Ryan Battle is the founder and owner of Battle Investment Group, a private investment firm based in New York. He started the firm in 2005 after working as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs. Battle was born in 1978 in New Jersey and graduated from Princeton University with a degree in economics. Here is an overview of his entrepreneurial journey and key achievements in building Battle Investment Group into a successful investment firm.
Founded Battle Investment Group in 2005 after leaving Goldman Sachs
Ryan Battle worked as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs in New York for 7 years after graduating from college. He specialized in mergers and acquisitions and IPO transactions. In 2005, at the age of 27, Battle left Goldman Sachs to start his own private investment firm called Battle Investment Group. He started the firm with $10 million in seed capital from high net worth individuals he knew from his time at Goldman Sachs. Battle convinced them of his investment acumen and that he could deliver outsized returns.
Quickly grew the firm’s AUM to over $1 billion by 2010
Battle Investment Group started with just a few employees in 2005. Battle focused on deep value and activist investing strategies. His track record of strong returns quickly attracted more investors. By 2010, Battle Investment Group’s assets under management (AUM) had surpassed $1 billion. This early success established Battle’s reputation in the hedge fund industry.
Expanded into private equity and venture capital
As Battle Investment Group continued to grow, Ryan Battle looked to expand into private equity and venture capital investing. He believed these private market strategies could generate even higher returns. In 2012, Battle launched a private equity arm focused on leveraged buyouts of small companies. In 2015, he started a venture capital fund to invest in early stage technology startups.
Opened additional offices in London and Hong Kong
Ryan Battle’s long term vision was to build a global investment firm. Battle Investment Group opened its first international office in London in 2013. The London team focused on European special situations and activist investments. In 2016, Battle opened an office in Hong Kong to pursue Asian private investments. The firm now had a presence in the three major financial hubs of New York, London and Hong Kong.
In just over 10 years, Ryan Battle built Battle Investment Group into a multi-billion dollar global investment firm involved in public markets, private equity and venture capital. His entrepreneurial drive and investment vision were key to this remarkable growth.