LOS ANGELES, September 03, 2025 — Merchant, a global operating company providing growth capital and strategic resources to independent financial services firms, today announced a strategic partnership with Validus Capital, a Los Angeles-based registered investment advisor (RIA) with approximately $2.5 billion in client assets under management (AUM).
Founded in 2022 by John Krambeer, Validus has established itself as a modern multi-family office platform designed for ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) families. The firm pairs white-glove, multi-generational service with a differentiated alternatives platform and proprietary reporting tools that provide greater transparency into private investments, an area of growing demand among wealthy families.
“Families and institutions are seeking broader access to private markets at the same time as RIAs are stepping forward as the trusted channel for that access,” said Marc Spilker, Executive Chairman at Merchant. “Validus stands out because they’ve built a model that delivers the sophistication of a single-family office, coupled with best-in-class private markets access and reporting. Partnering with Validus reflects Merchant’s position as a catalyst in the growth and evolving sophistication of the independent wealth management space.”
For Validus, the partnership with Merchant follows a longstanding relationship with the Merchant executive team, which will provide both capital and strategic resources to expand its three key growth priorities: deepening its alternatives distribution and reporting capabilities, attracting top-tier advisors to the platform, and scaling its multi-family office services. Merchant’s ecosystem of essential service providers, capital markets expertise, and succession planning experience will further strengthen Validus’s ability to serve UHNW families at scale.
“We designed Validus to serve as the multi-family office of the future, bringing high-net-worth families the same sophistication of a single-family office, delivered with the flexibility and shared infrastructure of an RIA,” said John Krambeer, Founder and CEO of Validus Capital. “Merchant’s partnership allows us to accelerate this vision by enhancing our advisor platform, deepening our alternatives distribution, and unlocking opportunities to grow with like-minded partners. We are thrilled to join Merchant’s community of firms that share our commitment to exceptional service, integrity, and fostering enduring relationships with our client families.”