# David Wachter

> David Wachter is the New York-based founding partner and CEO of W Capital Partners, which he co-founded in 2001. His work focuses on direct secondaries and GP-led transactions that provide liquidity to private-company shareholders. Previously an investment banker and merchant banker at Lehman Brothers, C.E. Unterberg, Towbin and Jefferies, he has also served on investment-company boards and the National Venture Capital Association board.

- **Role:** Founding Partner and CEO at W Capital Partners
- **Organizations:** W Capital Partners, BNP Paribas Asset Management Private Equity, AXA IM Prime, SLR Investment Corp., National Venture Capital Association, Jefferies & Co., C.E. Unterberg, Towbin, Lehman Brothers
- **Education:** BS in Engineering, major in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, magna cum laude, Tufts University, MBA with distinction, New York University Graduate School of Business
- **Known for:** Co-founded W Capital Partners in 2001 and developed its direct-secondary investment business., Led a firm that reported $1 billion invested through more than 70 transactions by July 2013., W Capital reported $1.9 billion in regulatory assets under management at December 2023.

## Career timeline

- **1986–1990** — Investment banker at Lehman Brothers.
- **1990–1999** — Founding partner and managing director at C.E. Unterberg, Towbin.
- **1999–2001** — Managing director at Jefferies & Co.
- **2001** — Co-founded W Capital Partners with Stephen Wertheimer and Robert Migliorino.
- **2004** — W Capital closed its first fund at $250 million.
- **2007** — Began serving as a director of SLR Investment Corp. and its predecessor fund in February.
- **2008** — W Capital announced the $700 million close of Fund II on March 6.
- **2013** — W Capital announced its $750 million Fund III close on July 30.
- **2023** — NVCA announced his board appointment on May 11 for a 2023–2027 term.
- **2024** — AXA IM announced its acquisition agreement on April 3; an SEC filing records completion on April 30.

## Achievements

- Co-founded W Capital Partners in 2001 and developed its direct-secondary investment business.
- Led a firm that reported $1 billion invested through more than 70 transactions by July 2013.
- W Capital reported $1.9 billion in regulatory assets under management at December 2023.
- Selected among Private Equity International’s 30 Rising Stars, according to his official biography.
- His official biography identifies him as the first NVCA board member representing a secondary fund and former chair of its Growth Equity Executive Committee.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Participated with Todd Miller in the Buyouts interview “Secondaries now core to PE portfolio management.”
- **2025-09** — Appeared in the IPEM Global 2025 TV Studio interview published by IPEM.
- **2025-07** — W Capital published his essay “Running on Empty,” discussing fund reserves and direct-secondary liquidity.

## Links

- Website: https://www.wcapgroup.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-wachter-4b838

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/david-wachter
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-10