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§ Private Profile · San Francisco, CA, USA
Private equity & advisory firm funds & advises growth-stage tech companies in energy, life sciences, industrial, aerospace.
Key people at Finance Technology Leverage LLC.
Based in San Francisco, California, Finance Technology Leverage LLC operates as a private equity and advisory firm that helps growth-stage technology companies secure capital for product development and market entry. The organization primarily focuses on financing capital-intensive projects across the energy, life sciences, industrial technology, and aerospace sectors. To support its ongoing investment operations and specialized advisory services, Finance Technology Leverage LLC has secured a total of $20 million in funding. This capital was driven entirely by a major private equity commitment from lead investor Resolute Capital Partners in June 2020. The firm utilizes its leadership's historical experience with pioneering aerospace ventures like Rotary Rocket Company to evaluate and support complex industrial innovations in global markets. Finance Technology Leverage LLC was founded in 2013 by Frederick Giarrusso, Glen Surles, and Ellika Olga Jackman.
Key people at Finance Technology Leverage LLC.
Finance Technology Leverage LLC (FTL) is a growth-stage, global private equity and advisory firm based in San Francisco, California, focused on driving innovation in energy, life sciences, industrial technology, and aerospace.[1][3] Its mission is to realize technology's potential to advance humanity's dreams by removing barriers between innovation and progress, empowering ambitious projects with capital to create positive global impact.[2][3] FTL's investment philosophy emphasizes guiding technology companies to secure funding while tackling humanity's greatest challenges, blending private equity with advisory services rather than traditional venture models.[3][5] In the startup ecosystem, FTL influences growth by supporting high-impact tech firms, enabling scale in critical sectors where serious capital meets bold innovation.[3]
FTL emerged from a philosophy of innovation in both supported companies and capital acquisition strategies, with its first project demonstrating a unique approach to overcoming funding barriers for ambitious tech initiatives.[3] Founded by Frederick Giarrusso, Ph.D. (CEO), Glen Surles (Director, Finance & Risk Management), and Ellika Olga Jackman (Chief Strategy Officer), the firm has evolved into a global operation with a team including Jerry Flaxman (Director, Global Business Development) and Dana Al Salem (Partnership & Regional Development).[3] While exact founding year details are not specified, FTL's focus has shifted from initial projects to broadly enabling next-generation technology companies across disciplines, building on founders' expertise to address escalating challenges in capital-intensive innovation.[3]
FTL stands out in private equity through targeted strengths:
FTL rides the wave of deep tech megatrends in energy transition, biotech advancements, industrial automation, and aerospace innovation, where capital demands exceed traditional VC scopes.[3] Timing aligns with rising global challenges—like climate goals and health crises—amplifying market forces such as government incentives for cleantech and surging LP interest in impact investing.[3] By focusing on growth-stage firms, FTL fills a niche between early VC and late-stage PE, influencing the ecosystem through capital deployment that accelerates real-world deployment of technologies.[2][5] This positions FTL as an enabler of systemic change, helping startups navigate funding gaps amid geopolitical tensions and supply chain shifts.
FTL's trajectory points to expanded deal flow in AI-integrated deep tech, with trends like sustainable energy and precision medicine shaping its portfolio amid tightening global capital markets.[3] Influence may evolve toward larger syndicated deals or sector-specific funds, leveraging its advisory edge to capture outsized returns in high-barrier arenas. As barriers to innovation persist, FTL remains poised to redefine progress, echoing its core mission of turning ambitious tech into humanity's advancement.[3]