Overview
Formed in 1996, Warbros is a private investment firm owned and managed by John Warburg and Michael Warburg. The firm's objective is to achieve long-term capital appreciation through investments in private equity and equity-related securities. We take minority positions in both early-stage and mature companies that are typically looking to raise between $250,000 and $2 million. While we invest in a wide variety of industries, we limit our focus to companies with proprietary technologies and/or unique, well-developed brands. Where appropriate, we also look to become active contributors to the companies in which we invest. Our level of involvement and size generally limit us to working with companies within the New England and Metro New York areas.

Our Point of Difference
Unlike most other venture capital sources, we focus on making smaller investments - in the $100,000 to $500,000 range - and are flexible in the kinds of opportunities we consider and the way we structure our investments. As such, we are best suited to working with companies whose financing requirements have outgrown the resources of "friends and family" (<$250,000), yet are still too small to attract the attention of traditional venture capital (>$2 million). If needed, we can introduce companies to other potential co-investors through our extensive network of angel investors and small venture capital firms. In addition to bringing in capital, we look to add value through our financial and marketing expertise, as well as through our contacts in a wide variety of industries.

Who We Are
We have diverse, yet complementary, skills and experience that we apply in our roles as board members and advisors to the companies in which we invest. Michael has a background in commercial banking, including several years of managing workouts of small to mid-sized companies. He later co-founded a financial consulting firm that arranged debt and equity financings for a broad range of private companies. John has worked in various marketing capacities in the consumer packaged goods industry - first as a brand manager at major food and confectionery manufacturers, and later as a marketing consultant to large and small companies in a variety of industries.

Our Approach
There are no "committees" or bureaucracy at Warbros, so we are able to make decisions quickly and independently. Knowing, in particular, how frustrated entrepreneurs can become at the slow (or non-existent) response they get from most venture capital sources, we make a point of responding quickly and courteously to all requests for financing. Once invested, we have the patience and long-term outlook to ride out difficult times, as we understand the risks and challenges small businesses face in trying to survive, grow, and prosper. Consistent with this approach, we believe that our mission is to help owners/managers increase the overall value of their companies, rather than try to rearrange them for our own benefit. We also believe that a commitment to serve the customer, hard work, integrity, innovation, and follow-through are key ingredients to success and we look for these values in the companies and people in which we invest.