Venturi & Company Research
Advisory Approach
Venturi & Company is an independent investment bank founded in 1996 and based in Burlingame, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The firm operates with a clear thesis: clients receive superior outcomes when they work with senior professionals who provide unbiased advice free from conflicts of interest created by competing business lines, research, underwriting, or trading activities. Their sweet spot is founder-owned and entrepreneur-led businesses in the lower middle market, typically with enterprise values between $5 million and $50 million.
The firm's approach emphasizes senior-level attention on every engagement. Rather than delegating work to junior staff, Venturi & Company's principals are deeply involved in each phase of the transaction process. This client-focused approach builds long-term, trusted relationships and ensures that transactions receive the hands-on expertise required for successful outcomes. The firm has been serving clients since 1996, bringing decades of combined experience across corporate finance, capital markets, and M&A transactions.
Sector Focus
Venturi & Company maintains broad sector expertise across technology, business services, healthcare, manufacturing, and consumer industries. The firm's professionals have particular depth in technology and technology-enabled services transactions, drawing on team members' backgrounds at Applied Materials and experience executing M&A transactions between $10 million and $2 billion in total enterprise value.
Within technology, the firm focuses on software, SaaS, IT services, and hardware/electronics companies. In healthcare, they work with healthcare services providers and healthcare products companies. The manufacturing practice spans discrete manufacturing (precision machining, contract manufacturing) and process manufacturing (specialty chemicals, building products). The firm also serves business services, financial services, and consumer products companies.
Deal Track Record
Venturi & Company has facilitated 9 transactions comprising 7 M&A deals and 2 funding rounds, according to third-party transaction databases. Notable completed transactions include:
- PetWise sale to Mistral Equity Partners (April 2011) — Venturi & Company served as sell-side advisor alongside GulfStar Group on this private equity-backed acquisition of a consumer products company
- IPS Learning sale to Mainsail Partners (February 2008) — Sell-side advisory on the acquisition of a software/education technology company by a private equity firm specializing in bootstrapped software businesses
- OrganicStyle.com sale to Organic Bouquet (May 2007) — Advisor on this consumer e-commerce transaction
- Outcast sale to Next 15 (June 2005) — Technology/digital media transaction
The firm's most recent tracked transaction was the PetWise acquisition in 2011. The firm has also completed debt financing transactions, including a conventional debt round for Club Cal Neva. While the firm maintains an extensive track record of success, having managed complex transactions for both public and private company clients over many years, the publicly available record shows activity primarily in the 2005-2011 period.
Process & Fee Structure
Venturi & Company runs a structured M&A process with phases spanning transaction initiation through closing. Their process includes:
- Material Preparation & Market Analysis — Developing tailored deal rationale and performing thorough evaluation analyses to facilitate partner selection and underpin negotiating strategy
- Transaction Disciplines — Drawing on corporate finance, M&A, financial restructuring, and strategic alliance expertise
- Negotiation — Developing deal-specific transaction structures to achieve optimal terms and pricing, with proactive issue identification and problem-solving
- Closing — Managing the complete process from initiation to closing
The firm differentiates itself through creative ideas and innovative thinking, an extensive network of contacts for quick market checks, controlled procedures with comprehensive planning, ability to source third-party capital for transaction financing, experience bridging negotiation gaps, and a record of closed deals where end results exceeded client expectations.
Fee structure information is not explicitly disclosed on the firm's website. As a boutique investment bank, Venturi & Company likely employs industry-standard success fee models (Lehman or modified Lehman formulas) with monthly retainers credited against success fees. Specific fee ranges would be negotiated on a case-by-case basis depending on transaction complexity and size.
Buyer Network
Venturi & Company maintains an established network of relationships with private equity firms and strategic acquirers. Completed transactions show relationships with Mainsail Partners (private equity focused on bootstrapped software companies), Mistral Equity Partners (private equity firm), Next 15 (digital marketing strategic acquirer), and GulfStar Group (co-advisor on transactions). The firm's cross-border capabilities and network extend to international buyers.
The firm is an Axial member since 2011, connecting with qualified M&A advisors through the Axial Platform and accessing the platform's network of financial sponsors and strategic buyers. This membership enhances the firm's ability to source buyers for lower middle market transactions.
Competitive Positioning
Venturi & Company differentiates from other lower middle market banks through:
- Independence and objectivity — No conflicts from competing business lines, research, underwriting, or trading
- Senior-level involvement — Principals with 20+ years of experience are deeply involved in every project
- Operational expertise — Team members bring corporate development experience from Applied Materials and other operating companies
- Cross-border capability — Experience with international transactions
- Financing sourcing — Ability to source third-party capital to provide transaction financing
- Creative solutions — Financial engineering expertise combined with investment banking and strategic advisory services
Not a Fit If
Venturi & Company typically is not a fit for:
- Businesses below $5M TEV (lower middle market focus)
- Transactions requiring retail brokerage services (firm is affiliated with broker-dealer ClearingBid Markets but does not hold customer funds or maintain retail accounts)
- Clients seeking sell-side research reports or analyst coverage
- Situations requiring extensive junior staffing (firm's model is senior-professional led)
Team
Venturi & Company's team combines decades of investment banking and corporate development experience. Key professionals include:
-
Matthew B. Venturi, CEO/Managing Member — Former Managing Director at Houlihan Lokey (1998-2001) where he helped initiate the firm's Technology Banking Group and cross-border capabilities. Also previously at Salomon Smith Barney and Merrill Lynch. Matt has over 20 years of M&A experience and serves as the firm's leader.
-
John Schlesinger, Principal — Joined Venturi & Company in 2018 with over 30 years of M&A experience. Previously Managing Partner at Instream Partners, a middle-market boutique investment bank focused on technology companies. Represented companies in payment processing, software, adtech, LED, and semiconductor industries.
-
James A. Pursiano, Principal — Joined in 2013 with over 20 years of M&A experience as both an investment banker and corporate development executive. Previously Managing Director at Reynolds Advisory Partners and Onyx Associates (2008-2013), and Managing Director in Applied Materials' Corporate Business Development Group (1999-2008), where he helped build the firm's Corporate Development and M&A capabilities executing transactions between $10 million and $2 billion.
The firm is supported by an advisory board whose members have substantial expertise across entertainment, technology media, public utilities regulation, real estate development, and life sciences.
Geographic Coverage
Venturi & Company is headquartered in Burlingame, California (San Francisco Bay Area) and serves clients throughout the United States with particular focus on California and the West Coast. The firm's cross-border capabilities also support international transactions. Office address: 345 Lorton Avenue, Suite 105, Burlingame, California.