Cabrera Capital Markets M&A Advisory Research
Advisory Approach
Cabrera Capital Markets is a premier investment bank and institutional brokerage firm founded in 2001 by Martin Cabrera Jr. The firm's M&A Advisory practice, established in 2022 and recently strengthened with the appointment of Jae Kim as Managing Director and Head of M&A Advisory in January 2025, brings institutional-quality advisory services to middle-market companies. The practice is built on a thesis of combining extensive transaction experience with deep sector insight to deliver optimal outcomes for clients. With over 85 employees across eight offices nationwide (Chicago headquarters, New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Tampa, and Houston), Cabrera Capital provides a full-service advisory platform spanning mergers and acquisitions, capital advisory, and strategic advisory services.
Cabrera's advisory approach emphasizes tailored solutions for families, business owners, corporates, and financial sponsors navigating strategic and financial decisions. The firm leverages its 25-year institutional platform across capital markets, public finance, real estate, and equities trading to provide comprehensive advisory capabilities. The M&A practice focuses on middle-market transactions in the $50 million to $500 million enterprise value range, where strategic complexity and operational depth create meaningful advisory value.
Sector Focus
Cabrera Capital maintains deep sector expertise across seven primary industries, developed through years of transaction experience and relationships. The firm's advisory team brings sector-specific knowledge in business services, consumer services, healthcare, information technology (SaaS and IT services), media and entertainment, professional services, and real estate. This diversified sector focus allows the firm to identify cross-industry strategic opportunities and match sellers with the most appropriate buyers within their industry verticals.
The firm's website highlights particular strength in advising companies within these sectors on strategic growth initiatives. In media and entertainment, Cabrera recently advised Cardenas Marketing Network, one of the leading Latin American live entertainment companies in the United States, on a strategic partnership with AEG Presents, one of the world's largest live event companies. This transaction demonstrates Cabrera's ability to navigate complex strategic partnerships between complementary platforms.
Recent Activity & Deal Track Record
In March 2024, Cabrera Capital Markets acted as exclusive investment banker to Cardenas Marketing Network (CMN) on its historic partnership with AEG Presents. CMN, founded in 2001, is a major force in Latin music and sports, having promoted global tours from Marc Anthony, Bad Bunny, J. Balvin, Daddy Yankee, and Don Omar, among many others. CMN most recently launched the largest global Latin music tour with Luis Miguel, with over 200 performances. In sports, CMN has promoted iconic friendly matches including El Clásico (Argentina vs. Brazil at MetLife Stadium) and the first soccer game at Lambeau Field (Bayern Munich vs. Manchester City). The partnership with AEG Presents, one of the world's largest live event companies with a portfolio including tours from BLACKPINK, Celine Dion, Elton John, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, and Taylor Swift, represents a transformational strategic alignment. The transaction required sophisticated transaction structuring, extensive diligence, and coordination across complex entertainment industry dynamics.
Cabrera's M&A Advisory practice, while recently formalized, draws on the firm's 25-year track record of completing strategic transactions. As noted in firm materials, "Since 2001, Cabrera Capital has been a trusted advisor committed to executing impactful transactions for our clients nationwide."
Advisory Services & Capabilities
Cabrera Capital provides comprehensive M&A advisory across sell-side M&A, buy-side M&A, and corporate divestitures. In capital advisory, the firm offers debt advisory, growth and structured equity, and restructuring advisory. On strategic matters, Cabrera advises on board-level strategic planning, joint ventures and strategic partnerships, and strategic alternatives analysis.
The firm's methodology emphasizes institutional process rigor. Senior professionals are closely involved in leading and executing all engagements. Cabrera's team leverages collective transaction experience, industry expertise, and a deep network of relationships to provide clear, independent advice. The advisory practice is built to serve business owners, corporations, and financial sponsors seeking strategic clarity and optimal transaction outcomes.
Management & Team
Martin Cabrera Jr., CEO and Founder, has 30+ years of financial services experience. He established Cabrera Capital in 2001 and has grown the firm into a global financial enterprise. Martin holds FINRA licenses Series 4, 7, 24, 53, 55, 57, 63, and 79, demonstrating deep regulatory and securities expertise.
Jae Kim, Managing Director and Head of M&A Advisory (appointed January 2025), brings 20+ years of investment banking experience. Prior to joining Cabrera Capital, Jae was a senior investment banker at Robert W. Baird, Mesirow, and Fifth Third Securities, where he advised public and private companies, financial sponsors, family businesses, and owner/entrepreneurs on mergers, acquisitions, company sales, corporate divestitures, refinancings, and capital placements across industrials, technology, consumer, and services sectors. Jae holds a BA in Economics from New York University and is based in the Chicago office.
Anshul Agrawal, Director, brings 10+ years of investment banking experience spanning M&A advisory and capital markets. Prior to joining Cabrera, Anshul held senior roles at Moelis & Company and RBC Capital Markets, where he advised on high-profile mergers and acquisitions, capital raises, and strategic initiatives across the full deal lifecycle. Anshul holds an MBA in Accounting and Finance from Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business, a BSB in Finance and Economics from University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and is FINRA Series 7, 63, and 79 licensed.
Jason Frank, Managing Director and leader of Cabrera's Advisory Practice, executed the CMN/AEG transaction and is noted as bringing extensive experience and key industry relationships to advisory engagements.
Robert Aguilar, President, co-founded Cabrera Capital in 2001 and was instrumental in building the firm's operational and financial infrastructure over two decades of exponential growth.
Firm Platform & Resources
Cabrera Capital's M&A advisory practice benefits from a full-service institutional platform. The firm's capital markets teams (Corporate Finance, Public Finance, Municipal Capital Markets, Taxable Fixed Income, Global Equities, and Real Estate Services) provide integrated support for transaction structuring and execution. The firm has issued over $2.9 trillion in debt and equities for municipalities and corporations domestically and internationally. Cabrera's taxable fixed income and global equities trading desks transact over $2.7 billion in securities daily, demonstrating institutional-scale execution capabilities.
The real estate platform (Cabrera Capital Partners) has completed major development projects including the $550 million redevelopment of Chicago's former LeClaire Courts into a mixed-use community, further demonstrating the firm's strategic execution capabilities.
Competitive Position & Differentiation
Cabrera Capital differentiates as a Latino-owned investment bank with deep institutional capabilities. The firm serves global corporations, municipalities, pension funds, and private equity firms. The advisory practice combines institutional process rigor (developed across 25 years of transaction experience) with sector depth and creative structuring capabilities.
As a growing M&A platform within a larger institutional investment bank, Cabrera can offer clients integrated transaction support: capital markets expertise for equity and debt components, trading relationships for buyer sourcing, and real estate advisory for multi-asset transactions. The firm's eight-office platform provides geographic coverage across key middle-market centers.
FINRA Registration & Regulatory Status
Cabrera Capital Markets is FINRA-registered (CRD# 10081, SEC# 8-26406) with the Chicago District Office. The firm maintains full broker-dealer registration and regulatory compliance infrastructure. Multiple managing directors and directors maintain FINRA securities licenses (Series 7, 24, 52, 53, 63, 79) required for M&A advisory and capital markets work.