The Innovator's
Investment Bank
TM
More than an M&A advisor — we are both an award-winning exit investment bank and hands-on growth acceleration and pre-exit operating partner.
We guide founders through late-stage growth to first-time exits up to $300 million of value with the same precision, vision, and creativity that define the industries we serve.
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If You're Building the Future ...Let's Talk Today
ABOUT AUDACITY IB
Audacity IB is a unique advisor, operating at the intersection of growth, execution, and exit — partnering with founders from scaling their businesses to driving a successful first-time exit.
Traditional investment banks often engage near the finish line with limited growth and operational capability or involvement, and traditional strategic/financial advisors may lead in one functional area (finance, operations, or growth) but do not necessarily thrive in navigating multi-dimensional growth-to-exit complexity.
We do.
And through our SEC-registered broker-dealer, Audacity Capital Partners LLC (Member FINRA/SIPC), we raise late-stage growth capital and represent our clients in M&A transactions to deliver premium first-time exit outcomes as an award-winning investment bank. We also selectively invest alongside the companies we help build.
We don’t just sell companies — we help design, build, and grow them as well. We roll up our sleeves, drive clarity, help accelerate growth, and protect founders when the stakes are the highest.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF PARTNER FOR FOUNDERS
Based in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley, Audacity IB operates at the intersection of growth, execution, and exit — providing integrated operational, capital raising, and M&A advisory services exclusively for founder-led businesses.
We focus on companies shaped by innovation — spanning both physical (advanced manufacturing, medical devices, robotics, aerospace, and materials) and digital platforms (AI, SaaS, data, and cloud) — and increasingly, the convergence of the two.
Across physical innovation, we partner with businesses in advanced engineering and contract manufacturing, automation and robotics, medical devices, laser optics, sustainable food systems, advanced materials, in-space and orbital technologies, dual-use manufacturing, and AI-driven industrial platforms.
On the digital side, we work with founders building enterprise SaaS, AI/ML applications, data and marketplace platforms, DefenseTech, FinTech, HealthTech, AgTech, cybersecurity, and other emerging technologies.
But what truly differentiates us is how we work and think.
We operate founder-to-founder — shoulder to shoulder, not across the table. Our approach integrates hands-on execution with transaction expertise, supporting companies well before a process begins and, in select cases, continuing alongside them even after the transaction is complete.
Our founder has advised on over 200 growth acceleration and capital raise engagements and, as an M&A investment banker, completed 40+ transactions representing more than $4 billion in combined exit value ($100 million average transaction value) — exclusively for middle-market, founder-owned first-time exit companies in our focus sectors.
We specialize in first-time founders targeting exit valuations up to $300 million — where the path to exit is rarely linear and requires both operational depth and transaction precision.
Whether preparing for a strategic or private equity sale, accelerating growth, or navigating a business transformation, we bring a fully integrated model across strategy, execution, capital, and M&A —designed specifically for the realities that founders face.
And when it matters most, we execute.
Whether you are preparing for a private equity or strategic sale, growth acceleration, or a business pivot or transformation, we bring integrated financial, operational, strategic, capital-raising, and M&A expertise that is critical to final growth and first-time exit success.
Trust in Audacity IB for creative, precision M&A and growth-to-exit services across the world's most innovative sectors.
We are agile, ambidextrous, and unafraid to tackle complexities that others may avoid.
A multi-award-winning principal-led firm, Audacity IB has demonstrated the ability to punch above its weight, successfully competing with and earning recognition alongside much larger firms. Our depth and breadth of experience make us more agile and ambidextrous, able to dig in where many other bankers will not...or maybe cannot.
We serve as the founder's creative strategist, growth leader, business marketer, negotiator, and protector.
We also excel at driving and structuring complex "story" deals, and have crafted and executed highly-successful, sophisticated, competitive auction processes focused on delivering premium valuation outcomes.
At times, founders may engage us after they have been approached by a specific buyer. In these situations, we will work tirelessly and rapidly to build exit optionality, negotiation leverage, higher valuations, and best terms.
Audacity IB sells to discerning private equity firms, family offices, strategic buyers, and other sophisticated buyers, including through our proprietary relationships.
Unlike other firms, beyond investment banking, we provide integrated financial, growth, capital raise, operational, and exit services — a proven, proprietary long-tail integrated approach to building and transforming businesses across all stages of growth, before they are sold in a first-time exit. Founder-equivalent-level intensity.
