What Jordan Knauff & Company does

Jordan Knauff & Company (JKC) is a privately-held, Chicago-based middle-market investment banking advisory firm founded in March 2001 by G. Cook Jordan, Jr. and Thomas E. Knauff. The firm provides sell-side advisory, buy-side acquisition advisory, and capital raising services to companies with annual revenues of $10M-$300M and EBITDA of $1M-$30M, targeting entrepreneurially-managed businesses, family-owned companies, private equity groups, and family offices. Typical transactions range from $10M to $300M in total consideration, and the firm has served over 100 clients since inception with 200+ cumulative business transactions across its leadership team.

The firm operates a focused service portfolio across four core lines: (1) sell-side advisory generating liquidity events via whole, majority, or minority sales; (2) capital raising for senior debt, mezzanine debt, or equity capital to fund recapitalizations, growth, acquisitions, or liquidity events; (3) acquisition advisory for private equity groups and corporate buyers executing non-auction consolidation strategies; and (4) Strategic Business Services®, a registered-trademark consulting suite comprising Company Specific Valuations, Capital Road Maps®, and Strategic Industry Analyses. Securities transactions are conducted through affiliated broker-dealer GT Securities, Inc. (Member FINRA/SIPC).

JKC's business model is professional services / transaction-fee based, with fees quoted per engagement and tied to transaction complexity and size. The firm employs 11-50 professionals at its 100 South Wacker Drive headquarters, supported by a full-time research specialist producing proprietary Industry In-Sight™ publications covering flow control, energy logistics & distribution, and capital markets liquidity. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and relationship-driven, with no disclosed outside capital, no parent company, and no institutional ownership. In January 2024, JKC entered a strategic alliance with Balmoral Advisors, LLC, merging operations into one Chicago location and combining capital raising expertise with M&A capabilities.

Name

Jordan Knauff & Company

Legal name

Jordan Knauff & Company

Website

https://jordanknauff.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Middle-Market Investment Banking

NAICS

Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory (BPAHADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Buy-Side Search & Acquisition Advisory (FSAEAIAD), Capital Markets Advisory (IPO Readiness, SPAC, ECM/DCM Advisory) (BPAHAOAL), Debt Advisory & Financing Advisory (FSAEAGAD), Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG)

Keywords

• Middle-market investment banking
• Mergers and acquisitions advisory
• Capital raising services
• Sell-side advisory
• Acquisition advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Investment Banking Advisory Fees: Fees for providing sell-side advisory, buy-side acquisition advisory, and capital raising services to middle-market companies. Revenue generated through professional service engagements for transactions typically ranging from $10 million to $300 million in total consideration.
2. Capital Raising Services: Representation of companies, management teams, and entrepreneurs in raising senior debt, mezzanine debt, or equity capital. Services include recapitalizations, funding of growth, funding of acquisitions, and liquidity events for owners and investors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Jordan Knauff & Company provides investment banking advisory services to middle-market companies, including sell-side advisory, capital raising (debt and equity), and buy-side acquisition advisory. The firm also offers a suite of consulting services under the Strategic Business Services® brand (Company Specific Valuations, Capital Road Maps®, and Strategic Industry Analyses) and produces proprietary Industry In-Sight™ research publications. Securities transactions are conducted through GT Securities, Inc., a member of FINRA/SIPC.

Product overview

Jordan Knauff & Company is a middle-market investment banking firm offering a unified suite of advisory services. The core portfolio consists of four main service lines: Sell Companies (company sale advisory), Raise Capital (debt and equity capital formation), Acquisition Advisory (buy-side M&A services), and Strategic Business Services® (a service suite including Company Specific Valuations, Capital Road Maps®, and Strategic Industry Analyses). The firm also produces proprietary research publications called Industry In-Sight™ covering capital markets and specific industries. The offerings are integrated service lines rather than a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Strategic Business Services®: A suite of consulting services for Middle-Market business owners including Company Specific Valuations, Capital Road Maps®, and Strategic Industry Analyses.
• Industry In-Sight™

Products and services

• Sell Companies
• Raise Capital
• Acquisition Advisory
• Strategic Business Services®
• Industry In-Sight™ Research Publications

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 clients served with successful outcomes since 2001
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Balmoral Advisors, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 January 2024Strategic alliance combining JKC's extensive experience in capital raising and capital advisory capabilities with Balmoral's expertise in M&A. Partnership offers expanded suite of services to clients. Staff and resources merged into one Chicago location. Professionals maintain securities registrations under JKC's FINRA broker/dealer license. JKC's industry experience for traditional M&A advisory complements Balmoral's practice in Building Products and Industrials, among others.
• Energy Equipment & Infrastructure Alliance (EEIA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint publication of Energy Logistics & Distribution Industry In-Sight in conjunction with EEIA.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Houlihan Lokey: Large global investment bank with significant middle-market M&A, capital markets, and valuation practices. Comparable in service offering to JKC but operates at much greater scale and across more sectors/geographies.
• KeyBanc Capital Markets: Bank-affiliated investment bank with established middle-market M&A practice. Comparable to JKC on serving middle-market clients with sell-side and capital raising, though backed by a much larger balance sheet.
• Oppenheimer & Co. Diversified investment bank with a middle-market M&A and capital raising franchise. Comparable to JKC on serving entrepreneur-owned businesses and providing sell-side advisory, with broader sector and product breadth.

Direct peers

• Hammond Hanlon Camp LLC: Middle-market M&A and capital advisory boutique serving real estate, healthcare, and business services. Directly comparable service-line overlap (M&A, capital raising, valuation) with JKC's middle-market focus.
• PMCF (Plante Moran Corporate Finance): Middle-market investment bank affiliated with Plante Moran providing M&A advisory and capital raising. Directly comparable to JKC on middle-market deal size focus and industry-driven research-driven approach.
• Stout: Global advisory firm with strong middle-market M&A, valuation, and capital raising capabilities. Comparable to JKC in serving middle-market companies across M&A and capital raising, with broader geographic reach.
• Cascadia Capital: Middle-market advisory firm providing M&A and capital raising services. Closely comparable to JKC on client size (revenues roughly $10M-$300M), transaction focus, and sector-driven approach.
• Lincoln International: Global middle-market investment bank with deep M&A advisory and capital raising practices. Directly comparable to JKC on target client (lower/middle-market companies), service mix (sell-side, buy-side, capital raising), and sector breadth.
• Carl Marks Advisors: Middle-market investment bank and advisory firm providing M&A and capital raising. Comparable to JKC on size, target client (middle-market businesses), and core service offerings.
• Brown Gibbons Lang & Company: Middle-market investment bank offering M&A advisory and capital raising services. Directly comparable on client profile (family/entrepreneurial businesses, $10M-$500M EV) and service mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/103346

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Jordan Knauff & Company