Four years ago, I wrote a blog post discussing the broken nature of private market dealmaking. Professionals from across the dealmaking world have all experienced it — the inefficiencies, the outdated tools, the reliance on serendipity to discover one another and transact. But today, I’m not here to talk about what’s broken. I’m here to talk about what we’re building.
At Finalis, we’re entering what we’re calling “The Next Horizon.” We’ve embarked on our mission to unlock the private capital markets, and as we look ahead to 2025 and beyond, we’re not just continuing the journey — we’re scaling it.
Investment Banking As A Platform
When we first asked ourselves what it would take to democratize the private markets, the answer was clear: We needed to reverse-engineer the investment bank. We needed to deconstruct its supply chain, productize each component, and make it accessible to everyone — buyers, sellers, bankers — no matter their background or size.
Democratizing the private markets doesn’t just mean serving the established businesses within this $13 trillion asset class. It means lowering transaction costs and timelines to unlock the private markets for the “missing middle” — the massive untapped middle market of buyers, sellers, and bankers.
And that’s exactly what we’ve been doing. Over the past few years, Finalis has already become the 34th largest investment bank globally based on number of closed deals. Our platform integrates investment banking workflows from regulatory compliance to deal execution, creating a seamless experience for dealmakers across the globe.
But here’s the best part: We’re just getting started.
Building Flywheels for Growth
At our recent Finalis Offsite, I talked about flywheels that are starting to spin on our platform. These are the forces driving organic growth — more bankers signing up, more deals flowing through the platform, and increasingly sophisticated AI algorithms that improve deal outcomes for our users and unlock unprecedented insights in the private capital markets.
What’s even more powerful is how these flywheels feed into each other. As we onboard more users and firms, we aggregate more deal flow. That deal flow, in turn, brings in more buyers and sellers, which enriches our platform data. The more data we have, the better our predictive models get, creating a virtuous cycle of growth.
Scaling Trust, Scaling Opportunity
We’ve always known that scaling Finalis isn’t just about adding more users or deals — it’s about scaling trust. That’s why, as we grow, we continue to invest in the infrastructure that underpins our platform. From compliance-first technology to AI-driven insights, we’re ensuring that trust is baked into every interaction on our platform.
The progress we’ve made hasn’t gone unnoticed. Larger financial institutions are recognizing the value Finalis brings to the table, looking to collaborate with our network of bankers to unlock new opportunities. These are the early signs of something bigger — the opening of doors that have long been closed to many in the private markets.
The flywheels are spinning, and with trust at the core of everything we do, we’re poised to deliver on our promise: creating more accessible, more efficient capital markets for everyone.
What’s Next: The Horizon Ahead
As we head into 2025, we are doubling down on our commitment to build capital markets that better serve people.
So, what does “The Next Horizon” look like? For Finalis, it means continuing to productize the investment bank — unlocking new efficiencies, serving new user types, and expanding our platform globally. We’re well on our way to becoming the largest investment banking platform in the world, as a software company.
When we win, it won’t just be because we built the largest investment banking platform. It’ll be because we built one that better serves people.
So, here’s to the next horizon — and the countless businesses, dealmakers, and communities we’re about to unlock.
Let’s build.
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