OUR FIRM
Yorkdale Partners is a boutique investment bank and advisory firm focused on bringing innovative companies to market. We leverage a combination of unique experience across a veteran team of professionals and enterprise technology to deliver long-term value to our clients.
Our experience covers a wide range of international and domestic experience ranging from lower middle market to large scale, complex transactions.
Our core expertise is actively working with several buy side clients who collectively manage over $65 Billion in Assets with focus in North America, Europe and Asia. Our clients not only bring capital but, also deep sector knowledge and relationships to leverage their investments.
We seek quality companies ranging from:
1. High value, fast growth tech companies to companies with Enterprise Value up to $400 million. No startups or non-profitable companies. Must have at least $1m in recurring net income.
2. EBITDA for non-tech companies should be over $4 million to over $30 million net of Capex. However, we do look at unique cases that present strong value upside.(Healthcare, CPG, Niche Manufacturing and Food)
Please contact us at: info@yorkdalepartners.ca if you wish to speak to us about your situation. Principals only, no agents or search funds.
We understand that business decisions can be complex and involve the careful consideration of many issues beyond a fair price. These factors include: varying shareholder interests, legacy issues, buyer matching, cultural/geographic interests, tax implications, and regulatory frameworks.
The Yorkdale team offers a disciplined and value-focused approach to ensure our clients are set up for success beyond the transaction at hand.
Read about our services & solutions
SOLUTIONS
MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS.
DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT
We have partnered with SecuSolutions to provide Global IT Security advisory services such as assessing, securing, auditing, fraud investigation, recovery of digital assets ranging from sensitive documents, files, software, monetary and crypto. Our IT security team partners are experts in deep discovery and assessment working with Government, Law Enforcement, SMBs and major enterprises with over 45,000 employees.
Talk to us about your situation in complete confidence and ask us about our testimonials and how we can help.
COMPANY CREATION
Yorkdale Partners works closely with a few chosen entrepreneurs over
the long term in Tech and unique sectors to build new companies or
accelerate early stage ones. Companies must have products or services with some existing clients. We take a founding equity interest and build out these company from early stage funding through to later stage rounds, corporate development, commercialization, and expansion through to exit via IPO or sale.
Yorkdale Partners provides world class M&A advisory services to lower-middle market business owners and investors pursuing transaction. We are experts in generating shareholder values. Yorkdale Partners has deep relationships with the private equity communities in both Canada and the US, and our reach into the strategic acquirer is extensive. Moreover, Yorkdale Partners offers buy-side advisory services to either corporate acquirers pursuing an M&A growth strategy. We bring to the table a combination of strategic and well developed transaction execution skills and exceptional industry domain expertise to deliver superior valuations, speed to closure, and high probability of success.
OUR TEAM
Our team is comprised of a comprehensive group of professionals with diverse experience and domain knowledge to bring our clients top quality service and delivery in our engagements.
OUR PARTNERS.
Tayo Kim
Founder and a Partner of Yorkdale Partners, Toronto
Tayo Kim is an experienced Investment Banker and Technology Entrepreneur. He brings over 25 years of experience in finance and capital markets including experience with numerous start ups, financing, mergers, acquisitions and strategic development opportunities. Mr. Kim was Director of a number of publicly traded companies where he successfully coordinated several financings as well as being involved in corporate development activities. Mr. Kim was previously Founder, CEO and Director of a multi-million dollar public company which he grew from inception to over $50M in market value in less than 3 years.
He has held numerous executive positions and operational positions with particular emphasis on business development, investor relations and finance in public and private companies in the US and Canada. He recently ran his own Investment Banking boutique and has consulted with several public and private companies.
Mr. Kim's roots are in the financial industry as a former successful Financial Adviser with Midland Walwyn, CIBC Wood Gundy and as a Corporate Banker with CIBC.
Paul Kallmes
Partner with Yorkdale Partners, San Francisco/Silicon Valley
Paul brings an extensive array of skills from over 20 years experience in venture capital, business consulting, and the IP management field.
Paul currently heads the Zeitgeist Fund which invests in promising early-stage technology companies and is deeply involved with The Vault, a well known San Francisco based business incubator. He also consults with numerous European companies expanding into the North American market.
Paul has built and managed patent portfolios in a number of traditional manufacturing industries including paper and textiles. He has worked with a range of organizations; consulting firms KPMG and IP Value, high-tech R&D labs, including Rockwell Scientific, and IP marketplace start-ups including Yet2.com.
