Breakwall Capital, a credit investment firm that services the energy industry, has launched as an independent and employee-owned asset advisor. Breakwall is a seasoned credit investor and energy specialist dedicated to facilitating the growth and improvement of conventional, renewable and “next generation” energy companies.
Breakwall is led by the co-founders of Riverstone Credit Partners, Christopher Abbate, Jamie Brodsky and Daniel Flannery, who have worked together for nearly two decades. Since founding Riverstone Credit Partners together in 2014, the Breakwall team has built a credit investment franchise that focuses on direct lending to middle market and developing energy companies, having executed more than 60 transactions with approximately $5.3 billion in investment activity. In launching as an independent firm with the same partnership team, Breakwall will continue to assist companies across the entirety of the energy value chain in securing innovative capital solutions.
The energy industry is facing an unprecedented global challenge, brought about by two concurrently evolving phenomena. Namely, the increasing need and rising global demand for energy that must be produced while simultaneously advancing and ultimately achieving the world’s decarbonization goals. Through Breakwall’s deep understanding of the unique credit needs of companies across all facets of energy and the energy transition landscape, the firm is uniquely positioned to strategically finance projects that will meet this challenge head on.
“After nearly a decade of an extremely successful partnership with Riverstone, we are grateful for the opportunity to launch Breakwall Capital,” said Christopher Abbate, Managing Partner and Co-CEO of Breakwall Capital. “We look forward to collaborating with our former partners at Riverstone on a successful wind down of all the existing Riverstone Credit vehicles, while advancing our burgeoning partnership with Vitol through Valor Upstream Credit Partners, and in the very near term, launching our own Breakwall-branded funds.”
“At Breakwall, we believe that addressing the effects of climate change is a complex issue where it is imperative to simultaneously balance energy affordability, reliability and sustainability if there is to be a meaningful, lasting impact,” said Jamie Brodsky, Managing Partner and Co-CEO of Breakwall Capital. “As ‘energy lifers’ who have built careers financing companies spanning the full gamut of the energy value chain through all market cycles, we are ideally positioned to help address the “Energy Trilemma,” striving to advance decarbonization while enhancing energy security with every transaction.”
“While we are incredibly excited for our future as an independent and employee owned firm, our investment strategy will remain focused in the same balanced and consistent principles that made us successful in the past,” said Daniel Flannery, Managing Partner and President of Breakwall. “We will continue to focus on short duration, first lien senior secured loans to middle-market and developing energy companies. The impact of our capital will continue to be felt at the ground level of companies driving our energy future.”
Breakwall’s three Managing Partners are supported by an established team that brings complementary skills and perspectives, underscored by deep expertise and an intimate understanding of the energy industry. In addition to Breakwall’s New York and Newport, Rhode Island offices, the firm has a key presence in Houston, with an office led by Managing Director, Walt Hughes.
Breakwall seeks to invest behind a few key themes, including: increased efficiency, sustainability and decarbonization of energy infrastructure; waste-to-value and the circular economy; next generation fuels and the electrification of transport; stabilization of the power grid; and responsibly sourced natural resources.