Pelican Group
Pelican Group is a Hong Kong-based SFC-licensed corporate finance advisory firm serving mid-to-large listed corporates in Greater China with M&A, IPO, capital raising, corporate rescue, and litigation support services, augmented by its Pelican AI platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersCauseway Bay, Hong Kong SAR China
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Pelican Group does
Pelican Group (legal entity: Pelican Financial Group) is a privately held, SFC-licensed corporate finance advisory firm headquartered at 28/F, Lee Garden Two, 28 Yun Ping Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Founded in 2008 by Charles Li, the firm serves mid-to-large listed and unlisted corporates across Hong Kong, mainland China, and overseas markets, with a horizontal service model organized into seven practice areas: Sell Side Advisory, Buy Side Advisory, Corporate Crisis and Resumption, Litigation Support, general Advisory, Capital Raise, and IPO Consulting. Pelican also maintains Hong Kong court-approved expert witness credentials through Charles Li for corporate finance and securities-related cases, and operates Pelican Technology Investment, an internal early-stage vehicle backing fintech, AI, blockchain, fashion technology, and gamefi NFTs.
The firm earns revenue primarily through negotiated transaction-based and retainer advisory fees tied to M&A mandates, IPO engagements, capital raises, corporate restructurings, and litigation support mandates, with billing structured on a mandate-by-mandate basis over multi-year engagements. Distribution occurs exclusively through senior principal-led direct engagement, leveraging personal networks built during decades-long prior tenures at top-tier global institutions (Deloitte, Anglo Chinese Corporate Finance, HSBC, Barclays, DBS, Macquarie, Standard Chartered, and others), supplemented by thought-leadership content marketing and consistent earned media presence in Hong Kong, regional, and international financial press. Client logos span AEON Credit, Asiaray Media Group, Emperor Group, Chong Hing Bank, Wai Yuen Tong Medicine, TCL Electronics, The Sincere Company, Hopson Development, China Traditional Chinese Medicine, Roiserv Lifestyle Services, Cornerstone Technologies, UBA Investments, Emperor Watch & Jewellery, Venus Medtech, and China Display Optoelectronics — collectively representing combined market capitalization disclosed at over HK$30 billion.
The firm's stated technology asset is "Pelican AI," a proprietary AI-driven advisory platform marketed as providing analytical and intelligence capabilities integrated within core service offerings, though no underlying model, training pipeline, or external productization details are disclosed. The firm operates with 1–10 employees (principals and a small support team), reflecting the boutique, principal-driven nature of the business model.
Pelican Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pelican Group
- Legal name
- Pelican Financial Group
- Website
- https://pelicanfinancials.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Pelican Group is a Hong Kong-based SFC-licensed corporate finance advisory firm serving mid-to-large listed corporates in Greater China with M&A, IPO, capital raising, corporate rescue, and litigation support services, augmented by its Pelican AI platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pelican Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Corporate Finance Advisory
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Equity Capital Markets Advisory (Equity Issuance Strategy & Readiness) (FSACAAAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Insolvency & Turnaround Advisory (SME/Mid-Market Debtor-Side) (FSAEAFAK)
Keywords
Where Pelican Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Causeway Bay
- HQ country
- Hong Kong SAR China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Pelican Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Financial Advisory Fees: Fees earned from providing corporate finance advisory services to listed and unlisted companies, including M&A advisory, IPO consulting, capital raising, and corporate restructuring.
- Transaction-Based Advisory: Fees and commissions tied to the successful execution of transactions including sell-side and buy-side M&A mandates, capital raises, and IPO mandates.
- Expert Witness and Litigation Support: Revenue from providing expert witness reports and litigation support services to courts, solicitors, and listed companies in corporate finance and securities-related cases.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Quote-based advisory fees tailored to transaction complexity and client requirements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Pelican Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pelican Group is a Hong Kong-based corporate finance advisory firm that provides M&A sell-side and buy-side advisory, IPO consulting, capital raising, corporate restructuring and resumption, and litigation support and expert witness services to listed companies, state-owned enterprises, and financial institutions in the Greater China region. It complements its human advisory with Pelican AI, a proprietary AI-driven analytics platform, and a Pelican Technology Investment arm that deploys early-stage capital into fintech, AI, blockchain, and Web3 ventures.
Product overview
Pelican Group offers a comprehensive suite of financial advisory services organized as distinct practice areas rather than a unified software product. The portfolio includes Sell Side Advisory, Buy Side Advisory, Corporate Crisis and Resumption, Litigation Support, Advisory, Capital Raise, and IPO Consulting as core service offerings. Additionally, Pelican AI provides AI-driven analytical capabilities integrated within the advisory services, while Pelican Technology Investment focuses on early-stage technology investments including fintech, AI applications, and blockchain projects.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Pelican AI: AI-powered solutions offered as part of the company's service offerings, referenced as a separate service line.
Products and services
- Sell Side Advisory Advisory services for corporate disposals covering disposals, spin-offs, divestitures, trade sales, options evaluation, acquirer discovery, deal structuring, valuation, tactics, and mediation, targeted at listed and unlisted corporates in Greater China.
- Buy Side Advisory Advisory services covering target discovery, valuation, acquisition strategy and structure, general offer advising, mediation, post-acquisition planning, and acquisition financing for corporates pursuing M&A in the Greater China region.
