Dan Ives, a prominent Wall Street technology analyst, is leaving Wedbush Securities after eight years to start a new merchant bank, marking a significant career shift for one of the best-known figures in sell-side tech research. Ives said the new firm will be formally announced in the coming weeks and is designed to bring together proprietary research, strategic advisory work, capital raising and investing within a single business.
Ives said the venture will focus on helping companies and investors take advantage of opportunities created by artificial intelligence and other long-term changes across the economy. He described the project as a "modern merchant bank" backed by long-term capital and said he believes it can reshape how Wall Street views investment banking. He also said he plans to continue covering technology stocks in a research role while helping build the broader firm.
The planned business is expected to operate across sectors including technology, energy and financials. Ives said the firm intends to recruit talent from across Wall Street and position itself around the industrial and corporate changes being driven by AI. His comments are consistent with the bullish stance on artificial intelligence that has made him a familiar presence for investors and television audiences.
The move is notable because Ives has built a public profile that extends beyond traditional analyst duties. During his time at Wedbush, he also served on the advisory board of Zeta Global and briefly as chairman of Eightco Holdings. At Eightco, he led a crypto treasury strategy centered on Worldcoin, the digital token linked to Sam Altman's identity venture, World. Those roles, combined with his long tenure covering technology stocks, underscore the broader platform from which he is launching his new firm.