PE Firm · Capital Allocator

DLJ Merchant Banking

Medium
New York City, United States · Founded 1985 · AUM $12 billion · Website
Leveraged BuyoutGrowth CapitalMezzanine DebtReal EstateInfrastructureSecondariesRetailMediaHealthcareFinancial ServicesSpecialty ChemicalsEnergyIndustrialConsumer ProductsNorth AmericaEurope
Last verified
7/8/2026

Firm Overview

10
Portfolio tracked
8
Sectors
2
Regions
7/8/2026
Last verified

DLJ Merchant Banking (now aPriori Capital Partners) is a private equity firm focused on leveraged buyout transactions and diverse investment vehicles.

Founded in 1985 as the merchant banking arm of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ), the firm originally invested capital alongside the bank's clients and employees. Following the acquisition of DLJ by Credit Suisse First Boston in 2000, the group experienced significant leadership turnover resulting in the formation of independent firms Diamond Castle Holdings and Avista Capital Partners through team spinouts.

The firm historically managed a broad range of investment vehicles including real estate, growth capital, mezzanine debt, and infrastructure. In 2014, the firm was officially spun out from Credit Suisse and rebranded as aPriori Capital Partners. Throughout its history, it has raised several multi-billion dollar institutional private equity funds, including a $5.3 billion fund in 2000 and a $2.1 billion fund in 2006.

Founded1985
HeadquartersNew York City, United States
AUM$12 billion
Target investment$1 billion to $5.3 billion (fund size)
EmployeesUnspecified
StrategiesLeveraged Buyout, Growth Capital, Mezzanine Debt, Real Estate, Infrastructure, Secondaries
Sector focusRetail, Media, Healthcare, Financial Services, Specialty Chemicals, Energy, Industrial, Consumer Products
Geographic focusNorth America, Europe

Leadership

Nicole Arnaboldi
Head of DLJMB and Managing Director
Managing Director and current head of the firm who took leadership in 2008.
Steven C. Rattner
Former Head of DLJMB
Former head of the firm who resigned in 2008 during a fundraising period.
Larry Schloss
Former Co-Head
Former co-head who spun out to form Diamond Castle Holdings in 2004.
Thompson Dean
Former Leader
Former leader who spun out to form Avista Capital Partners in 2005.

Notable Investments

Neiman MarcusMGMAdvanstarAccellentHealthMarketsNuveen InvestmentsRockwood HoldingsGeokineticsSymetra FinancialNIBC BankGuala Closures GroupWastequipSpecialized Technology Resources

Historical and current deals referenced in public sources.

Portfolio Companies

CompanySectorStatusWebsite
Enduring Resources IIEnergyExited
Fougera Pharmaceuticals Inc.PharmaceuticalsExited
Gala Group LimitedConsumer / RetailExited
HealthMarkets, Inc.Financial ServicesExited
JGWPT Holdings, LLCFinancial ServicesExited
Laramie Energy I, LLCEnergyExited
Luxury Optical Holdings Co.RetailExited
NextPharma Technologies, S.A.PharmaceuticalsExited
The Service Companies, Inc.Business ServicesExited
Zucamor SAIndustrialExited

Source: http://aprioricapital.com/portfolio

Sources

This profile is based on publicly available information and may be incomplete or outdated. PE Firm Index is not affiliated with DLJ Merchant Banking and does not provide investment advice.

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