Merriman Capital, a wholly owned subsidiary of Merriman Holdings, Inc. announced the addition of venture investment banker Jon Buttles to its Financial Entrepreneur Platform. Through the platform, Merriman contractually provides financial entrepreneurs with professional services, such as compliance and security licensing, facilities, legal services, distribution and technology infrastructure to help them grow their business.

Buttles is the founder and managing partner of Core Equity Group LLC, a venture banking boutique formed in 2004 that seeks to identify, accelerate and provide funding for earlier stage public and private companies. Core Equity Group seeks to fill a gap in the marketplace where compelling and fast growing companies reside, but are just outside the client criteria of traditional investment banks. Prior to forming Core Equity Group, Buttles’ career spanned the financial fields of technology investment banking, middle market private equity and corporate lending.

“In my career I have always gravitated towards working with passionate entrepreneurs and business owners, and being hands on in their development,” remarked Buttles. “We have focused our business on providing services to these fast growing companies, and helping them evolve to a stage where institutional level banks and investors can participate. We believe certain industry dynamics, both regulatory and from an infrastructure standpoint, favor the support of investment in early stage innovative companies. We are pleased to join the Merriman Capital platform and are confident that the relationship will provide us with a strong foundation on which to build and offer our services.”

Merriman commented: “I have known Jon Buttles for several years and greatly respect his breadth of contacts and experience in helping entrepreneurs achieve their goals. As a firm, we have always been interested in finding ways to work with fast growing, private companies that represent great long term investment opportunities. Jon joining our team gives him the ability to execute on exciting venture opportunities outside of our traditional institutional public company universe. We are excited to work with Jon in beginning to address this huge private and early stage public company market.”

Merriman Capital, Inc. is an investment banking firm providing equity and options execution services, market making and differentiated research for high growth companies.