Torch Partners Enters US Market and Hires MD

London-based independent investment bank Torch Partners has expanded into the US market with the opening of its San Francisco office. The firm has hired Sanu Desai as managing director there.

PRESS RELEASE

Torch Partners, a global independent investment bank with a focus on technology, media and telecom, today announced the next phase of its global expansion strategy. The firm, based in London and with an office opening in Berlin, announced its US headquarters in San Francisco to better serve the international tech community. The firmalso announced it has hired Sanu Desai as Managing Director. Desai, a Silicon Valley native with 20+ years advising companies, previously worked at JPMorgan as Head of Internet & Digital Media in San Francisco and at Hambrecht & Quist, where he co-founded the firm’s Internet Investment Banking practice, advising many early web pioneers, including Amazon and Netscape.

Torch Partners provides M&A, fundraising, IPO and other strategic advice to entrepreneurs, corporates and investors. In the past few years, Torch Partners has helped create more than $4 billion in value, working with an extensive range of tech and media companies including online travel business Secret Escapes, collaboration leaders Huddle and Workshare, data center company TelecityGroup, equity investor Summit Partners and food ordering service JustEat, which secured one of the largest fundraising rounds in Europe this year.

“Given the focus and culture of the firm, we naturally chose Silicon Valley as ourfirst US office,” said Rupert Robson, CEO, Torch Partners. “High growth companies need advice well before a transaction is imminent, yet very few investment banks exist that combine deep domain knowledge and high growth orientation with analytical rigor and a global perspective. We are incredible fortunately to have a leader like Sanu overseeing our US operations.”

“With the proliferation of entrepreneurship and startup culture around the world, we saw a vacuum of talent helping the global tech community. While Silicon Valley remains the startup capital of the world, places like London and Berlin have become tech leaders in their own right. The flow of ideas is outpacing the flow of capital,” said Sanu Desai, Managing Director. “Our goal is to identify and support the next generation of technology leaders, wherever they may be, from early in theirdevelopment to large-scale global businesses, along the way providing the best strategic advice for raising capital, navigating liquidity events and managing other critical moments in a company’s life.”

Founded in 2003, Torch Partners is one of Europe’s leading independent providers of investment banking services to growth oriented sectors. Its clients range from entrepreneurs to industry leaders and from specialist investors to globally recognised equity capital providers. Torchcaters to high growth businesses, both early in their life cycle and as theydevelop into recognised market leaders, intervening at the critical inflection points in a company’s life – fundraising, buyouts, spinouts, M&A, IPOs. Torch Partners Corporate Finance Inc. is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC and a member of FINRA. For more information, visit www.torchpartners.com.

Press contacts:
UK: Cathy White cwhite@sparkpr.com
US: Donna Burke donna@sparkpr.com