Agora Partners

Who We Are

About Us

Agora Partners is a boutique investment banking company that was founded upon belief that small and mid-size businesses deserve premier investment banking services. We help our clients to define and achieve their M&A, strategic and financing goals with the best possible results, whatever their objectives and wherever they are. As a leading investment banking firm, we enable growth and success for our clients through deep sector expertise, candid advice, and a differentiated, highly productive culture. We are committed to working exclusively with innovative mid-market companies.

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Core Values

Our principles are also reflected in our commitments to best practice and continuous improvement in ESG considerations. We encourage a culture of responsible business, and our people take responsibility for their work, their actions, and the impact they have on our people, our industry, our environment, and our communities.

People

Our most important assets are our people. We help our associates improve their skills, encourage them to take risks, treat them fairly, and recognize their accomplishments. We provide a challenging and creative work environment that encourage intellectual curiosity, question assumptions and challenge conventions. We build trust and teamwork through open, candid communications across our organization. We share ideas and best practices. We recognize that team effort brings the highest value to our clients.

Thoughtful

We strive to anticipate client needs and meet those needs through new and creative solutions. Apply our local insights and global perspective for clients. Clients trust that our perspectives are rooted in our deep experience. Our talented teams build on this foundation of experience and objectively research and tailor every solution to serve our clients' needs. The advice we give and the solutions we develop are considered, strategic, and focused on the long-term.

Principled

We treat our clients' challenges with the same care and responsibility that we apply to our own business and money. We see integrity and empathy as the basis of long-term trusted relationships and a progressive business. This is reflected in an extraordinary personal commitment to our clients' challenges and consistently high execution standards in everything we do.

Innovative

Act with conviction informed by deep research and analysis. 20 years of legacy in entrepreneurship and the promotion of imaginative solutions for our clients means we have always been open to new ideas. Our depth of insight and track record give us the confidence to embrace innovative new solutions for our clients to jointly solve their individual challenges every day.

Key Team Members

Raj Agarwal

Founder

Raj is a seasoned investment banker & expert on business strategy design and implementation.

Andrew Southwells

Andrew specializes in advising businesses in the industrial, energy, and utility sectors. Prior to taking an investment banking Andrew has 24 years of corporate development experience.

Manoj Kumar

Associate Partner

MANOJ is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and a law graduate.

Bhavna Agarwal

Director

Graduate from University of Delhi in Economics having more than 20 years diverse experience in stock market operations, purchasing, research, education, business development, HR & operations management.

Subodh Sharma

Subodh is a commerce graduate with an experience of more than 10 years and Member of Institute of cost accountants of India.

Nishant Agarwal

Nishant is a Registered Valuer (IBBI) LAND & BUILDING and has Designed 1st University of World for Blinds Jagatguru Rambhadracharya University of Handicapped.

Senior Advisory Team

Mr. Vivek Bihani

With 32+ years of experience alternating between being an investor and an entrepreneur, Vivek Bihani brings to the table a combination that is as rare as it is potent.

CARRIER

As a family-controlled financial advisory firm built on relationships, we understand the importance of people.

Culture

We understand that our business is built on the strength of our people and our relationships. We employ talented and motivated graduates and professionals and nurture a dynamic and collaborative culture where everyone feels included and respected. We are passionate about our business and our culture, and look to attract, retain and develop the most talented people and inspire them to reach their highest potential through a deep commitment to career development.

University Programs

Our analyst and associate programs offer a unique, best-in-class experience & helps in inculcating the skills and create enduring mentor relationship. Beginning with our internship program, we provide training, unparalleled live deal experience, quality exposure to diverse investor community and clients as well as invaluable social and business events.

Experienced Hire

We understand that our business is built on the strength of our people and our relationships. We employ talented and motivated graduates and professionals and nurture a dynamic and collaborative culture where everyone feels included and respected. We are passionate about our business and our culture, and look to attract, retain and develop the most talented people and inspire them to reach their highest potential through a deep commitment to career development.

