A financial sponsor is a term commonly used to refer to private equity investment firms, particularly those private equity firms that engage in leveraged buyout or LBO transactions.^[1]

In addition to bringing capital to an investment, financial sponsors are expected to bring a combination of capital markets expertise, various important contacts, strategies for operational improvement and experience owning leveraged companies.^[2] As the owners of the company, financial sponsors rarely manage a company directly and are most active in issues relating to the company's capital structure and balance sheet as well as strategic initiatives including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and management restructurings. The company's CEO and other senior management maintain responsibility for day-to-day operational issues.

[edit] Financial Sponsors and Other Investors

Various investor classes look to the financial sponsor to generate value in a company as much as the management or operations of the company. In particular, debt providers are willing to extend credit in the form of bank loans, high-yield debt and mezzanine capital based in part on the reputation of and relationship with the financial sponsor.^[3]

Additionally, many companies owned by financial sponsors will raise equity in the public markets through an initial public offering or (IPO) as a means of exiting an investment. Public investors will seek to align their own interests as much as possible with those of the financial sponsor by limiting the financial sponsor's ability to sell shares and managing the use of proceeds from the offering. Various studies have been conducted to evaluate the impact of financial sponsor ownership on the performance of IPOs.^[4]

[edit] See also

• Private equity
• Private equity firm
• Leveraged buyout

[edit] References

v • d • e Topics on private equity and venture capital Basic investment types Buyout • Venture • Mezzanine • Growth • Secondaries • Equity co-investment History History of private equity and venture capital • Early history of private equity • Private equity in the 1980s • Private equity in the 1990s • Private equity in the 2000s Terms and concepts Buyout Financial sponsor • Management buyout • Divisional buyout Venture Seed money • Startup company • Angel investor • Venture capital financing • Pre-money valuation • Post-money valuation • Venture round • Venture debt • Bootstrap funding Structure Private equity firms and funds • Limited partnership • Limited liability company • Carried interest  • Management fee • Publicly traded private equity ( Business Development Company, Venture Capital Trust) • Private Investment in Public Equity (PIPE) • Pledge fund Investors Institutional Investors • Pension funds • Insurance companies • Fund of funds • Endowments • Foundations Investment Banks • Commercial Banks • High net worth individuals • Family offices • Sovereign wealth funds Related financial terms Undercapitalization • Initial Public Offering (IPO) • Mergers and acquisitions • Leverage • High-yield debt • Capital structure • EBITDA Private equity and venture capital investors • Private equity firms • Venture capital firms • Portfolio companies

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