"Audacity" is about the discipline to do what is right — going further, working harder, digging deeper, and d𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀 to s𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 our clients 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁 — to protect and amplify those doing the hard work of building the future.
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Finance, Growth
& Operations
Assignments
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Completed M&A Transactions
($100M Avg. Trx Value)
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Billion Exit Value Delivered
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Testimonials - We work relentlessly to drive and protect exit value, and care about our clients' companies as much as they do.
Advanced Design, Manufacturing & Automation | Industrial & Emerging Tech
“Audacity IB executed with tireless commitment and energy in representing us during the selling process, and worked with us intensely daily for several months to ensure an optimal transaction outcome. Their ability to move with unmatched speed while digging incredibly deep into the details of the business sets them apart and ensured the best possible outcome.”
Founder & CEO
Advanced Design/Manufacturing Company
MedTech & Life Sciences | Complex Medical Devices & Lab Tools
“Audacity IB did an incredible job, not only in representing us throughout the selling process; but in working with us daily for many months prior to the sale, to help us build operations and accelerate growth well before the company was sold. Finding a quality, trustworthy M&A investment banker capable of also effectively serving in the trenches with a founder as a trusted long-term co-executive partner is very rare.”
Founder & CEO
Innovative MedTech/Life Sciences Company
Emerging AI/Technology
“We engaged Audacity IB after our seed round, looking for more than just banking advice. They impressed us with their growth/operating partner capabilities and technical rigor — the ability to rapidly synthesize advanced technologies and market opportunities, deliver complex financial analyses, and advise us on strategic alternatives. They stepped in as a true financial leadership partner, not only clarifying our options but also validating future exit potential through a market check and preparing us for critical next-round investor conversations. On top of that, they were amazing to work with! I highly recommend Audacity IB to any rapidly growing, disruptive technology company.”
Founder & CEO (Techstars '24)
AI-Driven B2B SaaS Company
Sustainable Food & AgTech
“Simply put, the deal team did unbelievable work for us from start to finish and we are very thankful that we selected Audacity IB to lead this fast-paced and highly complex transaction. We were very impressed with their aggressiveness, creativity, and ability to run a process and close a transaction in less than five months from start…while delivering an outcome and strategic partnership that significantly exceeded our expectations.”
Founder & CEO
Sustainable Food & Aquiculture Sourcing Company
Deep Private Equity Expertise | Highly Collaborative & Effective on Deal Teams
“This is a great example of a true collaborative legal and financial deal team effort. We were fortunate enough to work with Audacity IB, which was committed to getting the best overall outcome and worked tirelessly to run a full competitive auction. As a team, we moved through the deal process in an extremely efficient and effective manner in the best interest of our shared client.”
Head of Private Equity
A Leading M&A Transaction Law Firm
The Leadership Team
Let's Strategize
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Stanford University,
Graduate School of Business
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Thunderbird,
School of Global Management
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Northern Illinois University,
School of Business, Accountancy
Founder, CEO & Managing Principal
Jeffrey Scott Shippy, MBA, CPA
Jeff Shippy brings more than 30 years of experience across investment banking, strategic advisory, and executive leadership, spanning M&A, recapitalizations, restructurings, capital raising, and CFO/corporate finance for innovative, founder-led businesses. He has advised over 200 companies, completed 40+ M&A transactions, and served in senior executive roles —including CFO, EVP, and corporate development — working side-by-side with founders to build and successfully exit their businesses.
Jeff has spent more than 20 years in investment banking, including as an M&A banker at Houlihan Lokey and as Investment Banking Director at Stout in Los Angeles, where he focused on diversified industrial, manufacturing, MedTech/life sciences, technology, and private equity transactions.
At Stout, Jeff joined at the foundational stage and helped scale the Los Angeles office from two professionals to more than 35, contributing to its recognition as a Los Angeles Business Journal “Best Place to Work” within five years.
He began his career as a licensed CPA at BDO USA, where he led accounting and transaction-related matters for financial reporting, compliance, and M&A engagements. He also served at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) in Palo Alto, advising late-stage growth and public companies across manufacturing, healthcare, and technology sectors.
Jeff brings deep private equity expertise and over his career has directly engages on deals with many of the 3,000+ most active buyout firms in the U.S.
