Gates and Company

What Gates and Company does

Gates and Company is a privately held, boutique management consulting and investment banking firm founded in 1999 by David Gates and headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. The firm combines management consulting and investment banking services under a single practice, advising middle-market and Fortune 500 companies on strategic planning, market analysis, financial strategy, M&A (buy-side and sell-side), capital advisory, spin-outs, divestitures, restructuring, technology transfer, and transatlantic market entry. Its stated differentiator is the operating pedigree of its roughly 11–50 professionals, most of whom held senior roles at brand-name corporates including DuPont, Honeywell, Motorola, Sun Microsystems, Molex, and Deutsche Bank before joining the firm.

The firm generates revenue exclusively through professional services fees — advisory retainers and transaction success fees — priced on a custom, engagement-scoped basis that is not publicly disclosed. Its go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, with senior practitioners engaging directly with client leadership. Marketing channels include LinkedIn and XING presence, whitepapers, industry seminars, trade association participation (American-German Chamber of Commerce, Delaware State Chamber), and press releases. Strategic alliances with US2EU, Munich InterConsulting AG, DS Consulting, SCI Consulting, Yet2Ventures, and AI&U extend the firm's delivery footprint across the D-A-CH region, Scandinavia, and China without commensurate headcount expansion.

Gates and Company targets a horizontal segmentation spanning company size tiers (middle-market and Fortune 500) and geographies (U.S. and D-A-CH primarily, with growing China exposure). Since founding it has served over 170 companies across chemicals, manufacturing, consumer products, electronics, life sciences, and energy. The firm is founder-owned with no disclosed institutional investors, parent entity, or subsidiaries, and operates from two Wilmington, Delaware offices. It is not a technology product company — its intellectual capital is the experience of its professionals rather than proprietary software, data assets, or AI systems.

Name

Gates and Company

Legal name

Gates and Company

Website

https://gatesandcompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gates and Company is a privately held boutique management consulting and investment banking firm founded in 1999 in Wilmington, Delaware, advising middle-market and Fortune 500 companies on M&A, capital advisory, and strategic growth, with transatlantic delivery across the US and D-A-CH region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting and Investment Banking

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

M&A Advisory (Buy-side/Sell-side) (BPAHADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Buy-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAB), Cross-Border M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAH), Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG)

Keywords

• Management consulting services
• Investment banking advisory
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Strategic planning services
• Corporate financial advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Management Consulting Services: Advisory fees for strategic planning, market analysis, financial strategy development, and plan implementation services provided to middle-market and Fortune 500 companies.
2. Investment Banking Services: M&A advisory, capital advisory, buy-side and sell-side transaction fees, and financial advisory services for companies from early-stage to Fortune 500.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gates and Company is an international management consulting and investment banking firm that advises middle-market and Fortune 500 companies on strategic expansion, M&A, capital advisory, and growth initiatives. Founded in 1999, the firm combines management consulting services (market analysis, strategy formulation, plan implementation) with investment banking services (buy-side and sell-side M&A, capital raising, spin-outs, divestitures, restructuring). The firm leverages the hands-on operating experience of its senior professionals who have personally bought, sold, and grown companies.

Product overview

Gates and Company is a management consulting and investment banking firm offering a portfolio of advisory services. The core offerings consist of Management Consulting (covering market analysis, strategy formulation, financial strategy development, and plan implementation) and Investment Banking (providing M&A advisory for buy-side and sell-side transactions, capital advisory, spin-outs, divestitures, and restructuring). These core services are complemented by specialized solution offerings including Business Plan Development, Corporate Venturing, Strategic Asset Maximization, Debt Leveraging, Product/Venture Launch, Sales Performance Improvement, Spinouts and Divestitures, Strategic and Tactical Planning, Technology Transfer, and Transatlantic Business Expansion services. The firm operates as a unified consulting practice rather than a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Management Consulting

Quantifiable outcome

• Helped over 170 companies reach their goals

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• US2EUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS2EU helps companies establish a business presence in Europe with a focus on Germany and Scandinavia. US2EU has two offices in Germany and one in Denmark. This partnership supports Gates and Company's transatlantic expansion services for clients seeking European market entry.
• Munich InterConsulting AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunich InterConsulting AG provides interface connections for businesses seeking opportunities in the greater Munich area. The company is headquartered just outside of Munich, Germany. Supports Gates and Company's D-A-CH region advisory capabilities.
• DS ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDS Consulting promotes environmentally sustainable investment in clean-tech industries. The firm is headquartered in Munich, Germany. Supports Gates and Company's sustainability-focused client engagements.
• SCI ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCI Consulting concentrates specifically on doing business in China. Headquartered near Philadelphia, the firm has offices in Tianjin and Weihei, China. Extends Gates and Company's capabilities for clients with China market interests.
• Yet2VenturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance formed in December 2014 to target investments in D-A-CH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). Partnership announced in press release Dec 2014.
• AI&UminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAI&U Workshop Alliance focused on providing workshops and collaborative initiatives. Partnership referenced in news/events section.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Auctus Capital Partners: D-A-CH focused mid-market M&A and corporate finance advisory. Highly comparable in geographic specialization and mid-cap industrial client base, but primarily European rather than transatlantic in scope.

Direct peers

• Clairfield International: Global middle-market M&A advisory with deep European and US cross-border coverage, particularly D-A-CH region. Closely comparable to Gates and Company in targeting mid-cap cross-border transactions with a partner-driven, sector-aware model.
• Trinity Hunt Partners: Middle-market investment bank providing M&A advisory and capital raising. Comparable in boutique scale, senior practitioner model, and target mid-cap client base across diversified industries.
• Brown Gibbons Lang & Company: Middle-market investment bank providing M&A advisory and capital-raising services to private and public companies. Directly comparable in scale, sector focus (industrials, chemicals, business services), and senior-led engagement model.
• EC Mergers & Acquisitions: Cross-border M&A advisory firm focused on US-European mid-market transactions. Direct match for Gates and Company's transatlantic deal focus, particularly D-A-CH to US transactions.
• Lincoln International: Global mid-market investment bank with strong European presence and sector-focused advisory teams. Operates a similar mid-cap M&A and capital advisory franchise across the US and Europe, with comparable target clients in industrials and chemicals.
• Harris Williams: US-focused middle-market M&A advisor serving clients across industrials, chemicals, and consumer products. Comparable operating model of senior-led, sector-specialist advisory engagements for mid-cap corporate and private equity clients.
• TM Capital: Boutique middle-market advisory firm delivering M&A and capital advisory services. Closely matches Gates and Company in size, senior-led model, and middle-market industrial / business services client focus.

Broad incumbents

• Lazard: Global investment bank with broad M&A advisory, restructuring, and capital advisory practices. Overlaps with Gates and Company at the upper end of its mid-cap and Fortune 500 client engagements, though at vastly larger scale and product breadth.
• Houlihan Lokey: Large global investment bank with strong middle-market M&A and restructuring franchises. Overlaps directly with Gates and Company's mid-cap advisory work but operates at significantly larger scale with broader product offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gates-and-company?trk=hb_tab_compy_id_82259

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

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Gates and Company