Apply on:- contact@agorapartners.in

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Raj is a seasoned investment banker & expert on business strategy design and implementation. Has advised Companies on capital raising, merger & acquisitions, restructuring of businesses, valuations, and other transaction related matters. He is B.Tech in Manufacturing Engineering from National Institute and MBA in Finance & Strategy from UK. Has 26 years of professional experience and bring both an extensive network of business relationships (board level contacts with 30% of the Top 300 Indian companies). Comprehensive know how in Company analysis and Valuation. 20 years of acquisition and transaction experience in the global mid-market with a focus on industrials. Deal focusses on manufacturing, automotive, Logistics & Warehousing, Consumer, Steel & Mining etc. Has widely travelled across the globe and understand the cultural aspect well for the successful consummation of the transactions. He is also a board member in other Indian Companies besides Agarwal Packers and Movers Ltd, Genus Paper & Board Ltd and was an observer on the board of Panther Tranfreight Ltd (a Jindal Group Company). Also associated as a member of different committees in FICCI, ASSOCHAM and PHD Chambers of Commerce.

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MANOJ is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and a law graduate. He has more than 19 years of experience in deal structuring, financial advisory, due diligence, strategic tax advisory, valuations, certifications Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and RBI matters. He had served in senior leadership roles in reputed accounting firms in the past before coming on board at Agora Partners. During his professional tenure, he has handled several prominent clients independently.

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Andrew specializes in advising businesses in the industrial, energy, and utility sectors. Prior to taking an investment banking Andrew has 24 years of corporate development experience. Andrew advises on mergers & acquisitions, capital raises, and financial modelling. This includes experience with Rio Tinto, Ameren, and the Australian Federal Government, where he was responsible not only for acquisitions and divestures of assets, but also working with operational management to optimize asset performance. Author of "Making the Deal," Marston's North American Coking Coal Study. Mr. Southwell was educated at the Australian National University and Linacre College, Oxford, and is a CFA Charter holder. Mr. Southwell holds his Series 79, 62, and 63 securities registrations and is registered with Independent Investment Bankers, member FINRA/SIPC.

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Graduate from University of Delhi in Economics having more than 20 years diverse experience in stock market operations, purchasing, research, education, business development, HR & operations management. She takes care of operations management of the Company. She has a demonstrated history of working in the public relations, education and research, management etc. She drafts media relations materials including press releases, fact sheets, bios, FAQs, etc.Track and compile press coverage and regular media reports for all major clients.

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With 32+ years of experience alternating between being an investor and an entrepreneur, Vivek Bihani brings to the table a combination that is as rare as it is potent. He sees value in early-stage companies that most others don’t and retains this conviction right down to the finish line. He also leads Bedrock Ventures, a close-ended Venture Capital Fund, Innovative India Business Fund (IIBF), with the primary objective of realizing long-term capital appreciation through private negotiated investments in early-stage Indian companies. His personality and investment style are best-suited to building industry-leading businesses. Vivek is graduate of BITS, Pilani in Chemical Engineering and MBA from IIM, Bangalore.

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Subodh is a commerce graduate with an experience of more than 10 years and Member of Institute of cost accountants of India. He is a Qualified Registered Valuer of securities and financial assets under “Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India. He is a Member of Monitoring Committee ICMAI RVO as well as in Valuation & Forensic Cell NIRC of The Institute of Cost Accountants of India. He is an expert in planning, studying, and collecting data to determine costs of business activities. He also advises companies on cost reduction to improve the bottom line and hands on experience in driving the cost audits & in-depth understanding of Business processes.

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Nishant is a Registered Valuer (IBBI) LAND & BUILDING and has Designed 1st University of World for Blinds Jagatguru Rambhadracharya University of Handicapped. He is having more than 21 years’ experience in designing, architecture work and valuation of land & building for varied purposes. Nishant is B.Arch, PGDUEML, COA, IIA by qualifications. He is a consultant to companies like TATA AIRTEL BSNL ESSAR etc. for setting up of towers for mobile networks. Worked on various valuation assignments under Insolvency /Banking/corporate among which major projects includes Town ships, Group Housing Projects , SEZ ,Five Star Hotels , Rice Industries , Steel industry , Distilleries ,Automobile industry , Spinning industry ,Shopping Mall , Tobacco manufacturing units , Milk processing units , Hospitals , Paper mills Cable industry ,Textile industry , Film Studios, Schools , Colleges , Office buildings , Residential Buildings etc . He has also Coauthored various Books on Architecture & Town Planning , Interior decoration , Building Materials and Services.