Technology).
The firm generates revenue almost entirely from transaction-based fees, including success fees on closed M&A mandates, engagement-specific retainers, and fees on capital formation and special situations work. Pricing is set per engagement rather than on published tiers, and the go-to-market model relies on direct senior-level relationship engagement with business owners seeking exits, companies seeking capital, growth-oriented acquirers, and institutional buyers, augmented by a thought-leadership content engine (industry guides, the Forbes Insider Series, quarterly capital markets updates, and sector landscape reports) and a LinkedIn presence.
Operationally, the firm has no disclosed technology platform, software products, or AI capabilities; its differentiation rests on senior banker expertise, an extensive network of strategic and financial buyer relationships, and the credibility associated with the Forbes brand. Recent signals include an expanding cadence of vertical-specific research publications and continuing engagement in middle-market deal advisory across the United States.
The Forbes M+A Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Forbes M+A Group
- Legal name
- Forbes Partners
- Website
- https://forbesma.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Forbes M+A Group is a Denver-area boutique investment bank founded in 2004 that provides sell-side, buy-side, capital raising, ESOP, and special situations advisory to U.S. middle-market companies across business services, consumer, healthcare, industrials, and technology verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Forbes M+A Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Investment Banking Services
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industry-Specialist / Sector-Focused M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sell-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAA), Buy-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAB), M&A Advisory (Buy-side/Sell-side) (BPAHADAC)
Keywords
Where The Forbes M+A Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Greenwood Village
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Forbes M+A Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- M&A Advisory Fees: The firm generates revenue through sell-side and buy-side advisory fees for middle market M&A transactions. Revenue is derived from success fees (transaction completion), retainers, and potentially fair market fees for capital raising and special situations work.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom engagement-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
The Forbes M+A Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Forbes M+A Group is a boutique investment bank that provides mergers and acquisitions advisory, capital formation/recapitalization, ESOP transaction advisory, and special situations advisory services to middle-market companies. Engagements span both sell-side (preparing and selling businesses) and buy-side (acquisition strategy and execution) mandates, delivered by sector specialists across Business Services, Consumer, Healthcare, Industrials, and Technology. The firm also produces proprietary industry insights and market data reports as part of its thought leadership.
Product overview
Forbes Partners operates as a boutique investment bank offering a unified suite of M&A advisory services rather than a software product platform. The core offering comprises six interconnected advisory services: Sell-Side Advisory (preparing and positioning businesses for sale), Buy-Side Advisory (identifying and executing acquisitions for growth), Business Capital and Financing Solutions (capital formation and recapitalization), ESOP Transaction Services (employee ownership transitions), Special Situations (complex/non-standard transactions), and Business Transaction Advisory Services (comprehensive deal lifecycle support). These services are delivered by sector specialists across five industry verticals—Business Services, Industrials, Consumer, Healthcare, and Technology—each with deep domain expertise. The firm also produces proprietary industry insights and market data reports as part of its thought leadership offerings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sell-Side Advisory Advisory service in which Forbes Partners works with a business owner to prepare the enterprise for sale, including creating an optimal positioning strategy, engaging the best buyers, managing the competitive bidding process, negotiating the most favorable terms, and closing the transaction. Intended for middle-market business owners seeking to maximize exit value.
- Buy-Side Advisory Advisory service for middle-market companies seeking growth through acquisitions, including developing an informed strategy, identifying and engaging targets, enriching negotiations with market and valuation insights, and structuring, pricing, and closing transactions.
- Business Capital and Financing Solutions Capital formation and recapitalization advisory that helps middle-market clients restructure debt or recapitalize their business to meet evolving needs, enabling owners to achieve liquidity while maintaining control of the business.
- ESOP Transaction Services Specialized advisory services for Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) transactions, helping business owners transition ownership to employees.
- Special Situations Advisory services for non-standard or complex transaction situations requiring customized approaches beyond conventional M&A processes.
- Business Transaction Advisory Services Comprehensive transaction advisory services encompassing the full deal lifecycle from strategy through closing.
