Why the Lower Middle Market Offers Structural Protection Against Credit Stress
Market stress exposes how lower middle market deals offer structural protection through traditional covenants, aligned sponsor incentives, and appropriate risk…
HELPING OUR PARTNERS SUCCEED
Lower middle market experts
We partner with exceptional sponsors and management teams to finance growth—delivering deep market expertise and comprehensive resources built for the lower middle market.
$1.5B
ASSETS MANAGED
16
YEARS LMM FOCUS
150+
TRANSACTIONS
200+
SPONSOR RELATIONSHIPS
WHY AVANTE
A different kind of partner
01
Flexible Capital
15+ years focused exclusively on the lower middle market, we've built strategies that tailor senior and junior debt solutions for a range of investors.
02
Value-Added Partnership
We're not just capital providers. We're strategic partners committed to helping you succeed through deep relationships and hands-on support.
02
The LMM Playbook
Access our library of strategies, insights, and tools built specifically for LPs, private equity sponsors, and independent sponsors.
How We're Thinking about the Market
Lower Middle Market Insights
ESG in the Lower Middle Market: Practical Implementation
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations have moved from nice-to-have to must-have in private equity. However, implementing robust ESG programs in lower middle market (LMM) companies presents unique challenges. These businesses often lack the resources, expertise, and systems that larger…
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January 21, 2026
TEAM
Meet Avante's Leadership
Jeri Harman
Founder & Chairman
Ivelisse Rodriguez Simon
Managing Partner
Paul Hayama
Chief Investment Officer
Richard Strait
Investment Committee Partner
Chaz Cocuzza
Managing Director, Capital Formation
Omar Abou Sayed
Managing Director, Origination
Gladys Cordova
Chief Financial Officer
THE LMM PLAYBOOK
Your guide to the
lower middle market
Strategies, insights, and tools to win in this underserved segment
Private Credit’s Storm Clouds Skip the Lower Middle Market
While private credit faces mounting defaults and deteriorating terms, the lower middle market maintains structural advantages through relationship lending and…
The Operational Value Creation Math: Why LPs Should Expect More Than Multiple Arbitrage
Operational improvements in LMM investing can reliably add 200-400 basis points of annual returns when executed systematically. Understanding the financial…
Why Lower Middle Market Private Credit Outperforms in Volatile Markets
While covenant-lite structures dominate larger deals, lower middle market credit offers institutional investors structural protections and direct relationships that create…
The Math Behind Lower Middle Market Outperformance
Lower middle market private equity has outperformed large-cap strategies by 460 basis points annually over the past decade. The math…
Avante Capital Partners and Brightwood Capital Advisors Partner to Provide Debt Facility to Motor City Dental Partners
Los Angeles – Jan. 29, 2026 – Avante Capital Partners is proud to announce it has partnered with Brightwood Capital…
Deal-by-Deal Is Growing, but the Lender You Pick Still Matters More
Everyone's talking about deal-by-deal flexibility. Almost nobody is talking about how your capital structure choices on each deal determine whether…
Spread Compression Skipped the Lower Middle Market
Over half of large-cap direct lending deals now price below 500 bps. But in the lower middle market, the spread…
The Art of Operational Value Creation in LMM Investments
In the lower middle market, the most sustainable returns come not from leverage ratios or multiple arbitrage, but from fundamental…
Why the Lower Middle Market Outperforms: A Data-Driven Analysis
The lower middle market—defined as companies generating between $5 million and $50 million in EBITDA—represents one of the most compelling…
PORTFOLIO
Partnering with exceptional companies
We provide flexible financing solutions to support growth, acquisitions, and recapitalizations for sponsor-backed and independent companies.
Rise Now
BUSINESS SERVICES
Hippo Vet Group
HEALTHCARE
Reservoir Communications
BUSINESS SERVICES
Electronic Source Company
SPECIALTY MANUFACTURING
Partner with us as we transform
the lower middle market.
Whether you're an LP, PE sponsor, or independent sponsor—we're here to help you succeed.
Get in Touch- As of March 1, 2026. “Zero Cash Loan Losses” represents that for all fully realized and exited transactions undertaken by Avante, the Fund has received aggregate cash proceeds equal to or exceeding one hundred percent (100%) of invested principal (i.e., a minimum 1.0x multiple of invested capital). This representation is made solely with respect to fully exited investments and does not include, reflect, or take into account the performance, valuation, or ultimate outcome of any current, partially realized, or otherwise unrealized positions.