Paul previously managed the patent portfolio of Nasdaq-listed Color Kinetics and enjoyed considerable success in turning the company’s licensing practice into a profitable and industry-friendly activity. Color Kinetics was subsequently sold for $794 million USD. Following his work at Color Kinetics, he became the IP Strategist at the Lighting Science Group.
In recent years he has been an independent consultant to the LED industry, advising on the development of patent portfolios and products including control chips, power supplies, light drivers and complete fixtures such as LED street lights and therapeutic LED light fixtures. Paul believes that effective IP asset management starts at the beginning of a company’s lifespan and should be applied continuously throughout in order to maximize its value at any given time.
Paul Kallmes earned his BSEE at Northeastern University and an MPA in Risk Assessment of Environmental Health Hazards at the University of Washington.
Languages:
German
Russian
SENIOR ADVISOR
Brian Sun
Senior Advisor & Strategic Consultant with Yorkdale Partners, (New York)
Brian is responsible for strategic and complex, cross border transactions between North America and Asia. He has deep experience in buyside/sellside, joint venture and funding engagements. He covers all of the major Asian buyside opportunities for Yorkdale.
Brian brings over 15 years experience in major cross border advisory and is responsible for Asia Pacific coverage. Brian was formerly Managing Director, M&A at Fosun (New York), a major Chinese conglomerate covering the financial services and technology sectors. Prior to this, he was Executive Director of M&A Advisory for China Merchants Bank (New York), where he covered industrials, healthcare, diversified and financial services sectors.
Brian was also, Senior Vice President for Lazard Ltd where he advised on major cross border transaction between North American and EU Corporations with Chinese counter parties in the diversified industries sector.
Brian was also, Director at AES (Hong Kong), one of the largest alternative energy companies where he originated and executed a number of major M&A transactions.
Brian has his MBA in Finance from Duke University and is a graduate of Beijing Foreign Studies Universities with a BA in International Commerce. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst, CFA since 2008.
SENIOR ADVISOR
Brian Sun
Senior Advisor & Strategic Consultant with Yorkdale Partners, (New York)
Brian is responsible for strategic and complex, cross border transactions between North America and Asia. He has deep experience in buyside/sellside, joint venture and funding engagements. He covers all of the major Asian buyside opportunities for Yorkdale.
Brian brings over 15 years experience in major cross border advisory and is responsible for Asia Pacific coverage. Brian was formerly Managing Director, M&A at Fosun (New York), a major Chinese conglomerate covering the financial services and technology sectors. Prior to this, he was Executive Director of M&A Advisory for China Merchants Bank (New York), where he covered industrials, healthcare, diversified and financial services sectors.
Brian was also, Senior Vice President for Lazard Ltd where he advised on major cross border transaction between North American and EU Corporations with Chinese counter parties in the diversified industries sector.
Brian was also, Director at AES (Hong Kong), one of the largest alternative energy companies where he originated and executed a number of major M&A transactions.
Brian has his MBA in Finance from Duke University and is a graduate of Beijing Foreign Studies Universities with a BA in International Commerce. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst, CFA since 2008.
Mandarin
Cantonese
Languages:
SENIOR ADVISOR
Brian Sun
Senior Advisor & Strategic Consultant with Yorkdale Partners, (New York)
Brian is responsible for strategic and complex, cross border transactions between North America and Asia. He has deep experience in buyside/sellside, joint venture and funding engagements. He covers all of the major Asian buyside opportunities for Yorkdale.
Brian brings over 15 years experience in major cross border advisory and is responsible for Asia Pacific coverage. Brian was formerly Managing Director, M&A at Fosun (New York), a major Chinese conglomerate covering the financial services and technology sectors. Prior to this, he was Executive Director of M&A Advisory for China Merchants Bank (New York), where he covered industrials, healthcare, diversified and financial services sectors.
Brian was also, Senior Vice President for Lazard Ltd where he advised on major cross border transaction between North American and EU Corporations with Chinese counter parties in the diversified industries sector.
Brian was also, Director at AES (Hong Kong), one of the largest alternative energy companies where he originated and executed a number of major M&A transactions.
Brian has his MBA in Finance from Duke University and is a graduate of Beijing Foreign Studies Universities with a BA in International Commerce. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst, CFA since 2008.
Mandarin
Cantonese
Languages:
OUR ANALYSTS.
