Franklin Nova Group

What Franklin Nova Group does

Franklin Nova Group, Inc. is a privately held boutique valuation and business advisory firm founded in 2012 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The firm delivers three core service lines — Valuation Services (purchase price allocations, impairment testing, incremental borrowing rate analyses, fresh start accounting, IRC 409A), Business Advisory (succession planning, business performance improvement, capital allocation, transition planning), and M&A Advisory (sell-side and buy-side transaction support) — supplemented by Tangible Asset Valuation (real and personal property, ASC 360/IAS 16) and a newer Strategic Finance Advisory offering for early-stage companies. The practice is built around senior professionals, most of whom are former Deloitte directors or managing directors, and operates without external institutional funding.

The firm's client base spans both enterprise and middle-market segments. Documented enterprise work includes purchase price allocations for Duolingo (acquisition of Gunner), Mettler Toledo (5 acquisitions since 2012), Wendy's (quarterly lease-portfolio analysis across 5,400 locations), Heaven Hill, Vera Bradley, UPMC (CarepathRx partnership), and Medpace, alongside a long-running valuation engagement with Michaels. Middle-market engagements include sell-side advisory for Castle Learning (sold to Harris School Solutions, 2019), MedWaste Ohio (sold to Daniels Health, 2021), and Rohrig Heavy Equipment (sold to Jennmar, 2025). The firm is Pennsylvania Utility Valuation Expert-certified for municipality-owned water/wastewater systems and offers securities through a FINRA-registered partnership with Finalis Securities LLC.

The business model is project-based professional services billing, with engagements typically spanning financial reporting compliance, transaction support, and long-term advisory relationships. Go-to-market is referral-driven and senior-led — described as 'Wall Street for Main Street' — supported by content marketing, social media presence, and direct outreach. Securities-related work is routed through Finalis Securities LLC because Franklin Nova Group, Inc. is not a registered broker-dealer. The firm operates a national client base from a single Pittsburgh office, with approximately 9-10 total team members including 2 Managing Directors, 4 Directors, a Senior Client Advisor, a Financial Analyst, and an Administrator.

Name

Franklin Nova Group

Legal name

Franklin Nova Group, Inc.

Website

https://franklinnova.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Franklin Nova Group is a privately held, Pittsburgh-based boutique valuation and business advisory firm founded in 2012, serving middle-market companies, public companies, and business owners with financial-reporting valuations, M&A advisory, succession planning, and tangible-asset appraisal services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Valuation and Advisory Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Estate, Gift & Trust Valuation (BPAHANAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB)

Keywords

• Business valuation services
• Mergers and acquisitions advisory
• Purchase price allocation
• Intangible asset valuation
• Middle market advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Valuation Advisory Services: Provides corporate compliance, tangible asset valuation, and litigation support services including purchase price allocations, goodwill testing, and stock option valuation. Revenue generated from professional service engagements billed on project basis.
2. M&A and Business Advisory: Sell-side and buy-side advisory services for middle market transactions. Revenue from advisory fees, success fees, and ongoing consulting engagements with business owners and entrepreneurs.
3. Securities Services: Securities offered through Finalis Securities LLC. Franklin Nova Group, Inc. is not a registered broker-dealer and works with an unaffiliated entity for securities offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Franklin Nova Group is a boutique valuation and business advisory firm that delivers corporate valuation services (including purchase price allocations, impairment testing, incremental borrowing rate analyses, fresh start accounting valuations, and intangible asset valuation), sell-side and buy-side M&A advisory, and business advisory services (succession planning, business performance improvement, capital allocation, and stakeholder incentive planning). The firm serves mid-market companies, business owners, professional advisors, and public companies across industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, retail, education, energy, real estate, and technology.

