European Tech Investment Bank Carlsquare Partners with Silicon Valley-based Capital Clarity

• Mergermarket ranks Carlsquare No. 1 in Germany for mid-sized transactions¹
• US expansion as next step in global growth strategy 
• Founder-led advisory firm tripled revenue since 2019 
• Capital Clarity’s founders will become partners and shareholders of the new company   

Stockholm, Apil 4^th 2023 – After a strong period of expansion in Europe, Hamburg-based tech investment bank Carlsquare crosses the pond and merges with San Francisco-based tech-specialist M&A consultancy Capital Clarity. Susan Blanco and John Cooper, the founders and Managing Partners of Capital Clarity, become partners and shareholders at Carlsquare.

Regardless of macroeconomic and global political events, 20 percent of all cross-border transactions in German-speaking countries take place between Germany and the USA – and the trend is building further momentum.

“Capital Clarity is headquartered in Silicon Valley, the largest technology hub in the world. Our European clients now have direct to access to the North American marketplace. They are supported by top-class M&A tech experts who have an extensive network and an impressive track record. With our US presence, we are taking the next step in developing into a globally active consulting firm,” explains Michael Moritz, Founder and CEO of Carlsquare, the rationale of the expansion.

US team as important pillar of global growth strategy

“We share identical core values and founding principles. Both of our firms focus on investing in long-term partnerships with founders, investors and leadership teams with a personal, hands-on approach. We both believe in cross-border growth momentum,” says Susan Blanco, Founder and Managing Partner of Capital Clarity.

Rapid growth continues

Carlsquare, originally founded in Hamburg, has tripled its revenue since 2019. San Francisco becomes the ninth office globally and the second opening this year. The Stockholm office started 2012 under the name Jarl Securities. Since 2021, the firm has closed over 100 transactions with an average volume of around €100 million. Carlsquare will employ over 150 staff representing 18 different nationalities.

Founded in 2019 by Blanco and Cooper and headquartered in San Francisco, the Capital Clarity team has overseen more than $100 billion in managed transactions for tech-focused companies throughout the U.S. and abroad.

About Carlsquare

Carlsquare is a partner-led, independent tech investment bank. It supports technology and growth companies in taking the next step in their corporate development. Key services include transaction advisory (M&A), debt capital, IPOs and structured capital solutions. Founded in Hamburg in 2000 by Michael Moritz and Mark Miller, Carlsquare is currently managed by 18 international partners. The firm has nine offices in Europe and the US.

 About Capital Clarity

Capital Clarity is a leading independent investment bank specializing in mergers and acquisitions, capital raises and liquidity events in the technology sector. Capital Clarity offers a refined approach to investment banking that emphasizes long-term partnerships with investors and management teams. Capital Clarity’s leadership team has a combined experience of 80 years in financial advisory, mergers and acquisitions, corporate development and private equity. Capital Clarity combines advisory expertise with in-depth industry knowledge and long-standing relationships with buyers and investors to deliver successful outcomes for their clients.

¹From 01.01.2020 to 01.03.2023. Number of transactions advised where the seller is located in Germany with Enterprise Value up to EUR 1bn, both sell- and buy-side mandates included; Auditing companies were excluded from the ranking. Source: Mergermarket

Susan Blanco Bio:

Susan Blanco is a Founder and Managing Partner of Capital Clarity. A successful female founder and recognized leader in technology investment banking, Susan’s extensive experience includes mergers, acquisitions, dividend recapitalizations, public and private capital raising. She has executed numerous transactions for public and private companies with leading private equity sponsors and global corporations including IBM, Hitachi, Intuit, McKesson, Verisk, British Telecom, Sabre and Google. Previously, Susan was Managing Director and Head of West Coast Private Equity at SNH Capital, Managing Director in Houlihan Lokey’s Technology Group, co-founder and Managing Director of ArchPoint Partners and Vice President at J.P. Morgan. Susan holds a B.S. in Engineering Physics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford University. Passionately committed to social impact in the San Francisco Bay Area, Susan serves on the Leadership Committee of Tipping Point Community, is the former Board Chairman of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley and is an Advisor for UC Berkeley’s Skydeck Accelerator program.

John A. Cooper Bio:

John A. Cooper is a Founder and Managing Partner of Capital Clarity. A respected leader and advisor to technology and healthcare IT companies, Cooper has led the execution of numerous notable mergers, acquisitions, investments and recapitalizations across public and private companies. Cooper previously led technology investment banking practices at Houlihan Lokey, ArchPoint Partners and Montgomery & Co, was President of ThinkTank software incubator funded by SoftBank and led Corporate Development for Microsoft, McKesson, First Data and American Express. Cooper holds a B.S. in Business and Finance from the University of Minnesota and has completed post-graduate work in executive leadership at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). A deeply committed advocate for mental health support and services and brain science research, Cooper has established the Halestreet Foundation and the Dr. Daniel C. Cooper Endowment Fund at Brown University in support of this important work.

For all inquirers please contact:

Anders Elgemyr, Managing Partner Stockholm

anders.elgemyr@carlsquare.com