New business line will source, structure and execute large block transactions in the most sought-after private companies on behalf of institutional buyers and sellers
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Donerail Group & Co. ("Donerail"), a Los Angeles-based merchant bank and investment advisory firm, today announced the launch of Donerail Private Markets, a dedicated platform for the institutional secondary trading of shares in large, late-stage private companies. The platform will serve institutional buyers and sellers seeking to transact in significant size - including individual blocks in excess of $1 billion - in the private companies that now define the growth segment of the capital markets, with a focus on leading artificial intelligence, enterprise software and financial technology franchises.
Donerail Private Markets will operate across three capabilities: agency execution of large block trades between institutional counterparties; structured liquidity solutions for founders, early employees, early-stage investors and funds seeking to monetize concentrated positions; and the design and coordination of company-sanctioned tender and structured secondary processes on behalf of issuers and their boards. The platform will be operated through GT Securities, Inc., Donerail's affiliated registered broker-dealer.
"The center of gravity in the equity markets has moved," said William Wyatt, Founder and Managing Partner of The Donerail Group. "The most important companies of this cycle are being valued at a scale that once required a public listing, and they are staying private far longer. Holders are sitting on positions worth billions with no orderly way to monetize them, while the largest allocators in the world are under-exposed to the assets driving returns and under pressure to deliver distributions. The market between those two groups remains fragmented and opaque. Bringing institutional discipline to it is a durable opportunity, and we could not be launching at a more interesting moment."
Donerail Private Markets complements Donerail's existing merchant banking activities, which span principal investing, activist and constructivist engagement, contentious take-private transactions, and buyside and sell-side M&A advisory. This platform creation further reflects the firm's strategy of positioning itself where capital markets structure has failed to keep pace with the needs of sophisticated participants.
"Private transactions of this size are not brokered, they are structured," said Andy Bowman, Partner of Donerail's advisory business and head of M&A execution. "Price discovery, transfer mechanics, issuer consent and settlement have to be handled with the same rigor we apply to an M&A process. That is the standard we are bringing to the secondary market, and it is what institutional counterparties on both sides of the trade have been asking for."
General partners, limited partners, family offices and other qualified institutional participants interested in the platform may contact us at PrivateMarkets@Donerail.com.
About The Donerail Group & Co.
The Donerail Group & Co. is a Los Angeles, California-based merchant bank and investment advisory firm. Founded in 2018 by William Wyatt, Donerail operates across principal investing, activist campaigns, contentious take-private transactions, M&A advisory and, through Donerail Private Markets, institutional secondary transactions in late-stage private companies. Donerail is affiliated with GT Securities, Inc., a registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. For more information, visit Donerail.com.
Media Contact
Nancy Lin
The Donerail Group & Co.
NLin@Donerail.com
Securities offered through GT Securities, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security, nor does it constitute investment advice. Any transaction referenced herein is available only to qualified institutional and accredited participants in accordance with applicable law. Interests in private companies are illiquid, are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and involve a high degree of risk. Nothing herein should be construed as an endorsement by, or an indication of any relationship with, any private company referenced or implied.
