3 Seas Capital Partners

What 3 Seas Capital Partners does

3 Seas Capital Partners is a privately held boutique M&A advisory firm headquartered in Bebek, Istanbul, Turkey, founded in 2003 by Tarık Şarligil (CEO), Şevket Başev (Chairman), and Emre Erginler. The firm provides mergers and acquisitions advisory, corporate finance, and strategic financial advisory services, with a track record of over 140 completed transactions totaling more than $9 billion in deal value, including 70+ cross-border transactions. Its core offerings span company sale and acquisition advisory, strategic partnership structuring, valuation, due diligence support, and post-M&A integration advisory, delivered across sectors including manufacturing, FMCG, healthcare, internet/technology, logistics, retail, energy, telecommunications, financial services, and real estate.

The firm serves three primary client segments: Turkish family-owned businesses and private companies (the majority of Turkish M&A flow), international corporations and PE funds seeking entry into or exposure to Turkish assets, and Turkish holding companies pursuing diversification and cross-border expansion. Distribution is exclusively direct — partners engage C-suites, boards, and shareholders face-to-face, with no intermediaries. Cross-border deal flow is amplified through the firm's active membership in IMAP (International M&A Partnership), a global network of advisory firms in 30+ countries, in which founding partner Şevket Başev previously served as Chairman and CEO.

Revenue is generated through transaction-based success fees, typically structured as a percentage of deal value plus a retainer, supplemented by bundled strategic advisory revenue under long-term mandates. There is no proprietary technology platform; competitive advantage rests on partner-level expertise (each of the three founders plus four managing partners holds 10-20+ years of M&A experience and elite international education), a 1,000+ client/stakeholder network built over 20+ years, and durable repeat-client relationships — characteristics that have sustained the firm's #1 ranking by transaction count in Turkey every year since 2007 and a position among the world's top 100 financial institutions by deal count.

Name

3 Seas Capital Partners

Legal name

3 Seas Capital Partners

Website

https://3seas-cp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

3 Seas Capital Partners is a Turkish boutique M&A advisory firm founded in 2003, providing mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and financial advisory services to family-owned businesses, international investors, and private equity funds across diverse sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Banking (Mergers and Acquisitions Advisory)

NAICS

Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (52315), Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory (BPAHADAB)

Keywords

• Mergers and acquisitions advisory
• Investment banking services
• Corporate finance advisory
• Cross-border transaction advisory
• Strategic financial advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Istanbul

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. M&A Advisory Fees: The firm earns fees for providing strategic and financial advisory services on mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. Fees are typically structured as a percentage of transaction value (success fee), often with a retainer component. The firm advises both buy-side and sell-side clients, as well as cross-border transactions.
2. Strategic Consulting: Beyond individual transactions, the firm provides ongoing strategic advisory to long-term client relationships, including long-term strategic planning, partnership structuring, and post-M&A integration support. Revenue from these services is bundled with transaction mandates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

3 Seas Capital Partners is a boutique investment bank that advises on mergers and acquisitions (company sale, acquisition, and strategic partnership transactions), cross-border deal facilitation between Turkish companies and foreign investors, and ongoing strategic and financial advisory to corporate clients. Services span buy-side and sell-side mandates, valuation, deal structuring, due diligence management, negotiation, and post-closing integration support, delivered to family-owned enterprises, multinational corporations, Turkish holding companies, and private equity funds.

