SPAC Sponsors Explained
In this episode of The SPAC Podcast, Patrick Sturgeon, Managing Partner at Brookline Capital Markets, explains what separates strong SPAC sponsors from passive ones. He shares why the best sponsors bring more than just capital, offering industry knowledge, operational experience, and access to networks that can help companies grow.
Patrick highlights how valuable sponsors understand the challenges operators face and contribute solutions through relationships, financing connections, and strategic partnerships. For target companies, the right sponsor can be a key differentiator in executing a successful transaction.
Connect with the Guest:
Patrick Sturgeon – Managing Partner, Brookline Capital Markets
Website: https://brooklinecapmkts.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickasturgeon/
View all of their episodes here:
https://www.thespacpodcast.com/guests/patrick-a-sturgeon/
Connect with the Hosts & The SPAC Podcast:
Michael Blankenship LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeblankenship/
Joshua Wilson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Thespacpodcast
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Disclaimers:
The views, opinions, and statements expressed by the guest are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The SPAC Podcast, its hosts, or affiliated organizations. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice.
Michael J. Blankenship is a licensed attorney and is a partner at Winston & Strawn LLP. Joshua Wilson is a licensed Florida real estate broker and holds FINRA Series 79 and Series 63 licensure. The content of this podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as legal, financial, or compliance advice. The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of any regulatory agency, law firm, employer, or organization.
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Let’s Connect on LinkedIn:
👉 Michael J. Blankenship - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeblankenship/
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Michael: So let’s talk about the role of the SPAC sponsor. What do the best sponsors, in your view, bring to the table beyond capital? What separates a value-add sponsor from just a passive one?
Patrick Sturgeon: Having been a sponsor multiple times and worked with many others, I’d say the strongest sponsors bring much more than capital. Many are dedicated to specific industry verticals or regions, while others are generalists.
As a target company, I’d want a sponsor familiar with my industry, potentially experienced as an operator or working with comparable businesses. A sponsor’s network is critical — whether in distribution, financing, or strategic partnerships.
Ultimately, the best sponsors understand the pain points of operators and can help address them, whether through relationships, capital, or by introducing strategic partners. That value-add is what sets them apart from passive sponsors.
Patrick A. Sturgeon
Managing Partner
Patrick Sturgeon is a Managing Partner at Brookline Capital Markets, a division of Arcadia Securities, LLC, a Healthcare focused investment bank which provides capital raising, M&A, and strategic advisory services. He has completed a diverse series of transactions to include Initial Public Offerings, PIPEs, Follow-Ons, Private Placements from Series A through Private-to-Public Crossovers, Asset Back Lending, Buy & Sell-Side Merger Advisory, Secondary Trading and Strategic Advisory Services. He is asked to speak at events on topics to include the equity capital markets, the healthcare industry and transaction execution.
He has been the Chief Financial Officer of three biotech focused SPACs that have successfully closed acquisitions – Alpha Healthcare Acquisition Corp. (Humacyte (NASDAQ: HUMA) – first company to have RMAT designation), Alpha Healthcare Acquisition Corp. III (Carmell Corp. – Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapeutic focused on wound healing) and Brookline Capital Acquisition Corp I (Apexigen – Oncology focused). He continues to serve as Vice Chairman to the public company Longevity Health Holdings (NASDAQ: XAGE).
As a Founding Partner of Covenant Venture Capital, Mr. Sturgeon has led investments in prominent companies like Anduril, Anthropic, EpiBone, Dataminr, SpaceX and others, demonstrating his strategic investment acumen across high growth sectors such as artificial intelligence, biotech, data analytics and defense. He led the process to have Covenant confirmed as a Qualified Venture Fund for NJEDA which allows them to receive matching inve…
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