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We put
Founders and Innovators first.

What Drives Us

OUR MISSION

To accelerate innovation and drive positive impact by providing expert strategic and financial guidance and customized solutions to visionary, mission-driven leaders.​

OUR VALUES

Service

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We prioritize exceptional service by fostering close, long-term relationships with our clients, providing proactive guidance and comprehensive support. Beyond our clients, we are dedicated to serving our communities by using our expertise and resources to uplift those around us.

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Excellence

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We strive for the highest standards in everything we do. Drawing on decades of experience and diverse backgrounds, we deliver exceptional outcomes for our clients with integrity, accountability, and creativity. 

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Diversity

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We believe that diverse perspectives drive innovation and better outcomes. We foster a culture where different ideas, backgrounds, and experiences are celebrated and leveraged. We support management teams who use diversity as a strength to better serve their constituents. 

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Growth

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Growth, to us, means continuous evolution. We are committed to collaborating with and learning from the leading experts, our colleagues, and our clients. We believe in lifting ourselves and others by sharing knowledge, fostering an environment where continuous improvement, innovation, and development are not only goals but practices we engage in daily.

What Grounds Us

LEADERSHIP

Akos's Senior Leadership Team has significant deal experience from top-tier global investment banking firms, investment funds, and entrepreneurial ventures.    

Eugene Izumo

Founder and Managing Partner

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Eugene brings over two decades of strategic advisory and business management experience, having led clients through M&A and capital raising transactions totaling over $6 billion in combined value. His interdisciplinary expertise spans corporate finance, business operations management, public health, technology, and education, enabling him to guide clients through complex strategic decisions and transaction processes. Before founding Akos Advisors, Eugene was a Managing Director at FocalPoint Partners, where he successfully led the execution of the most successful (as measured by value enhancement) M&A deal in the firm's 20-year history. He also spearheaded the creation of FocalPoint's first investment banking training program and played a pivotal role in growing the healthcare team from just two members to one of the largest middle-market healthcare services investment banking teams in the U.S. in just three years. Prior to FocalPoint, Eugene was a Vice President at GCA Savvian in their San Francisco office, advising on M&A transactions with notable Fortune 500 companies such as Google, Zillow, and IHS Markit. He also worked on several U.S.-Japan cross-border M&A deals. (GCA was later acquired by Houlihan Lokey in 2021, with its executives now leading Houlihan's Global Technology Group.) Eugene began his investment banking career in Citigroup's New York office, where he worked with some of the largest global private equity funds. Eugene's business management experience includes leadership positions at McMaster-Carr and at several high-growth, venture-backed startups. At McMaster, Eugene learned Six Sigma-style operations management strategy and led departments of 80-100 people by age 26. Eugene studied neuroscience and computer science at Brown University, received his teaching credential and Master's in Math Education from Loyola Marymount University, graduated with distinction from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, and completed the Global Healthcare Leadership Executive Program at Harvard University. He is a FINRA Series 79 and 63 registered representative. Eugene has a deep passion for improving healthcare and education access. He began his career as a math teacher through Teach For America (TFA), teaching at Stevenson Middle School in East Los Angeles, where his students became the highest performing in their grade. He was subsequently elected to the School Planning and Budgeting Board. Today, he is actively involved in several non-profits focused on promoting diversity and driving healthcare innovation.

Matthew Swing

Managing Director

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Matthew Swing has over fifteen years of strategic advisory and accounting experience. He has advised founder businesses, corporate boards, and private equity firms on mergers and acquisitions, capital raises, and strategic alternatives, totaling more than $140 billion in combined transaction value. Matthew leverages his technical and corporate finance expertise to guide his clients in (i) operational improvements, (ii) key performance indicator tracking, (iii) fulfilling gaps in leadership, and (iv) all perceived and unobserved founder considerations needed to successfully navigate a positive transaction outcome.  Prior to joining Akos, Matthew was a senior member of FocalPoint Partners’ (now B. Riley Securities) investment banking group. Before that, he was a Vice President in Duff & Phelps’ (now Kroll) Corporate Finance Practice, where he executed complex board advisory engagements on behalf of founders and global private equity firms such as KKR, Blackstone, Blackrock, Apollo, and Carlyle. Matthew’s passion for advising founder-based leadership began in his youth, where he was surrounded by entrepreneurial and academic family members, all of whom developed successful ventures from restaurants to real estate development endeavors. Matthew’s grandfather, an Air Force veteran, university professor, and entrepreneur, taught him the values of courage, hard work, and calculated risk-taking.   Outside of work, he enjoys salsa dancing and physical activities. On weekends he volunteers for the New York Cycle Club and the New York Road Runners. He loves experiencing new cultures and has traveled to more than 15 countries around the world. ​ Matthew received his Bachelors of Science in Entrepreneurship and Finance from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is a FINRA Series 79 and 63 registered representative.

Neil Aggarwal

Head of Research

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  • LinkedIn

Neil currently serves as the Head of Research at Akos, where he leads efforts in market research, data analytics, and outbound marketing.  Before transitioning into the finance industry, Neil co-founded NavForward, a tech-enabled executive search firm. For over a decade, he directed the development of comprehensive data systems that tracked real-time career changes—such as promotions, lateral moves, and office relocations. This extensive dataset empowered his company to deliver valuable insights to management teams, aiding in strategic growth planning and recruiting. Neil’s blend of technical and business acumen is supported by a strong educational background. He holds a Juris Doctor from Northwestern Law School and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Rochester. His career also includes roles as a litigator at a prominent international law firm, a software engineer at Accenture, and a math teacher with Teach for America in Los Angeles (where he met Eugene).  In his free time, Neil enjoys swimming, a passion he pursued competitively in college. He also enjoys spending time with his curious and highly active son, Nikky.

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