Dan Ives Exits Wedbush to Launch Technology Merchant Bank

Dan Ives, Wedbush Securities' managing director and global head of technology research, has left the firm to launch a merchant banking venture, Wedbush said on July 1.

Ives, one of Wall Street's most visible commentators on Big Tech and AI, departed "to establish a new investment banking venture," according to the firm. His exit creates an immediate transition point for one of Wedbush's highest-profile research franchises and removes a closely followed voice on large-cap technology, EVs, software and AI-linked stocks.

In interviews reported by financial media, Ives said the new business will be a "modern merchant bank" combining research, advisory, capital raising and investing. Bloomberg reported the firm is expected to operate across technology, energy, infrastructure and financials. A formal launch is expected in the coming weeks, though its name, legal structure and capitalization have not been disclosed.

Barron's, citing an interview Ives gave to CNBC, reported that he is leaving to start "a merchant bank aimed at combining research, advisory, capital raising and investing." CNBC reported that Ives plans to continue publishing technology research on the new platform.

Wedbush framed the move as part of its continued buildout rather than a retrenchment, saying it remains committed to its global technology banking and research platform. It did not identify a successor to Ives.

Ives joined Wedbush in his current senior research role in 2018, according to the firm's analyst biography, and became one of the most recognizable sell-side figures covering technology. His coverage has included Apple, Microsoft, Tesla, Palantir, Oracle, Salesforce, Uber, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Zscaler and Rivian, among other large- and mid-cap growth companies. He has also been a frequent television guest and a prominent bull on AI investment themes.

For investors, the immediate question is less about any single rating change and more about who fills the vacuum in Wedbush's technology research leadership, particularly around AI and major growth stocks where Ives often shaped market narrative.

The new platform also raises questions about the boundaries between research and dealmaking. A merchant bank combining published research with advisory work, capital raising and principal investing offers a broader business model than a traditional sell-side role, but can draw closer scrutiny from clients and regulators over conflicts, disclosures and information barriers.

The issue is not new in Ives' case. Earlier reporting drew attention to his outside roles, including a planned chairmanship at Eightco Holdings tied to a Worldcoin treasury strategy, alongside his research position at Wedbush. Those arrangements prompted scrutiny over potential conflicts. Wedbush's July 1 statement gives no indication that such issues drove his departure.

For now the details are limited. Wedbush has confirmed the departure and Ives has outlined the broad model, but the new firm's name, launch date, ownership structure and research distribution remain unknown. The clearest takeaway is that a widely followed technology analyst is moving out of the traditional brokerage model into a more expansive, and potentially more complex, platform.