Amvest Capital Research
Advisory Approach
Amvest Capital is a New York-based investment banking and capital advisory firm founded in 2017 that specializes exclusively in the natural resources sector, with particular focus on mining, metals, and critical minerals. The firm operates with a thesis-driven approach centered on the conviction that access to strategic minerals is essential for global decarbonization and advanced manufacturing. The founders, Gabriel Alonso-Mendoza and Stuart Macliver, believed that junior mining and exploration companies faced significant capital access challenges and information asymmetries when raising funds from institutional investors. Amvest Capital was established to bridge that gap by creating a specialist advisory and investment platform dedicated entirely to natural resources.
Their sweet spot is early-stage to development-stage mining and mineral exploration companies seeking $5M to $50M+ in institutional capital. The firm focuses on companies exploring, developing, or mining battery metals (lithium, cobalt, nickel), precious metals (gold, silver), critical minerals (rare earths), and base metals. They operate with a deep understanding of commodity markets, exploration risk, regulatory frameworks, and the specialized financial needs of the mining sector.
Sector Focus
Amvest Capital's mandate centers on the natural resources value chain. Within mining, they maintain expertise across exploration, development, and production stages. They have particular depth in:
Mining & Metals Exploration: Early-stage and advanced exploration companies seeking to define mineral resources. The team understands geological risk, permitting timelines, and capital efficiency metrics that matter to mining investors.
Battery & Critical Minerals: Companies mining lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements essential for electric vehicles, renewable energy storage, and advanced manufacturing. This aligns with global energy transition trends.
Precious Metals: Gold and silver mining companies, from junior explorers to development-stage producers.
Commodities & Base Metals: Copper, zinc, and other base metal mining enterprises.
Oil & Gas: Natural resources companies in conventional energy sectors, though with less emphasis than minerals.
The firm also operates an asset management division (Amvest Terraden) which invests capital directly in critical minerals companies, creating alignment between their advisory and investment practices. This dual role — as both advisor raising capital for mining companies AND as a direct investor — gives them unique insight into investor sentiment and the quality of opportunities in the market.
Process & Advisory Services
Amvest Capital's primary service is capital raise advisory and placement agent services for natural resources companies. The process typically involves:
- Capital Strategy: Advising mining companies on capital structure, timing, and investor targeting
- Investor Outreach: Syndication to institutional investors, hedge funds, family offices, and strategic investors with natural resources exposure
- Documentation: Assisting with prospectuses, investment memoranda, and due diligence materials
- Placement: Acting as placement agent to syndicate investments, bringing investors into private placements, financings, and capital raises
- Ongoing Relationships: Building long-term partnerships with both capital-seeking mining companies and capital-deploying investors
Their business model centers on transactional fees from successful placements and advisory retainers for capital raise projects. Based on industry practice for placement agents in mining, typical engagement structures include success-based fees on capital raised (typically 5-7% for syndication, with variation based on deal size and complexity).
Investor Network & Buyer Relationships
Amvest Capital maintains relationships with a diverse set of capital sources interested in mining and natural resources:
- Institutional investors with dedicated natural resources or mining sectors (pension funds, endowments, sovereign wealth funds)
- Hedge funds with commodity or mining focus
- Family offices with natural resources investment mandates
- Specialist mining funds and mining-focused investment platforms
- Strategic investors (mining majors, industrial companies) seeking acquisition targets
- International investors (European, Asian, Canadian mining investors)
Based on their transaction history, they have demonstrated ability to attract capital from diverse geographies and investor types, particularly for companies operating in Canada, Australia, and Latin America mining jurisdictions.
Deal Track Record
Amvest Capital's completed transactions include roles as placement agents, capital raise advisors, and investment banking service providers. Representative deals include:
- E2Gold: Placement agent on multiple tranches of private placement capital raises (2024-2025)
- Sun Summit: Placement agent on $10M non-brokered private placement (June 2025)
- Tolu Minerals: Placement agent and advisor on capital raise placements (2024)
- Medallion Resources: Advisory and investor relations support (Gabriel Alonso-Mendoza served as interim CEO, validating deep sector relationships)
- Global Energy Metals: Mining conference sponsorship and investor access (2022-2025)
- Goliath Resources: Sponsor and strategic advisor on capital programs (2024-2025)
- Lake Resources: Placement agent for debt financing facility (2019-2024)
- 5E Advanced Materials: Investment and advisory relationships (2019-2021)
- American Pacific Borates: Investment and advisory roles (2020)
The firm's deal activity spans capital raises from $2M to $125M+ and includes roles in syndications, private placements, convertible financings, and structured capital arrangements. Their relationships with junior mining companies span early-stage explorers through development-stage producers.