Benjamin Pipicelli
Analyst with Yorkdale Partners, Toronto
Benjamin is a third-year student at the University of Waterloo pursuing his Mathematics & Business Administration degree. Before joining Yorkdale Partners, Benjamin was a finance intern at M12 which is Microsoft’s Venture Capital Fund with corporate finance and venture capital teams and is looking forward to exploring the intersection of finance and technology. At school, he is heavily involved on campus, as he holds executive positions in Waterloo Private Capital (WPC) and the University of Waterloo Economics Society (UWES). In his free time, he loves to read, travel, and mountain bike.
English
French
Languages:
Long Nguyen
Analyst with Yorkdale Partners, Toronto
Long is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce, Finance Specialist at the University of Toronto.
Before joining Yorkdale Partners, Long interned at Bay Street Capital Investments, a Toronto-based search fund, as a private equity intern. He learned about sourcing deals and carrying out due diligence and looks forward to participating in diverse deal sizes and industries. He is heavily involved in many investment clubs and case competitions. Long enjoys travelling and hiking.
English
Vietnamese
Languages:
Ethan Zhang
Analyst with Yorkdale Partners, Toronto
Ethan is a fourth-year student at the Ivey Business School at Western University, pursuing his Honours Business Administration degree. Before joining Yorkdale Partners, Ethan was a Sales & Trading intern at RBC Capital Markets and is looking forward to exploring deeper into the investing space and the border finance industry. At school, he is heavily involved on campus, as he holds several positions in various finance-related clubs and contributes to the clubs' success. In his free time, Ethan loves to read, travel, and workout.
English
Mandarin
Languages:
Sean Hwang
Analyst Special Projects
Sean is currently completing his studies at University of Alberta, majoring in Finance with a minor in Computer Science. Before joining Yorkdale Partners, Sean was a summer analyst at Galaxy Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in California, focusing on data centers. With a background in finance and computer science, he is looking forward to working in the intersection between the two fields. At school, he is heavily involved on campus, as he holds an executive position at the Venture Capital Private Equity Club as well as representing University of Alberta in competitions such as the Rotman International Trading Competition. In his spare time, Sean loves to go to the gym, play sports and spend time with his family and friends.
English
Korean
Languages:
OUR ADVISORY BOARD.
Tom Richards
Tom has 25 years in senior management roles in multiple manufacturing organizations. He has undertaken leadership roles in Operations, Sales, Marketing and Strategic planning. Tom has M&A experience with SMEs and has worked for early stage tech companies as an employee, board member and advisor and has raised multiple $MM for acquisitions and business development. He has an excellent record of generating superior returns for investors.
Tom was President of E Craftsmen Corporation and Power Vector for 10 years and joined LumaStream as Chief Operating Officer in 2011. He has developed new sales channels and markets in North America and Europe and has taken the lead for strategic sourcing initiatives in Asia. Channel development experience includes OEM, wholesale hardware, and wholesale electrical. He has been the catalyst for key strategic initiatives including partnerships, acquisitions and outsourcing, and has a history of consistently generating revenue growth and profit.
Jim Kootnekoff
Founder President CEO – United States & Canadian Operations
Mr. Kootnekoff has been working in the cyber security industry for more than 23 years. Beginning in 1999, Mr Kootnekoff formed his first cyber security company in Tokyo Japan. In 6 short years, he grew the company to become the number 2 ranked security company in Japan, serving fortune 500 companies as well as local and federal government.
Under his direction, Mr. Kootnekoff’s staff, developed several industry-firsts, security services and products, one of which was built for and sold to IBM Japan. Mr. Kootnekoff has given countless speeches on the topic of cyber security throughout the globe, including a multi city collaboration with Symantec Japan, speaking on the topic of spyware and malware.
In 2004, he cofounded one of the first security conference ever held in Tokyo named PacSec and Tokyo InterSec 2005. He since formed his current company SecuSolutions in 2007 and continues to focus on essential product development and security services that are in high demand, including a SaaS vulnerability service, Phishing Simulation Service as well as a complete suite of online Cyber Security training that is focused on front line personnel. Mr. Kootnekoff is also responsible for the overseeing of the Professional Security Services division of SecuSolutions which offers critically important services including Penetration Testing, Red Teaming, ISO, NIST and SOC 2 Readiness audits.
Sang-Ho Kim
Sang-Ho Kim is an electrical engineer by profession. He has many years of experience as an engineer in major manufacturing companies. He has also held various management positions throughout his career in project managing large scale projects; eCommerce management; building effective teams for marketing/technical; and managing public companies. He has worked for: Schneider Electric, ABB (Asea Brown Boveri) and Canada Wire.