Product overview

3 Seas Capital Partners operates as a unified financial advisory platform offering M&A advisory services. Their primary offering encompasses company acquisition, sale, and partnership advisory (M&A), supplemented by strategic and financial advisory services. The firm serves clients across diverse sectors including automotive, internet/technology, healthcare, financial services, telecommunications, FMCG, retail, logistics, infrastructure, real estate, and energy. With 140+ completed transactions exceeding $9 billion in total value since 2003, they provide end-to-end transaction support from deal origination through closing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M&A Advisory Services Mergers and acquisitions advisory services covering company acquisitions, divestitures, and strategic partnerships. Acts as intermediary between buyers and sellers in transaction processes for Turkish companies, multinationals, and private equity funds. Includes identifying counterparties, valuation, deal structuring, due diligence, negotiation, and closing support.
• Strategic Advisory Strategic advisory services for long-term planning, helping clients develop growth strategies and identify partnership opportunities across various sectors. Bundled with transaction mandates for long-term client relationships.
• Financial Advisory Financial and strategic advisory for transactions including valuation, deal structuring, due diligence support, and negotiation management across multiple industry sectors (automotive, internet/technology, healthcare, financial services, telecommunications, FMCG, retail, logistics, real estate, energy, industrial).
• Cross-Border Transactions International M&A transaction facilitation connecting Turkish companies with foreign investors and vice versa, leveraging the IMAP international network. The firm has completed 70+ cross-border transactions.
• Industry-Specific M&A Advisory Sector-specific M&A advisory covering automotive, internet/technology, healthcare, financial services, telecommunications, FMCG, retail, logistics, infrastructure, real estate, energy, and industrial sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 140 M&A transactions completed with total value exceeding $9 billion, with 70+ cross-border deals
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 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 and core.

• Pinnacle Inc. (Japan)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Pinnacle Inc. is IMAP's Japan partner. Through IMAP's network, 3 Seas Capital Partners collaborated with Pinnacle Inc. to organize the 2014 IMAP Autumn Symposium in Tokyo, which was attended by 500+ Japanese business leaders and 150+ companies and PE funds. The event facilitated introductions between Turkish and Japanese businesses.
• IMAP (International M&A Partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner3 Seas Capital Partners is an active member of IMAP, an international partnership of leading financial advisory firms. Şevket Başev served as IMAP's Chairman and CEO. Through IMAP, the firm accesses global deal flow, cross-referrals with partner firms in 30+ countries, and participation in international conferences such as the 2014 Autumn Symposium in Tokyo.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Lazard: Global investment bank with a strong M&A advisory practice and an active Turkey/EMEA presence. Competes with 3 Seas for larger cross-border Turkish M&A mandates but is significantly broader in scale and services.
• Rothschild & Co: Global boutique M&A and advisory firm with a long-standing presence in Turkey and emerging Europe. Direct competitor for mid-to-large cross-border deals, with comparable boutique positioning and senior-led execution.
• Duff & Phelps (Kroll): Global financial advisory and professional services firm with M&A advisory capabilities. Competes in Turkish mid-market deals and offers broader valuation, due diligence, and restructuring services.

Direct peers

• Houlihan Lokey: Global mid-market M&A and financial restructuring advisor. Closely comparable boutique-style model with senior banker involvement and cross-border capabilities, often competing in the same Turkey/EMEA mid-market space.
• Lincoln International: Global mid-market M&A advisory firm with extensive EMEA coverage. Competes directly with 3 Seas for cross-border mid-market Turkish mandates, offering similar senior-led execution and international network reach.
• Clairfield International: International M&A advisory partnership operating across 30+ countries, similar in structure to IMAP. Directly comparable business model: senior partner-led execution, mid-market focus, and cross-border intermediation for emerging markets.
• Alantra: Independent financial advisory firm specializing in mid-market M&A, debt advisory, and credit portfolio management. Similar boutique positioning, cross-border reach, and senior-led execution style serving family-owned and PE-backed companies.
• Clearwater International: European mid-market M&A advisory firm with strong cross-border execution. Direct competitor in the same mid-market, cross-border deal segment that 3 Seas serves in Turkey.

Others

• IMAP (International M&A Partnership): Global M&A advisory network of which 3 Seas is the Turkish member. Not a competitor but the parent network that provides cross-border deal referrals, with sister member firms sometimes co-advising on Turkey-related transactions.

Regional players

• İş Yatırım (Is Investment): Leading Turkish investment bank and brokerage, part of İş Bank Group. A domestic Turkish competitor in M&A advisory, capital markets, and corporate finance with local institutional scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 3 Seas Capital Partners