Product overview

Franklin Nova Group operates as a single unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The firm's core offerings consist of three interconnected service lines: Valuation Services (providing financial reporting valuations, tax compliance valuations, and management planning valuations), Business Advisory (offering succession planning, performance optimization, and transition planning), and M&A Advisory (delivering sell-side and buy-side transaction advisory). Supplementary capabilities include Tangible Asset Valuation for real and personal property assessment and Strategic Finance Advisory for early-stage companies. These services are delivered by a team of experienced professionals and are designed to work together throughout a business's lifecycle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Valuation Services Provides business and intangible asset valuation services including purchase price allocations, impairment testing (goodwill / reporting unit restructuring), incremental borrowing rate analyses for lease implementation, fresh start accounting valuations, and IRC 409A stock option valuations. Supports corporate compliance under ASC 805, ASC 350, ASC 842, ASC 718, ASC 360, IFRS 3, and IAS 16 for middle-market and public companies across multiple industries.
• Business Advisory Strategic advisory for business owners and entrepreneurs covering succession planning, business performance improvement, capital allocation planning, stakeholder incentive planning, and transition planning. Delivered to support business owners leaving a legacy, navigating leadership transitions, maximizing wealth, or positioning for growth, acquisition, or sale.
• M&A Advisory Provides sell-side and buy-side advisory services for middle-market mergers and acquisitions, including deal structuring, buyer identification, valuation optimization, and transaction execution support. Generates advisory and success fees from middle-market engagements.
• Tangible Asset Valuation Specialized valuation practice for real and personal property assets, including ASC 360 and IAS 16 property testing, business interruption claims, right of use asset assessments, and asset-backed lending valuations. Delivered for clients in manufacturing, retail, automotive, and other property-intensive industries.
• Strategic Finance Advisory Supports early-stage and growth-stage companies with functional gaps in strategic finance, including formal budget processes, forecast production and analysis, variance analysis, and commercial support for product sales and intellectual property valuation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 56 projects completed across 10+ years with 3 companies in long-term partnership
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• JennmarminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2025Franklin Nova served as exclusive financial advisor to Rohrig Heavy Equipment Maintenance in its sale to Jennmar, a global leader in infrastructure solutions for mining and tunneling industries.
• Daniels HealthminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 January 2021Franklin Nova advised MedWaste Ohio on their sale to Daniels Health, a global healthcare waste services provider. Seller advisory services led to favorable exit valuation.
• Harris School SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2019Franklin Nova advised Castle Learning on its sale to Harris School Solutions. 10-year partnership resulted in successful exit for Castle Learning founders.
• Equity Methods LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationJosh Schaeffer provides highly specialized valuation services through Franklin Nova's strategic partnership with Equity Methods LLC. Areas of expertise include compensation agreements, partnerships, earnouts, guarantees, business investments, and employee compensation awards.
• Finalis Securities LLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSecurities are offered through Finalis Securities LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. Franklin Nova Group, Inc. is not a registered broker-dealer and the entities are separate, unaffiliated. Finalis provides regulatory infrastructure for securities offerings.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Marshall & Stevens: Marshall & Stevens is a national valuation and advisory firm focused on tangible and intangible asset valuations for financial reporting, tax, and litigation. It directly overlaps with Franklin Nova's Tangible Asset Valuation and intangible asset valuation services, particularly in the industrial/equipment appraisal category.
• Stout: Stout is a boutique advisory firm specializing in valuation, M&A, and dispute consulting for middle-market clients. It is the most direct comparable — a multi-office valuation and M&A advisory platform that competes head-to-head with Franklin Nova for similar middle-market valuation and transaction mandates.
• Valuation Research Corporation: Valuation Research Corporation is a specialty valuation firm providing independent valuations for financial reporting, tax, and transaction purposes. It is a direct peer to Franklin Nova's Valuation Advisory Practice, serving similar public-company and private-client engagements including purchase price allocations and stock-based compensation.
• BVA Group: BVA Group is an independent valuation and advisory firm focused on business and intangible asset valuations for financial reporting and transaction purposes. It is a direct peer that targets similar middle-market and large-cap valuation mandates with a boutique service model comparable to Franklin Nova.
• Equity Methods LLC: Equity Methods is a valuation firm specializing in complex securities, equity-based compensation, and partnership valuations. It is both a strategic partner of Franklin Nova (delivering services through Josh Schaeffer) and a direct competitor for sophisticated ASC 718/IRC 409A valuations.

Broad incumbents

• Kroll (formerly Duff & Phelps): Kroll's Valuation Advisory Services business (built on the Duff & Phelps franchise) is one of the largest independent valuation practices globally. It is a broad incumbent competing across purchase price allocations, impairment testing, and complex securities valuations — the same work Franklin Nova's senior team performed at Deloitte.
• Alvarez & Marsal: Alvarez & Marsal is a global professional services firm with strong valuation, M&A advisory, and corporate finance practices. It is a broad incumbent that competes with Franklin Nova on middle-market restructuring, transaction advisory, and valuation mandates, though at materially larger scale.
• Crowe LLP: Crowe is a top-10 U.S. accounting and advisory firm offering valuation and M&A advisory services. It is a broader incumbent alternative to Big 4 for middle-market valuation and transaction advisory work, competing with Franklin Nova for clients seeking Big 4-quality work at lower fee structures.
• Houlihan Lokey: Houlihan Lokey is a global investment bank with deep middle-market M&A advisory and valuation capabilities. It competes with Franklin Nova for sell-side middle-market mandates and for valuation work supporting corporate transactions, though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Emerging players

• Cornerstone Research: Cornerstone Research provides economic and financial consulting including valuations for litigation, arbitration, and financial reporting. Director Josh Schaeffer previously worked there; the firm competes with Franklin Nova for complex valuation work tied to disputes and statistical analyses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/franklin-nova-group

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Franklin Nova Group