He also has direct investing experience, including with Epic Ventures, a Draper Fisher Jurvetson affiliate, focused on disruptive founder-led companies in healthcare/life sciences, information technology, and related sectors.
Jeff is the founder of Audacity IB, including Audacity Consulting Partners LLC, founded in 2000 to deliver integrated strategy, operations, and financial transformation alongside M&A advisory for founder-led companies. In 2023, he founded Audacity Capital Partners LLC, the firm’s SEC-registered broker-dealer (Member FINRA/SIPC), through which Audacity IB executes M&A and private placement transactions. Under his leadership, Audacity IB has earned national recognition for transaction execution, advisory excellence, and industry expertise.
Jeff is an alumnus of Stanford Graduate School of Business, Thunderbird School of Global Management, and Northern Illinois University. He holds an MBA in Finance and International Management and a BS in Accountancy. He maintains FINRA registrations (Series 7, 24, 63, and 79).
While Audacity IB is not a CPA firm, Jeff has a strong foundation in public accounting, corporate finance, and valuation. He is a licensed CPA (passed on first attempt) and previously held the ABV (AICPA) and ASA (Business Valuation) designations, reflecting deep expertise in complex valuation and transaction advisory.
Let's Grab Coffee!
Director of Strategic Partnerships
Denyse Holloway
Denyse brings 30 years of experience as a business founder and serving in corporate roles. At Audacity IB, Denyse is responsible for building and strengthening strategic relationships across clients, partner firms, and private equity, legal, and advisory communities. She plays a central role in amplifying the firm's presence in the market and reinforcing its reputation as a trusted partner to founder-led companies and their advisors.
Before joining Audacity IB, Denyse was Founder and COO of a fitness and health services company. Over a period of 20 years, her company served thousands of clients locally in California, and nationally online. In addition, she provided business consulting services for other operators across the industry, helping to create new programs, marketing campaigns, and operational systems. Her contributions led to certain of her business clients developing into leading fitness businesses, including one that is now a world-renowned global fitness franchise.
Prior to this, Denyse served as Operations Manager for Edmunds.com, one of the nation’s first online automotive information services companies. There, she led strategic projects and interfaced with software engineering, editorial, and management to drive diversified strategic operations and growth initiatives.
Before her time at Edmunds.com, Denyse served as Associate Director of Marketing for the real estate division of Prudential Financial, with responsibility for creating, developing, and executing diversified targeted marketing campaigns for a team of more than 2,500 real estate agents across the greater Los Angeles region.
Denyse began her career in Corporate & Foundation Relations at Loyola Marymount University, where she was responsible for fundraising and liaising with the Board of Trustees and Office of the President.
Denyse holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In her spare time, Denyse serves the community as a certified life coach and volunteers her time with philanthropic organizations.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Request Access to Our Future Publications
At Audacity IB, we believe thought leadership should do more than comment on the obvious. It should cut through noise, surface signal, and give founders the clarity they need when navigating the multi-dimensional complexities of building their businesses and planning for maximum business value in light of ever-changing innovation and market dynamics. We are launching a curated stream of insight focused on your industry and today's business-exit environment.
Our upcoming publications will include perspective pertinent to advanced design/engineering and manufacturing, automation equipment, robotics, medical device manufacturing, laser optics, advanced materials, in-space and orbital systems, DefenseTech, dual-use product manufacturing, both hard and soft AI-driven industrial, and digital innovation sectors that are helping to reshape the future.
Contact us to request access to our select distribution of future publications.
CONTACT US
Los Angeles Office
10866 Wilshire Blvd, 4th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Silicon Valley Office
2100 Geng Road
Palo Alto, CA 94303
© 2026 Audacity IB. All rights reserved. Securities are offered through Audacity Capital Partners LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. Audacity IB is a trade name for Audacity Capital Partners LLC and Audacity Consulting Partners LLC. “Audacity IB” or the “firm” refer to these two affiliated companies. Audacity IB is not a CPA firm. The firm's Silicon Valley office is operated by Audacity Consulting Partners LLC. It is acknowledged that the content of this website is for general information purposes only and is not intended to constitute an offer to sell or buy any securities or other assets or promise to undertake or solicit business and may not be relied upon in connection with any offer or sale of securities or other assets. The above reference to 200+ assignments, including 40+ completed M&A transactions delivering $4+ billion in combined value refers to engagements completed by our team at Audacity IB and at prior firms. Business Continuity Plan | FINRA Broker Check