D.A. Davidson Advises Digital Marketplace Manager, Optivations, on Its Significant Investment from Skylark Private Equity Partners

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--D.A. Davidson & Co. announced today that it served as exclusive financial advisor to Optivations LLC (“Optivations” or the “Company”), a leading digital marketplace manager, on its significant investment from Skylark Private Equity Partners (“Skylark”). Optivations founders, Bob Neapole, Andrew Kroll, Brad Finkbeiner, and Link Newcomb, will continue to lead the business and have retained significant ownership.

Based in West Palm Beach, Florida, Optivations helps brands launch and optimize their online presence across Amazon and other digital marketplaces, including providing fully-integrated multi-channel solutions for brands.

The Company delivers a unique service proposition, including business intelligence and operations, digital advertising, marketing and promotions, systems and integration, catalog management, inventory planning, multichannel optimization, transaction support, and financial reconciliation. Optivations helps brands solve the challenges of navigating online marketplaces with a shared focus on maximizing enterprise value and protecting brand integrity.

Based in Dallas, Texas, Skylark has decades of experience executing strategies that transform small businesses into market leaders in a variety of sectors, including business services, consumer products, and healthcare.

“The combination of guidance, advice, and relationships we received from the D.A. Davidson team was pivotal to our success throughout the process. The Davidson team are true industry experts and were a pleasure to work with. We have an exciting growth trajectory in front of us, and are confident that partnering with Skylark will help maximize our potential,” said Bob Neapole, Chief Executive Officer of Optivations.

“We have a genuine excitement for the Optivations business and the value proposition they provide to brands. We are proud to have supported the Optivations team in finding the right partner and look forward to seeing what they accomplish alongside the Skylark team,” commented John Jameson, Managing Director at D.A. Davidson.

D.A. Davidson & Co. served as exclusive financial advisor and Holland & Knight LLP served as legal advisor to Optivations. First Merchants Bank and Concentric Investment Partners provided debt financing for the transaction. Mayer Brown LLP served as legal advisor to Skylark.

D.A. Davidson’s Consumer Group has a reputation for its depth of industry knowledge, breadth of capabilities, and tenacity of its senior professionals. Offering sector-specific expertise through a full-service platform, the team provides M&A, strategic advisory, and equity capital markets capabilities across several subsectors, including active & outdoor; infant & juvenile; consumer products & services; ecommerce & marketplaces; and food & beverage. Together with its European strategic partner, MCF Corporate Finance, D.A. Davidson originates and executes transatlantic M&A transactions under the brand of D.A. Davidson MCF International.

About D.A. Davidson Companies

D.A. Davidson Companies is an employee-owned financial services firm offering a range of financial services and advice to individuals, corporations, institutions, and municipalities nationwide. Founded in 1935 with corporate headquarters in Great Falls, Montana, and regional headquarters in Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Omaha and Seattle, the company has approximately 1,600 employees and offices in 29 states.

Subsidiaries include: D.A. Davidson & Co., a full-service investment firm providing wealth management, investment banking, equity and fixed income capital markets services, and advice; Davidson Investment Advisors, a professional asset management firm; and D.A. Davidson Trust Company, a trust and wealth management company.

For more information, visit dadavidson.com.