Republic Capital Group Sells Minority Stake to Merchant 

Republic Capital Group, a provider of investment banking services to the wealth and asset management industry, announced a minority, non-control investment from serial RIA investor Merchant Investment Management. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

Since its founding in 2015 by John Langston, CEO, Republic has had a strong footprint on the industry through M&A advisory, including transactions with Creative Planning, Pathstone, Exencial Wealth Advisors and AlphaCore Wealth Advisory, according to the company’s website. 

In 2023, Republic sourced and led the largest acquisition of a CPA firm by a wealth management firm in history, the firm said, when it represented Creative Planning in its acquisition of BerganKDV. 

“We are pleased to receive this investment and be part of a concerted effort to support and build the independent wealth and asset management services ecosystem broadly,” Langston said. “Merchant’s willingness to collaborate with other industry players along with their deep understanding of our space made them an ideal partner for us.” 

Merchant offers equity partnership through non-controlling stakes, offering partners resources to scale their businesses. In August of 2023, the firm took a stake in $600 million Milwaukee-based asset management boutique firm Morgan Dempsey Capital.