Candlewood Partners

What Candlewood Partners does

Candlewood Partners, LLC is a Cleveland-headquartered boutique investment bank and financial advisory firm founded in 2001 by Glenn Pollack, with additional offices in New York and South Florida (Delray Beach). The firm operates four integrated service lines—Capital Raising, Restructuring Advisory, Lender Services, and M&A Execution—targeting middle-market private and public companies, private equity sponsors, and private credit lenders. Deal scope spans debt refinancing, growth capital, ownership transitions, Chapter 11 reorganizations, Article 9 foreclosure sales, distressed debt sales, and buy- and sell-side M&A mandates, with disclosed transactions ranging from sub-$10M credit facilities to a ~$155M cross-border sale (Mynaric AG to Rocket Lab in April 2026).

The firm is structured as a senior-led advisory practice of approximately 14 professionals, including Managing Director Glenn Pollack, Managing Partner Steve Latkovic, Managing Director Natan Milgrom, and Director Rishi Agarwal, supported by a team of vice presidents, associates, and analysts. Candlewood operates a wholly-owned FINRA/SIPC-registered broker-dealer subsidiary, Candlewood Securities LLC, which enables the firm to underwrite securities and earn transaction-based compensation across its mandates.

Revenue is generated through success-based advisory and transaction fees on capital-raising, restructuring, lender-services, and M&A engagements. Pricing is not publicly disclosed but is structured to align firm incentives with client outcomes, with engagement terminable at any time without cause. The go-to-market motion is relationship-driven, with deal flow originating from repeat engagements with private equity sponsors (notably Cambridge Capital and Weinberg Capital Group), referrals from lending partners (Capital Southwest, Wingspire, Wintrust, Entrepreneur Growth Capital), and direct outreach by senior partners. Marketing channels include industry events (DealMAX, TMA, ACG), published case studies, LinkedIn presence, and professional network referrals.

Name

Candlewood Partners

Legal name

Candlewood Partners, LLC

Website

https://candlewoodpartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Candlewood Partners is a Cleveland-headquartered boutique investment bank founded in 2001, advising middle-market companies, private equity sponsors, and private credit lenders on capital raising, restructuring, lender services, and M&A execution through offices in Cleveland, New York, and South Florida.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Middle Market Investment Banking & Financial Advisory

NAICS

Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Loan Brokers (6163), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Debt & Capital Advisory (Debt Raising, Refinancing, Private Credit) (BPAHAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Equity Capital Advisory (Private Equity Placements, Growth Capital) (BPAHAOAE), Treasury, Capital Structure & Liquidity Advisory (BPAHADAM), Recapitalizations & Liability Management (Tender/Buybacks, Refinancing) (FSAHACAI)

Keywords

• Middle market investment banking
• Capital raising advisory
• Restructuring advisory services
• Mergers and acquisitions advisory
• Lender services advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advisory Fees: Financial advisory fees for capital raising, restructuring advisory, lender services, and M&A execution engagements
2. Capital Raising Commissions: Success-based fees from capital raising transactions, aligned with client outcomes
3. M&A Transaction Fees: Advisory and execution fees for buy-side and sell-side M&A engagements

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Candlewood Partners is a boutique middle-market investment bank that provides four integrated advisory service lines: Capital Raising (debt refinancing, growth capital, ownership transitions, venture debt and growth equity raises), Restructuring Advisory (creditor management, Chapter 11 reorganizations, distressed acquisitions), Lender Services (portfolio company work-outs, Article 9 foreclosure sales, distressed debt sales), and M&A Execution (buy-side, sell-side, financial modeling, due diligence, capital raising, and closing process management). Securities-related execution is conducted through its FINRA/SIPC member broker-dealer subsidiary, Candlewood Securities LLC.

Product overview

Candlewood Partners is a boutique investment bank and advisory firm offering a unified platform of four integrated service offerings: Capital Raising, Restructuring Advisory, Lender Services, and M&A Execution. These services work together to provide middle market companies with strategy, resources, and confidence for buying, growing, or fixing their businesses. The firm operates through its broker-dealer division, Candlewood Securities LLC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Capital Raising Creative capital raising advisory for middle-market companies, including debt refinancing, growth capital, ownership transitions, and later-stage venture debt and growth equity raises. Candlewood identifies capital partners with terms and philosophies aligned to the client's needs.
• Restructuring Advisory Advisory for companies managing creditors and other stakeholders during challenging and unfamiliar situations, including Chapter 11 reorganizations and distressed business acquisitions.
• Lender Services Advisory for lenders managing, restructuring, and divesting from challenging portfolio company investments, including stressed portfolio company sell-side processes, Article 9 foreclosure sales, and distressed debt sales.
• M&A Execution Advisory services across all aspects of the M&A process, including buy-side and sell-side engagements, financial modeling, due diligence, capital raising, and closing process management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully advised Mynaric on ~$155M sale to Rocket Lab following complex restructuring
• +4 more outcomes

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

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• FINRAminorOthersSecurities offered through Candlewood Securities LLC, Member FINRA.
• SIPCminorOthersSecurities offered through Candlewood Securities LLC, Member SIPC.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Brown, Gibbons, Lang & Co. Middle market investment bank specializing in M&A, restructuring, and capital raising — directly comparable to Candlewood's services and the prior employer of founder Glenn Pollack.
• Harris Williams: Middle market M&A advisory firm focused on serving private equity sponsors and founder-led businesses — directly comparable to Candlewood's middle market M&A execution and sponsor-focused coverage.
• SSG Capital Advisors: Boutique investment bank specializing in restructuring advisory, special-situations M&A, and distressed debt advisory — closely aligned with Candlewood's Lender Services and Restructuring Advisory practices.
• Gordian Group: Boutique advisor focused on distressed M&A, restructuring, and special situations — directly comparable to Candlewood's restructuring and lender services offerings in the middle market.
• Lincoln International: Global middle market investment bank offering M&A, capital raising, and restructuring advisory — competes with Candlewood across all four service lines, particularly for sponsor-led transactions.
• Stout: Boutique advisory firm providing investment banking, valuation, and restructuring services to middle market companies — directly comparable offering mix and target client base to Candlewood.
• Cascadia Capital: Middle market investment bank serving founder-led, family-owned, and PE-backed companies with M&A and capital raising services — closely aligned with Candlewood's core middle market franchise.
• FocalPoint Partners: Boutique middle market advisory firm providing M&A, capital raising, and special situations advisory — comparable in size, scope, and middle market sponsor-led orientation to Candlewood.

Broad incumbents

• Houlihan Lokey: Global investment bank with market-leading restructuring practice and active middle market M&A franchise — competes with Candlewood in both restructuring advisory and capital raising engagements but at significantly larger scale.
• AlixPartners: Global consulting firm with a leading restructuring and turnaround practice — competes with Candlewood's Restructuring Advisory and Lender Services offerings but at materially larger scale with broader services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/candlewood-partners-llc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Candlewood Partners