Castlegate Capital Advisors is a boutique private equity and advisory firm based in Tiburon, California that provides investment capital and advisory services to small and lower-middle market companies predominantly in the Western United States.
The Castlegate team offers a deep and broad array of experience that is unique for firms of its size and focus. For over 25 years, they have been successful investors, entrepreneurs, executives, and advisors whose experience ensures an understanding of the myriad of challenges that companies face in daily operations as well as during transformational events. Most importantly, our collective experience provides our partner companies an operationally focused, value-added investor and advisor.
Working with our partners, we take an unbiased, comprehensive and long-term view at businesses, combining the strategic thinking of a debt and equity investor with the tactical eye of experienced operators. Depending on the situation we can and will provide operating executives, board members and advisors on an interim basis.
Mr. Von Burg is the founder of Castlegate Capital Advisors and has over 20 years of investment, restructuring and operational experience with performing as well as underperforming and distressed companies. Castlegate has made control equity investments in a specialty pharmacy and home care delivery platform, a transportation and logistics technology based company, and a custom wine services provider. Additionally, Castlegate has smaller debt and equity investments in several growth companies.
Mr. Von Burg was a founding partner of Monomoy Capital Partners, LLC. (MCP), a distressed equity fund focused on lower middle market businesses. Over a four year period, MCP acquired 12 platform companies and made 3 add-on acquisitions in a broad range of industries ranging from a glass manufacturer to a woman’s apparel catalog company. In addition to his responsibilities formulating investment strategy, Mr. Von Burg provided direct management expertise in implementing restructuring programs through management change and aggressive cost reductions. Prior to MCP, Mr. Von Burg worked for the KPS Special Situation Funds (KPS) as a dedicated consultant initially and then as a managing director at KPS from 2000 to 2005. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of Blue Ridge Paper Products, Blue Heron Paper, United Road Services and AmeriCast Technologies.
Prior to joining KPS, Mr. Von Burg was a Managing Director at Arthur Anderson in its Corporate Recovery consulting practice, held senior management positions with turnaround responsibilities at The Leslie Fay Companies and GRS Networks, and operated an independent consulting firm specializing in interim, crisis and turnaround management.
Mr. Von Burg holds a Masters in Business Administration from New York University and is a graduate of the University of Virginia. He is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Turnaround Professional (CTP) and a Certified Insolvency & Reorganization Accountant (CIRA). He is also currently a Board Member of the Northern California Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association.
Mr. Chandra is a Director at Castlegate Capital Advisors and has over 15 years of experience working in financial and operational management roles for start-ups and small businesses. Mr. Chandra’s work experience provides a versatile skill set for portfolio companies assisting technology as a competitive advantage in their operations and marketing.
Mr. Chandra was the Senior Marketing and Business Development Manager at LNC group, a $30 Million fashion house that has manufactured for several global brands including Guess, Fubu, Michael Kors, Kellwood and Wal-Mart. Mr. Chandra successfully launched two private label brands and managed direct marketing campaigns. Mr. Chandra licensed a major denim label with a manufacturing contract valued at over $15 Million.
Prior to joining LNC, Mr. Chandra was a Team Lead at Computer Science Corporation where he managed the computer network & network security for the Air Force financial systems office in Ohio. Mr. Chandra implemented an equipment maintenance plan that allowed the government to plan and budget hardware/software purchases stopping unnecessary spending. Mr. Chandra conducted weekly training sessions to educate users on new software tools and security protocols implemented by the Department of Defense.
Mr. Chandra served in the US Air Force from 2002 to 2006 where he specialized in budgeting and accounting. During the course of his active tenure, Mr. Chandra managed and processed financial transactions for a $60 Million annual budget.
Mr. Chandra received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from The University of Bangalore, India.