Competitive Positioning
Amvest Capital differentiates through:
- Pure-play focus: Unlike generalist investment banks or bulge-bracket firms, they focus exclusively on natural resources, giving them specialized expertise and network depth
- Operator background: Founders and team have direct mining industry experience and understand geology, operations, and exploration metrics
- Dual role: Operate both as advisors (raising capital for companies) AND as direct investors (through Amvest Terraden), creating alignment and insight
- Global network: Access to investors across multiple geographies (North America, Europe, Asia) and capital sources (institutional, hedge funds, family offices, strategics)
- Critical minerals positioning: Timely expertise as battery metals and critical minerals attract massive institutional capital due to energy transition
- Relationship longevity: Often maintain relationships across multiple funding rounds and lifecycle stages of mining companies
Not a Fit If
Amvest Capital typically declines:
- Non-mining natural resources companies without mining/minerals focus
- Mature, production-stage miners seeking traditional M&A (not their primary service)
- Companies seeking majority stakes or acquisition advisory (they focus on capital raises, not full exits)
- Industries outside natural resources
- Companies seeking comprehensive M&A advisory (they are specialists in capital access, not general corporate advisory)
Team
The firm has approximately 8-12 core team members across investment banking, capital markets, and asset management divisions:
Gabriel Emilio Alonso-Mendoza (CEO, Co-founder) — Founded Amvest Capital with deep natural resources background. Previously worked buy-side and sell-side in mining sector roles. Brings sector credibility and investor network.
Stuart Rex Macliver (Co-founder, Managing Partner) — Alongside Gabriel, founded Amvest Capital to connect junior mining companies with institutional capital. Serves as managing partner and actively participates in investor relations, deal sourcing, and syndication. Public speaker at mining conferences (PDAC, Commodity Trading Week, etc.).
Jennifer Wigand (Chief Operating Officer, General Securities Principal) — Oversees operations and regulatory compliance. FINRA registered (CRD 5900477). Brings broker-dealer and operations expertise.
John Michael Byrne Jr. (Chief Compliance Officer) — Ensures regulatory compliance and risk management. FINRA CRD 1255284. Extensive broker-dealer experience.
Tracie Erin Okeefe (Financial & Operations Principal) — Financial operations leadership. FINRA CRD 5924814. Manages back-office and financial operations.
Campbell McCrary (Vice President, Mining Finance) — Senior investment banker focused on mining transactions. FINRA registered (CRD 4247135). Active at mining industry events (PDAC 2026). Brings deep transaction experience.
Ryan Charles Loader (Senior Associate) — Investment banking associate. FINRA registered (CRD 4420399).
Don Herzog — Team member active in investor relations and capital syndication (mentioned in PDAC 2026 activities).
Conor Walsh — Team member involved in capital markets and syndication.
Tomasz Nadrowski — Senior team member focused on critical minerals and strategic positioning. Participates in industry webinars and thought leadership (critical minerals trade war positioning, 2024-2025).
Geographic Coverage & Operational Footprint
Amvest Capital operates from New York headquarters (570 Lexington Avenue, 37th Floor) with FINRA licenses in 7 states (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Utah). The firm advises mining companies globally but focuses on North American miners (Canadian listed on TSX/TSXV, US-listed) and companies operating in Tier-1 mining jurisdictions (Canada, Australia, Latin America).
Related Entities & Partnerships
Amvest Terraden: In-house asset management vehicle that invests capital directly in critical minerals companies. Aligns advisory (raising capital for miners) with investing (deploying capital into mining companies). Creates feedback loop and alignment of incentives.
Delphos MMJ LP & Delphos International: Placement and syndication vehicles used for capital raises.
Nebari Partners JV: Announced $125M+ joint venture to invest in mining sector (announced 2024-2025).
Coherra Finance: Partnership for sector intelligence and capital access.
These relationships amplify Amvest Capital's reach and capital-deployment capability beyond pure advisory.
Market Position & Opportunity
Amvest Capital operates in an expanding market driven by:
- Accelerating energy transition and EV demand requiring battery metals
- Geopolitical competition for critical minerals supplies
- Institutional capital seeking exposure to minerals (hedge funds, family offices, pension funds)
- Geographic shift of mining investment (from developed to developing markets)
- Consolidation in junior mining, creating both challenges and opportunities for capital-efficient explorers
As a pure-play natural resources advisor, they are positioned at the intersection of mining companies needing capital and institutions seeking mining exposure.
Firm Profile Summary
Amvest Capital is a specialist investment banking firm uniquely focused on connecting junior and development-stage mining companies with institutional capital sources. Their competitive advantage lies in deep sector expertise, a specialized investor network, dual advisory/investment roles, and timely focus on battery metals and critical minerals. They serve as the crucial bridge between capital-raising mining companies and the institutional investors seeking exposure to the commodities and minerals driving global energy transition.