Clark Street Associates and Finalis Launch First-of-Its-Kind Federal Equity Advisory Platform
The partnership provides companies with strategic insight and transaction support as equity becomes a new federal funding tool
SAN FRANCISCO and NEW YORK, Jan. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clark Street Associates (Clark Street), an advisory firm specializing in securing government grants, loans and strategic partnerships for hard tech companies, and Finalis, a leading FINRA-registered broker-dealer and deal infrastructure platform, today announced a first-of-its-kind partnership designed to help companies navigate the U.S. government’s expanding use of equity investments. Together, the firms will offer the country’s only integrated platform combining federal strategy with regulated transaction execution that supports commercial technology companies as they evaluate new federal equity offerings alongside more traditional grants and loans, which have long been a staple of government funding. Under the partnership, Clark Street’s federal equity advisory services are delivered through Finalis’ broker-dealer, compliance, and transaction infrastructure.
As the current Presidential Administration accelerates its use of direct equity investments to influence and secure critical industries, companies are being asked to engage the federal government in ways that go far beyond traditional lobbying, regulatory advocacy or standard transactional banking. What has emerged is a new category of transactions that sits between government programs and private capital markets, one that neither the traditional Beltway advisory model nor standard investment banking practices were designed to manage and support. For years, government grants and loans were domains that Clark Street knew how to navigate at the highest level, while equity transactions were the domain of Wall Street firms like Finalis. By combining the country's top government strategy firm with one of its top investment banking platforms, the Clark Street–Finalis partnership creates the country’s only integrated, end-to-end resource for federal funding, with equity transactions delivered through a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.
“Washington’s expansion of its funding tools to include equity investments, in addition to traditional grants and loans, is exposing the limits of the traditional lobbying model,” said Stephen Empedocles, CEO at Clark Street. “Technology companies need more than advocacy—they need a partner that can translate government priorities, understand complex technologies and help bridge the gap between the problems agencies are trying to solve and the companies capable of solving them. This type of resource, helping companies close the gap between traditional government deal-making and investment banking, has never existed before. Our partnership with Finalis will uniquely enable companies to position themselves for success as the policy landscape evolves and as federal equity becomes a more powerful tool for growth.”
This partnership links federal strategy with deal execution across all major federal funding tools, including grants, loans and now equity, enabling companies to engage agencies, assess commercial implications and pursue tailored transactions that optimally support both company growth and national competitiveness. This unified advisory relationship spans strategic positioning, policy engagement, transaction support, and investor intelligence.
“Federal equity introduces a category of transactions that requires public-sector context and private-market discipline,” said Federico Baradello, Founder and CEO of Finalis. “Our role is to provide the regulated broker-dealer, compliance, and execution infrastructure that makes this type of advisory possible at scale. By enabling Clark Street to operate within a compliant transaction framework, we’re giving technology companies a level of rigor and readiness the market has never had access to before.”
To learn more about this partnership, sign up for the firms’ upcoming webinar, taking place on Feb. 24, 2026, at 3 PM ET. For more information about Clark Street’s work and services, visit https://www.clarkstreetassociates.com/.
About Clark Street Associates
Clark Street Associates is a leading advisory firm specializing in securing government funding—including grants, loans, and equity deals—as well as strategic partnerships for hard tech companies, ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. The firm’s expert team of business development, technology, operations, and investment banking professionals takes an entrepreneurial, execution-focused approach that aligns government priorities with clients’ commercial goals, enabling access to high-value, non-dilutive funding opportunities that help their clients grow and innovate, without distraction. With a growing footprint in the U.S. and Canada, Clark Street has secured more than $3.7 billion in federal and state funding for technology leaders advancing state-of-the-art innovation across sectors, including semiconductors, critical minerals, advanced energy, defense, aerospace, robotics and artificial intelligence. Learn more at www.clarkstreetassociates.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
About Finalis
Finalis is a FINRA-registered broker-dealer transforming private capital markets through next-generation compliance and deal intelligence infrastructure. The firm provides independent bankers, placement agents, and boutique investment firms with regulatory affiliation, automated workflow technology, and access to a curated network of institutional investors and deal flow opportunities.
Founded to modernize an industry historically dominated by legacy infrastructure, Finalis enables financial professionals to operate efficiently and independently while maintaining full regulatory compliance through a platform. The platform serves 900+ bankers & placement agents who have collectively closed over $24 billion in transactions and have 1,400+ active deals. For more information, visit www.finalis.com. Finalis does not provide government relations, lobbying, or policy advocacy services.
Contact:
V2 Communications for Clark Street Associates
CSA@v2comms.com
Felix Cibilis for Finalis
felix.cibils@finalis.com
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
