Mergers & Acquisitions | Academy Securities

Academy Securities advises clients on mergers, acquisitions, and strategic transactions across defense technology, dual-use innovation, cybersecurity, emerging technology, aerospace & space, autonomy and AI, advanced manufacturing, and the broader national security landscape. Our M&A practice combines institutional advisory expertise with the unmatched insight of Academy’s Geopolitical Intelligence Group, providing senior-led service, sector fluency, and direct client access to retired Admirals, Generals, and former intelligence leaders throughout every engagement.

Bespoke Services

01 SELL-SIDE ADVISORY

Representing founders, sponsors, and corporate sellers in achieving optimal outcomes through process design, valuation discipline, and execution rigor.

Full Company Sales

Targeted and broad processes to strategic and financial buyers

Strategic Alternatives

Comprehensive review of paths to maximize shareholder value

Founder Liquidity & Recaps

Partial exits, secondaries, and recapitalization solutions

Carve-Outs & Divestitures

Separation of non-core assets and subsidiary divestitures

02 BUY-SIDE ADVISORY

Partnering with acquirers to identify, approach, and close strategic targets across the defense technology and national security ecosystem.

Acquisition Strategy

Thesis development and end-to-end execution support

Target Identification

Proprietary sourcing leveraging GIG and DCM relationships

Diligence & Valuation

Commercial, technical, and security-cleared diligence support

Negotiation & Closing

Structuring, definitive agreements, and transaction close

03 SPECIAL SITUATIONS & CAPITAL RAISING

Tailored solutions for complex transactions and growth capital needs, drawing on Academy’s institutional platform and investor network.

Restructuring & Recaps

Balance sheet solutions and distressed M&A advisory

Growth Capital

Equity and debt financings for scaling defense tech companies

Private Placements

Institutional debt and equity placements across the cap stack

Management Buyouts

Sponsor-backed and management-led transitions

01 BUILT BY OPERATORS

Our bankers came up through business development before banking — scoping contracts, structuring partnerships, and competing for programs on both sides of the table. That operator’s foundation sharpens every mandate we run, whether we are positioning a client for sale, identifying the right acquisition target, or pressure-testing a strategic thesis. We see fit, value, and risk the way principals see it.

02 EXTENSIVE NETWORK

We maintain deep, active relationships across the defense and dual-use ecosystem — the founders, operators, and program leaders building the next generation of national security companies, alongside the alternative capital community investing behind them: venture, growth, private equity, family offices, and sovereign capital. That network powers proprietary deal flow on both sides of a transaction — the right buyer when we represent a seller, the right target when we represent an acquirer.

The Academy Difference

A foundation in national security, a culture rooted in military service, and the full platform of a national investment bank — every M&A engagement is backed by the financing capability and institutional relationships of the broader firm.

50+

Retired Flag & Intel Leaders

Direct GIG Access

Admirals, Generals, NASA astronauts, former CIA & FBI — engaged directly throughout every deal and producing the geopolitical intelligence read by the Fortune 500, allied governments, and the investor community.

$6T+

Underwritten Since 2015

Institutional Platform

Senior or co-manager on debt issuances for the U.S. Treasury, FNMA, FHLMC, and leading corporates — credibility and reach that benefits every M&A mandate.

$527B+

Equity Issuances

Full-Service Investment Bank

Bookrunner and syndicate roles on IPOs, follow-ons, and convertibles. Nine offices nationwide serving institutional, sponsor, and corporate clients.

Sector Focus

We focus our M&A practice in sectors where Academy’s national security DNA, sector relationships, and geopolitical insight create distinct value for our clients.

Emerging Technology & National Security