- Industry Insights and Market Data Reports Published industry reports and market data including the Automotive Aftermarket & Fleet Industry Landscape, Capital Markets Updates, and sector-specific M&A outlook reports, used to support the firm's advisory practice and thought leadership.
Companies that use The Forbes M+A Group
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Forbes M+A Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Forbes M+A Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- The Forbes M+A GroupcoreThe Forbes M+A Group is identified as a non-Broker-Dealer affiliate of Forbes Partners. Some transactions may involve clients of The Forbes M+A Group as well as Forbes Partners clients, indicating a collaborative operational relationship.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Forbes M+A Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Livingstone Partners: Boutique M&A advisor focused on mid-market transactions across multiple sectors with senior banker-driven engagements. Directly comparable on boutique positioning and middle-market deal size.
- Lincoln International: Global middle-market M&A advisory firm with comparable sector-focused verticals and senior-led engagement model. Head-to-head competitor for sell-side and buy-side middle-market mandates across Business Services, Consumer, Healthcare, Industrials, and Technology.
- Generational Equity: Large M&A advisory firm focused exclusively on middle-market business sales. Directly competes for the same 'business owner looking to exit' primary segment with similar transaction-fee revenue model.
- Cascadia Capital: Boutique middle-market investment bank with sector-specialist practices spanning Business Services, Consumer, Healthcare, Industrials, and Technology. Closely comparable on model, mandate size, and client profile to Forbes Partners.
- Headwaters MB: Middle-market M&A boutique with senior-led engagement model and multi-sector coverage. Closely aligned with Forbes Partners' boutique positioning and middle-market focus.
- Boxwood Partners: Middle-market M&A advisory firm offering sell-side, buy-side, and capital formation services to owner-led businesses. Comparable boutique scale, sector diversification, and client profile.
- Aldebaran Partners: Middle-market boutique investment bank providing sell-side and buy-side advisory with comparable sector specialization and selective engagement philosophy.
- Chartwell Corporate Advisory: Middle-market M&A and corporate finance advisory with similar senior-led, sector-aware model. Comparable on boutique engagement style and middle-market client segmentation.
Emerging players
- Petsky Prunier: Sector-specialist M&A advisory historically focused on media, marketing, and tech-enabled services. Comparable as a niche boutique competing for specialty mandates within Forbes Partners' targeted verticals.
Broad incumbents
- Houlihan Lokey: Large-scale global investment bank with a substantial middle-market M&A practice. Overlaps heavily on Forbes Partners' service lines but operates with broader scale, deeper analyst bench, and global distribution.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Forbes M+A Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Forbes M+A Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Forbes M+A Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Forbes M+A Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Forbes M+A Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Forbes M+A Group
What does The Forbes M+A Group do?
The Forbes M+A Group is a boutique investment bank that provides mergers and acquisitions advisory, capital formation/recapitalization, ESOP transaction advisory, and special situations advisory services to middle-market companies. Engagements span both sell-side (preparing and selling businesses) and buy-side (acquisition strategy and execution) mandates, delivered by sector specialists across Business Services, Consumer, Healthcare, Industrials, and Technology. The firm also produces proprietary industry insights and market data reports as part of its thought leadership.
Is The Forbes M+A Group a public or private company?
The Forbes M+A Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Forbes M+A Group founded?
The Forbes M+A Group was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Forbes M+A Group based?
The Forbes M+A Group is headquartered in Greenwood Village, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Forbes M+A Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: M&A Advisory Fees.
Who are The Forbes M+A Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Livingstone Partners, Lincoln International, Generational Equity, Cascadia Capital, Headwaters MB, Boxwood Partners, Aldebaran Partners and Chartwell Corporate Advisory. Petsky Prunier is listed as an emerging player. Houlihan Lokey is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Forbes M+A Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Forbes M+A Group.
What industry is The Forbes M+A Group in?
The Forbes M+A Group's product category is Investment Banking Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAGAJ, Industry-Specialist / Sector-Focused M&A Advisory, with a secondary code of FSAEAGAA, Sell-Side M&A Advisory. Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.