Cascadia Capital (“Cascadia”) is tackling the Fourth Industrial Revolution head-on leveraging existing internal expertise to launch one of the nation’s first emerging growth investment banking practice groups dedicated to Robotics, Automation, and Artificial Intelligence (“RAAI”). Cascadia’s new RAAI group is well-positioned to provide the nuanced M&A and capital raising guidance business owners and entrepreneurs in this sector need as RAAI technology continues to upend critical industries, resulting in permanent market shifts.
The RAAI group is built on the firm’s history of advising companies in the RAAI space through its long-standing Industrials, Energy & Applied Technology, Healthcare, Consumer, and Food & Ag practice groups. The practice is led by Cascadia Chairman & CEO Michael Butler and Managing Directors Jamie Boyd and Firdaus Pohowalla, with support from Vice Presidents Yee Lee and Jason Lippenberger, Associate Tarek Elmasry, and Analysts Scott Whiting and Mikaela Slade.
“We have been active in the RAAI space for several years with growing excitement and felt that the time was right to formally pull together the firm’s expertise in a way that maximizes the service we deliver to our clients,” Butler commented. “Our bankers have established a deep understanding of the underlying technologies and end markets while simultaneously developing unparalleled relationships with strategic buyers and investors.”
The firm’s most recent RAAI clients include Lucidyne Technologies, Inc., a world-leading manufacturer of AI-enabled computer vision systems; Vexcel Imaging, a leader in digital mapping and drones; and Qi2, a developer of advanced robotic sensor systems for the oilfield. In addition, Cascadia has active engagements with several other current clients in the sector.
Unlike other industries that have known groups of buyers and investors, the RAAI market is inefficient due to its broad spectrum of technologies, multiple end markets, and international scope. Cascadia’s expertise across multiple industries where RAAI technology will play a vital role in growth—combined with the firm’s dedicated RAAI resources—offers clients 360-degree industry insight and guidance, providing a holistic view and network for superior outcomes.
“The Fourth Industrial Revolution is underway, and the breadth and depth of its impact are shifting paradigms across all industries on a global scale,” said Pohowalla. “Our team will be able to leverage the deep industry expertise across our platform and understanding of end markets, which is critically important to crystalizing value and understanding the proposition of different technologies.”
The core areas of focus under the RAAI banner include Robotics, Mobility Tech, Manufacturing Automation, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Data Management, and Analytics, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality, and Internet of Things.
“The formation of this practice reinforces Cascadia’s commitment to our highly targeted sub-vertical industry focus, which provides the most innovative and expertise-driven service for clients,” said Boyd. “Given the shifting economic dynamics in light of COVID-19 and other world events, sector and sub-vertical expertise have never been more critical as each industry and corresponding transaction environment is impacted in nuanced ways.”