Lincoln Group is a company.
Key people at Lincoln Group.
Lincoln Group was founded by Paige Craig (Founder & CEO).
Lincoln International is a multinational independent investment bank and financial services firm specializing in advisory services for middle-market transactions, including mergers & acquisitions (M&A), capital advisory, valuations, and private funds advisory.[1][2] It serves business owners, senior executives of private equity firms, public and privately held companies, financial sponsors, and lenders, with a focus on delivering unique insights, focused execution, and relationship-driven results in global private capital markets.[2] The firm completed over 400 advisory assignments in 2021 and emphasizes senior-level support across offices in Chicago, New York, Frankfurt, Paris, Mumbai, and partners in Oceania.[1][2]
Its investment philosophy centers on being the top advisor in private capital markets through deep industry relationships, true perspective on globalized economies, and values like relationship-building and superb execution.[2] Key sectors include middle-market M&A, growth equity, debt advisory, restructuring, and private funds, impacting the startup and private equity ecosystem by facilitating transactions, capital raises, and strategic growth for entrepreneurial organizations and established leaders.[1][2]
Lincoln International traces its roots to 1996, when it was founded as Lincoln Partners, a boutique investment banking firm in Chicago by Rob Barr, Jim Lawson, Ed Hanlon, and Eric Malchow—veterans from Paine Webber (later acquired by UBS).[1] Barr and Lawson had collaborated since 1981, expanding the team with Hanlon in 1988 and Malchow in 1994; by the late 1990s, the firm grew to 30 people and became a registered broker-dealer.[1]
A pivotal evolution occurred in January 2006 with the merger of Lincoln Partners and Germany's Peters Associates, plus a KPMG team forming a Paris office, creating Lincoln International with a transatlantic footprint in Chicago, Frankfurt, New York, and Paris.[1] This built on a 2005 joint venture, enabling global middle-market focus; recent expansions include a 2023 partnership with Miles Advisory Partners in Sydney and Melbourne, and operations in Mumbai.[1]
Lincoln International rides the wave of consolidation in private capital markets, where middle-market companies and startups seek M&A and capital solutions amid globalization and rising private equity activity.[1][2] Timing aligns with post-pandemic recovery and interest rate shifts favoring advisory in growth equity and restructuring, as firms navigate complex financings and joint ventures.[1] Market forces like increased cross-border deals (e.g., expansions into India and Oceania) and demand for valuations in volatile economies bolster its position.[1]
It influences the tech and startup ecosystem by enabling strategic transactions for tech-enabled middle-market firms, private equity-backed innovators, and scale-ups, fostering liquidity, growth funding, and ecosystem maturity through its advisory on over 400 annual deals.[1][2]
Lincoln International is poised to capitalize on private capital market expansion, with trends like AI-driven dealmaking, sustainable investing, and emerging market growth (e.g., Asia-Pacific via recent partnerships) shaping its trajectory.[1] Expect deeper focus on private funds advisory and capital structuring as rates stabilize and PE dry powder deploys, potentially amplifying its mid-market dominance.[2] Its influence may evolve toward more tech-sector M&A and global joint ventures, solidifying its role as a relationship-driven powerhouse for startup exits and scaling—echoing its founding ethos of trusted execution in evolving markets.[1][2]
Lincoln Group was founded by Paige Craig (Founder & CEO).
Key people at Lincoln Group.
