SkyView Partners

What SkyView Partners does

SkyView Partners, LLC is a privately-held specialty finance firm founded in 2017 and headquartered in Wayzata, Minnesota. The company provides financing solutions exclusively to independent and registered investment advisors (RIAs) and independent broker dealers (IBDs), addressing a chronic gap in conventional bank lending for wealth management practices that lack substantial tangible collateral. Core offerings include practice acquisition loans, succession and merger financing, debt refinancing, dividend recapitalizations, and working capital, delivered through the proprietary SkyLender Marketplace® platform that connects borrowers with a network of 25+ regional and community bank partners across 25 US territories. Since inception, SkyView has facilitated over $1.2 billion in advisor loans across 500+ transactions with a documented zero loan loss record and maintains SOC 2 Type II certification.

The firm's technology stack includes the proprietary PurchasingPower™ scoring methodology for evaluating buyer creditworthiness and practice readiness, the SkyView Banking Indices (industry-first tracking of domestic bank deposit interest rates), and online tools such as a Borrowing Capacity Calculator and RIA Market Value Estimator. An affiliated entity, the Advisory Practice Board of Exchange (APBOE), operates as a neutral marketplace for buying and selling wealth management practices, while SkyView Investment Bank and the Synchronized M&A Solutions platform bundle listing, investment banking, and financing into a unified offering.

Revenue is generated primarily through transaction fees: a 2% origination fee on conventional (non-SBA) loans and a 3% SBA guarantee fee on SBA loans, supplemented by marketplace commissions from APBOE listing services. Go-to-market is sales-led, with 25 divisional directors (averaging 17+ years of industry experience) covering US territories, supported by content marketing, earned media in wealth management trade publications, organic social channels, and a self-service pre-approval questionnaire that delivers responses within 48 hours. Leadership includes CEO and Co-Founder Scott Wetzel (JD), Chief Credit Officer Mike Paciorek (25+ years commercial banking), CIO Jon Wilber (ex-Amazon), and a full C-suite spanning product, investment, marketing, and creative functions.

Name

SkyView Partners

Legal name

SkyView Partners, LLC

Website

https://skyview.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SkyView Partners is a specialty finance firm that provides acquisition, succession, refinance, and working capital loans exclusively to independent and registered investment advisors (RIAs), connecting borrowers with a network of 25+ bank partners through its SkyLender Marketplace platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

RIA M&A Financing / Wealth Management Lending

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B Channel Partners & Referral Agencies (Cross-Industry Referral) (FSAEAMAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG), Affinity, Membership & Association Referral Programs (FSAEAMAL)

Keywords

• RIA financing solutions
• Wealth management lending
• M&A advisory loans
• Practice acquisition financing
• Investment advisor lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Wayzata

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Loan Origination Fees: SkyView retains origination fees on conventional (non-SBA) loans. The origination fee is 2% of the loan amount and can be fully financed into loan proceeds with no out-of-pocket costs to the advisor.
2. SBA Guarantee Fee: SkyView charges a 3% SBA guarantee fee on SBA loans, which is collected at closing
3. APBOE Marketplace Services: APBOE provides listing services for RIA sellers and buyers. The platform is free for buyers and sellers to use, with the M&A consultant cost typically shared or paid by the buyer.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SkyView Partners is a specialized financing firm exclusively serving independent and registered investment advisors (RIAs) and independent broker dealers (IBDs), providing bank financing for practice acquisition, succession, merger, debt restructuring, and working capital needs. The company operates the SkyLender Marketplace connecting borrowers with 25+ regional and community bank partners, plus the APBOE subsidiary offering a marketplace for buying and selling wealth management practices. Revenue is earned primarily through loan origination fees (2% on conventional loans) and SBA guarantee fees (3%).