- Corporate Crisis and Resumption Services for audit issue resolution, resumption process management, business rescue proposals, white knight discovery, debt refinancing, and distressed asset recapitalization for suspended and distressed listed companies.
- Litigation Support Expert witness services, regulatory investigation support, corporate dispute assistance, pre-investigation analysis, and strategy coordination for corporate finance, valuation, and market trading matters, provided to courts, solicitors, and listed companies.
- Advisory Services including privatization, listed company takeovers, reverse takeovers, listing rules and Takeovers Code advisory, financial advisory, and capital reorganization for Hong Kong and Greater China listed companies.
- Capital Raise Advisory on private placings, joint venture investments, primary and secondary market fund raising, and overseas investment for Greater China companies.
- IPO Consulting One-stop IPO consulting service including strategy and planning, interim CFO management, roadshow preparation, investment case building, regulatory vetting support, documentation, corporate restructuring, and underwriting syndicate appointments.
- Pelican AI AI-driven financial advisory service integrated within Pelican's corporate finance offerings, providing analytical capabilities for deal-making and financial analysis for clients in the Greater China region.
- Pelican Technology Investment Early-stage investor in innovative technology projects including sophisticated fintech and AI-driven applications, blockchain applications, fashion technology, and gamefi NFTs, leveraging Web 3.0 technology.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 200 completed transactions including IPO, M&A, fund raising, and corporate finance mandates
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Pelican Group
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Pelican Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Pelican Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Pelican Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Asian Capital Holdings: Hong Kong-focused corporate finance boutique with M&A and capital-raising services for Greater China clients; comparable offering profile though slightly more limited service line-up than Pelican's full advisory suite.
Direct peers
- Octal Capital Limited: Hong Kong boutique advisory and IPO sponsor serving HK-listed companies with ECM, M&A and restructuring mandates — a structural peer to Pelican's mid-market HK corporate finance franchise.
- Anglo Chinese Corporate Finance: Hong Kong corporate finance advisory firm where Pelican's founder previously headed M&A; offers nearly identical services (IPO advisory, M&A, IFA, continuing connected transactions) to mid/large-cap Greater China corporates.
- Optima Capital Limited: HK boutique advisory house focused on IPO sponsorship, M&A, financial advisory and IFA work for Greater China corporates — competitive overlap across nearly all of Pelican's core service lines.
- Donvex Capital Asia: Hong Kong boutique corporate finance and advisory firm serving small-to-mid-cap HK-listed companies with ECM, M&A and continuing connected-transaction advisory — closely overlapping Pelican's client profile and service mix.
- Opus Capital Holdings: Hong Kong corporate finance boutique providing IPO advisory, M&A and IFA services to Greater China listed and listing candidates — a comparable niche competitor for Pelican's core mid-market HK advisory mandates.
- Somerley Capital Group: Hong Kong-based boutique corporate finance advisory firm offering IPO sponsorship, M&A and IFA services to HK-listed and Greater China clients — directly comparable to Pelican's advisory franchise and target client base.
- Halcyon Securities Limited: HK boutique securities and advisory firm offering corporate finance, IPO sponsorship and IFA services to HK-listed clients — directly comparable to Pelican's Hong Kong advisory franchise.
Broad incumbents
- Emperor Capital Group: Hong Kong-listed financial services group with a corporate finance advisory arm serving Emperor Group affiliates and external HK-listed clients — overlaps with Pelican across advisory, IPO and ECM work but operates with broader brokerage and wealth capabilities.
Emerging players
- DL Invest Securities (Corporate Finance): Smaller Hong Kong corporate finance advisor focused on IPO sponsorship and advisory for HK-listed SMEs — competes with Pelican at the lower end of mid-market HK corporate finance mandates.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Pelican Group social profiles
Digital presencePelican Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pelican Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Pelican Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pelican 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 Pelican Group
What does Pelican Group do?
Pelican Group is a Hong Kong-based corporate finance advisory firm that provides M&A sell-side and buy-side advisory, IPO consulting, capital raising, corporate restructuring and resumption, and litigation support and expert witness services to listed companies, state-owned enterprises, and financial institutions in the Greater China region. It complements its human advisory with Pelican AI, a proprietary AI-driven analytics platform, and a Pelican Technology Investment arm that deploys early-stage capital into fintech, AI, blockchain, and Web3 ventures.
Is Pelican Group a public or private company?
Pelican Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Pelican Group founded?
Pelican Group was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Pelican Group based?
Pelican Group is headquartered in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong SAR China, in the Asia region.
How does Pelican Group make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Financial Advisory Fees are the primary driver. The others are transaction-Based Advisory and expert Witness and Litigation Support.
Who are Pelican Group's main competitors?
Asian Capital Holdings is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Octal Capital Limited, Anglo Chinese Corporate Finance, Optima Capital Limited, Donvex Capital Asia, Opus Capital Holdings, Somerley Capital Group and Halcyon Securities Limited. Emperor Capital Group is listed as a broad incumbent. DL Invest Securities (Corporate Finance) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Pelican Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pelican Group.
What industry is Pelican Group in?
Pelican Group's product category is Corporate Finance Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSACAAAI, Equity Capital Markets Advisory (Equity Issuance Strategy & Readiness), with a secondary code of FSAEAFAK, Insolvency & Turnaround Advisory (SME/Mid-Market Debtor-Side). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.