Capital is a commodity, creating value is an art.

Merchant Banking

Harris Bernstein & Co. is a privately owned holding company with investments throughout the United States, Canada, and Latin America. The firm makes principal investments of partners capital through its balance sheet.

These transactions include minority investments alongside entrepreneurs, secondary purchases of private shares, and acquisitions in industry verticals where we have deep contacts and subject matter expertise. We help portfolio companies to build teams, improve operations, develop competitive strategy, and raise capital.

Principal Investments Group

Harris Bernstein & Co’s Principal Investments Group is the firms long term investment arm. It deploys capital from the firm’s balance sheet into equity & credit of companies alongside leading institutional investors. HBC has invested millions of dollars across the globe. We participate in growth capital, recapitalizations, mergers, LBO’s and Acquisitions.

Venture Investment Group

The Venture Investment Group of HBC looks to invest in fast growing companies in healthcare, sports/media, consumer packaged goods, data, technology, energy, and real estate. We add value through the deep network of operators, companies, & capital market players in our target verticals; the significant market information our firms proprietary deal flow provides; and our long history of participating in successful venture capital investments.

Investment & Trading

Group

Our Investment & Trading Group has several decades of experience in public markets. We will maintain positions in equities, debt, and derivatives from time to time and as appropriate to hedge or invest thematically in our target industry verticals. Our investment arm is fully self capitalized.

Investment Types

Seed & Venture Investment

We take an active role in our investee companies to add value to them. We help companies build their products, teams, processes, and sales to position them for success. We use that experience to give founders best practices to maximize their odds of success. We look for companies that have revenue today or will have revenue on a conservative underwriting in the next twelve months. We invest in companies that offer equity; we do not participate in convertible notes or safe documents. Our target transactions for seed companies are at post-money valuations of less than $5m and below 25 M post money for Series A.

Private Equity

We look to pay a reasonable multiple of net income for stable cash flowing businesses. We will take either a growth or control position in these transactions. We seek to purchase small- and mid-market businesses that are founder-or family-owned and are seeking help scaling up or are looking for a liquidity event. We have experience in creating creative financing structures that meet the needs of our investees.

Bridge Capital to Series A

HBC offers working capital bridge financing to series A.. Many teams finally hit product market fit with too little cash in the bank to grow sales enough to attract Series A. Often, founders ideas take longer and cost more to turn into a viable company than the founders originally anticipated. Companies that have already raised seed, but do not have enough revenue and metrics to raise series a have little traditional financing options available. We have completed several transactions with companies at this stage of their development, and are comfortable investing and helping the founders to scale sales and revenue.

Secondary Share Purchases

HBC will buy secondary shares in private companies when a employee, investor, or fund wishes to exit a position in a way that is in compliance with all existing corporate agreements and regulations. HBC has completed secondary purchases on multiple occasions, and has a track record of completing successful transactions in a way that benefits the exiting investor, and the invest company.

Our Portfolio

MVCA

DEM

OverActive Media

Splyce

Askott Entertainment

Advantia Health

Dorsata

Snap Leads

Meet The Team

The investment team at Harris Bernstein & Co. has over three decades of combined investment, operating, and legal experience. The team has over half a billion dollars in transactional experience and has completed several IPOs.

Managing Director

Brian Bernstein

Brian Bernstein has over a decade of experience in seed, venture capital, and private equity. He has worked on acquisitions, dispositions, refinancing, and direct investments totaling more than $200m. He currently serves on three portfolio company boards, two of which are venture-backed.

In-House Counsel

David Salmon

David Salmon is an attorney and investor specializing in startups, entrepreneurs, and early-stage ventures. David’s operating and legal experience spans a wide range of industries including technology, app and web development, entertainment, nonprofits, energy solutions, education, marketing, insurance, real estate, retail, event planning, artists, and food services.

Chief Financial Officer

Joshua Rader

Josh Rader is the Chief Financial Officer at Harris Bernstein & Co, in addition, he also is a Partner at Applerouth, Farah & Co. where he overseas the firm’s audit and assurance practice. His responsibilities at Harris Bernstein & Co. include deal structuring, financial reporting, strategic planning. Mr. Rader has a bachelor’s degree in communication, emphasis in media management, from the University of Miami in 2003.

Director of Venture Investment Group

Waylon Chin

Waylon co-founded the GR8-Group, a leading firm in the travel and experience industry. He helped grow the company with corporate clients that include members of the Fortune/Global 500 such as American Express and UBS. After GR8, Waylon transitioned into the venture capital and real estate business full time, where he has completed transactions totaling more than $50 million.

Director of Venture Investment Group

Alejandro Uribe

Alejandro Uribe graduated from the University of Miami, with a Bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering and a Master’s in Finance and Marketing. In 2012, Alejandro was an executive team-member in a logistics transaction between Quadrant Capital and Ontario Teacher Pension Fund and additionally interacted in various public market transactions specific to the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Head of Operations

Sarah Evans

Sarah Evans is responsible for operations at Harris Bernstein & Co.