Product overview

SkyView Partners is a specialized financing platform offering a suite of products and services for independent and registered investment advisors (RIAs). The core offering includes SkyView Partners financing platform, the SkyLender Marketplace® connecting borrowers with 25+ bank partners, and the Advisory Practice Board of Exchange (APBOE) for buying/selling wealth management practices. Supporting tools include the Borrowing Capacity Calculator, RIA Market Value Estimator, and the proprietary PurchasingPower™ scoring system. The company also provides Business Banking Services to facilitate banking relationships for advisors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SkyLender Marketplace®: Platform connecting borrowers with a network of bank partners for RIA financing
• Advisory Practice Board of Exchange (APBOE)
• Synchronized M&A Solutions
• PurchasingPower™

Products and services

• RIA Financing (Conventional and SBA Loans) Bank-financed loan products exclusively for independent and registered investment advisors. Covers practice acquisition, succession, merger, debt restructuring, and working capital needs. Conventional loans close in 30-60 days with fixed rates; SBA loans close in 60+ days. Pre-approval within 48 hours.
• SkyLender Marketplace A lending marketplace that connects RIA borrowers with a network of 25+ regional and community bank partners nationwide to fund wealth management M&A transactions, acquisitions, and successions.
• Advisory Practice Board of Exchange (APBOE) Financial advisor marketplace to buy and sell wealth management practices. Provides complimentary listing services for RIA sellers and buyers to engage in M&A activity, with multiple third-party valuation providers, M&A consultants, and investment banks participating.
• Business Banking Services Business banking relationship services that connect advisors with regional and community bank partners who fund wealth management M&A growth, offering personalized customer service and treasury personnel who understand banking needs of financial advisory practices.
• Listing Services (via APBOE) Complimentary listing services for RIA sellers and buyers through the APBOE marketplace, enabling engagement in practice M&A activity with multiple participating valuation providers, M&A consultants, and investment banks.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.2 billion+ funded in advisor loans
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• APBOE (Advisory Practice Board of Exchange)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPBOE is a neutral marketplace for buying and selling wealth management practices. SkyView provides complementary financing services to APBOE users, enabling seamless M&A transactions with integrated capital solutions.
• SkyView Investment BankingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate of SkyView Partners offering RIA integrated M&A support through the Synchronized M&A Solutions platform, including listing, investment banking, and financing services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FP Transitions: RIA-focused M&A consulting and valuation firm that counsels advisors on practice transitions, succession, and acquisitions. Highly comparable to SkyView given the same RIA buyer/seller audience and complementary (occasionally overlapping) service offering; cited as a referral partner.
• DeVoe & Company: RIA consulting and M&A advisory firm providing strategic planning, valuation, and transition consulting to independent advisors. Operates in the same RIA transition value-chain and is cited as a referral partner for SkyView-financed deals.
• Echelon Partners: Investment bank and M&A advisor serving RIAs, IBDs, and wealth management firms — provides practice valuations, transitions, and capital introductions. Directly comparable M&A advisory activity for the same buyer/seller client base that SkyView finances.
• Live Oak Bank: Commercial lender with a dedicated RIA practice financing program; participates as a capital provider on the APBOE platform. Closest direct lender peer and a partner/competitor for RIA acquisition and succession loans.
• Tom Brubaker & Associates: Advisor transition consulting firm for the wealth management industry, supporting practice M&A, succession, and ownership-change advisory. Comparable given its targeted RIA transition expertise and similar buyer/seller cohort.

Broad incumbents

• Cetera Advisor Networks: Large IBD that supports practice succession, acquisition financing, and advisor transition programs across its network. Comparable in serving the same RIA/IBD transition market with broader broker-dealer scale.
• LPL Financial: Largest U.S. IBD offering practice financing, succession, and acquisition programs to thousands of affiliated advisors. A scaled incumbent incumbent that competes for the same RIA transition wallet.
• Charles Schwab (Schwab Advisor Services): Major custodian for RIAs that, together with its third-party lending partners, offers practice financing and succession resources to advisory firms. Operates in the same value-chain at custodian scale.

Emerging players

• Mercer Advisors (M&A): Has historically participated in RIA M&A roll-ups and practice financing, providing both capital and operational support to acquired advisory firms. Overlaps with SkyView at the financing/transaction layer for RIA M&A events.

Others

• LendingTree (small business lending): Large loan/brokerage marketplace connecting borrowers with multiple lenders. Adjacent business model — marketplace intermediation — though not wealth-management-specific.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SkyViewPartners
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3Jq1LqazItr0eqYZHGi3yA
• Facebookfacebook.com/SkyViewPartnersSVP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skyview-partners
• Instagraminstagram.com/skyviewpartners

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 SkyView Partners