Our Genesis And Our Times
Worldstar was conceptualised in 2003 as a contrarian view to the era of financial de-regulation in most of the Anglo-saxon world that resulted in credit and capital excesses around the world perpetuated through moral hazard in financial advisory. Our search for enduring investing values and principals began in the wake of collapses of Arthur Anderson, Enron and Lehman Brothers. We found the principles of corporate finance, long-term investing and managing-for-value as outlined by a little-known German management co., Stern Stewart & Co. and operating and quality principles by Peter Drucker and Joseph Juran, later refined by McKinsey and Deloitte to be well laid out and common-sensical.
We stood on the shoulders of these giants, and setup advisory and investment operations in mid-2008 adding our own little twist and capital behind i.e. watching out for global banking A/L (mis)matches, credit and derivative markets positions, rapid technological, geopolitical shifts and government balance sheets. We then practiced under a family office that generated tremendous shareholder value in an industry known for doing the opposite and applied everything (including our dollar/rupee/euro/pound) in our own unique way.
WORLDSTAR VALUES AND INVESTING PRINCIPLES
We believe… client and investee relationships, accounted for and reported properly, provide us a better return over time.
We thus… place our client’s interests above, and investee interests aligned, with our own, in spirit yes, but also in our fees structure.
We believe… today’s business world, though unpredictable, is but highly connected (it can appear falling apart, but it's not!).
We thus… strive to place all transaction, business and investment information in one mind, to be complete in our analysis.
We believe… a company’s line of business i.e. operations and its strategy should determine its financing.
We thus… apply deep industrial-logic to investment structure, while recognizing rapid techno-logic impact on operations.
We are… WORLDSTAR
and
We invest in design-led industrial and technology and information businesses with ethical & agile managers and strong fundamentals
and then hold these for decades, if not forever, across multiple cycles and despite all the above global risks.
.. and only old friends know the story behind our logo and then :) iykyk! ..
Our Team Is Exceptional
Our team comprises seasoned transaction executives bringing 25 years of deal experience with top-notch corporate development (M&A), family office, and strategy consulting environments; and with ivy-league educational backgrounds. Our analysts and associates come from top global schools, and are trained extensively in financial/legal disciplines and deal execution. Collectively, we have executed transactions worth $3.9b, split roughly 60-40 on D/E.
Our Senior Leadership
Our senior leadership brings over 25 years of experience in executing transactions, conducting commercial and financial diligence, and advising on strategic issues. Our Partners come from blue-chip investment management and strategy consulting firms in Mumbai, California, New York, and London. Educationally, they hail from such institutions as IIT-Delhi, London Business School, King's College, and Insead.
Their chargeable rates to clients are either comparable or higher than firms such as Mckinsey, Bain, and Goldman Sachs. Except that in philosophy and practice, they are ethical, client relationship oriented, technologically savvy, and fresh in their thinking about global financial integration (or disintegration!).
Our Associates
Our associates and analysts are experienced in M&A or strategy consulting, and come from top India and international schools. Upon their induction into Worldstar, they are trained extensively in financial and legal disciplines, and our rigourous deal management process.
Our Advisors
We actively engage with seasoned finance practitioners in industry and thought leaders in academia to keep a tab on international developments in capital markets.