Docupace Secures Growth Equity Investment from FTV Capital
Names Veteran Industry Executive David Knoch as CEO to Drive Next Phase of Expansion for Wealth Management Industry’s Leading Cloud-Based Digital Operations Platform
April 28, 2020
LOS ANGELES, California – April 28, 2020 – Docupace, the leader in cloud-based digital operations software for wealth management firms, today announced it has secured a significant growth equity investment from FTV Capital, a sector-focused growth equity investment firm. This investment enables Docupace to expand its product and service offerings to its broker-dealer, registered investment adviser (RIA) and insurance firm customers, as well as with the financial advisors affiliated with these businesses. Docupace also announced the appointment of David Knoch, former president of 1st Global, to the role of chief executive officer, effective immediately.
The investment and leadership FTV Capital brings to the company will help Docupace accelerate its client-centric initiatives of expanding its capabilities and support, advancing product development and continuing their thought leadership in automating the ways front and back-offices operate, communicate and generate new business.
“As a longtime advocate and client of Docupace, I am excited to lead the company and accelerate its growth strategy,” said Knoch. “During my decades leading one of the country’s most successful independent wealth management firms, I know how important it is to make the client experience effortless. Robust operating practices translate into better client outcomes, yet too few firms have fully automated the front and back office. Our mission is to solve for this, and with innovative products and platforms that are a natural outgrowth of a culture that prizes anticipating and developing solutions for clients ahead of their needs, and in advance of industry trends, we will do just that.”
Before joining Docupace, as president of 1st Global, the premier research and consulting partner to select CPA, wealth management and tax planning firms, Knoch grew revenue and profitability margins by over 50%, increased client satisfaction to 97%, grew assets under management by 154% and transformed recurring revenue from 55% to 81% of total revenue. Additionally, he developed industry leading investment advisory programs and technologies, growing assets under management from $900 million to $10 billion over 14 years, a 17.1% annual growth rate. Most recently, Knoch led the sale of 1st Global to Blucora, the leading provider of tax-smart financial solutions. In 2018 and 2019, the readers of Investment Advisor Magazine voted Knoch as one of the 25 most influential people in the investment advisory profession and Knoch served as the 2019 chairman of the board for the Financial Services Institute (FSI).
With an 18-year track record of creating groundbreaking digital innovations for wealth management firms, Docupace’s highly-configurable low code development platform delivers solutions that include client and advisor onboarding, document management, standardized workflows, robust approval processes, and compliant storage as an integrated platform that eliminates the need for multiple vendors.
“We are excited by the innovation taking place across the wealth management landscape and Docupace’s commitment to reducing paper and increasing back-office automation,” said Robert Anderson, partner at FTV Capital. “At FTV, we are passionate about the future of digitization and the crucial role it plays in empowering financial advice providers and the firms that serve them, especially in an era when organizations need to be more flexible in enabling remote work solutions, and more immediately responsive to client needs in the face of market uncertainty.”
“From the outset of our discussions, it was clear that FTV Capital offered the ideal combination of deep domain expertise and value-add,” said Michael Pinsker, founder and president, Docupace. “In the coming weeks and months, we have an exciting pipeline of near-term capabilities for our clients that we will be unveiling for the first time. With the backing of FTV Capital, Docupace begins a new era of success, in alignment with a business partner that shares our vision and possesses a unique ability to help us accelerate our growth as we leverage FTV’s Global Partner Network and more than 20 years of experience working with companies like ours.”
Alongside existing board member Michael Pinsker, Docupace’s board of directors has been modified to encompass David Knoch, as well as Rob Anderson, Brad Bernstein and Adam Hallquist from FTV Capital.
Former Docupace chief executive officer Mark Tapling—who successfully advanced the company’s culture, financial performance, client service and execution over the past two years—will remain with the company for an interim period to ensure a smooth and seamless transition of leadership. The company’s founder, Michael Pinsker, will serve as president of Docupace, providing long-term continuity, institutional expertise and strategic guidance.
About Docupace
Docupace is a leading digital operations technology provider that simplifies how wealth management firms process and digitize data, increasing efficiency, productivity, and profits. With the secure, cloud-based Docupace Platform, the Docupace team provides a suite of digital solutions that helps broker-dealers, RIAs, and their advisors streamline and automate client onboarding, document management, advisor transitions, cybersecurity, and other critical workflows while maintaining SEC and FINRA compliance.
With headquarters in Los Angeles, California, Docupace is proud to serve a variety of firms, including some of the largest in the financial services industry, through a combination of proven technology and hands-on service. For more information, please visit www.docupace.com.
About FTV Capital
FTV Capital is a growth equity investment firm that has raised over $3.7 billion to invest in high-growth companies offering a range of innovative solutions in three sectors: enterprise technology & services, financial services and payments & transaction processing. FTV’s experienced team leverages its domain expertise and proven track record in each of these sectors to help motivated management teams accelerate growth. FTV also provides companies with access to its Global Partner Network®, a group of the world’s leading enterprises and executives who have helped FTV portfolio companies for two decades. Founded in 1998, FTV Capital has invested in more than 110 portfolio companies, including a number of successful companies in the asset and wealth management space such as Apex Fund Services, Enfusion, Financial Engines, InvestCloud, Riskalyze, Strata Fund Solutions and True Potential. FTV has offices in San Francisco and New York. For more information, visit www.ftvcapital.com.
