Aaron Barnes

Aaron Barnes is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of CEU Advisory Group, a strategic advisory firm he founded in 2017. The firm provides outsourced private equity deal flow and corporate development services, originating investment leads that fit partner criteria on both a targeted and opportunistic search basis. CEU Advisory Group -- whose name stands for "Corporate Execution Unlocked" -- specializes in M&A advisory and fundraising for companies with recurring revenue business models, and has contributed to over $200 million in transactions across SaaS, e-commerce, technology, energy technology, and digital media sectors.

Before founding CEU Advisory Group, Barnes built a career as a senior operating executive at several notable Silicon Valley and technology companies. He served as Chief Operating and Revenue Officer at Praetorian Digital, a SaaS-based learning and content platform for local government and public safety organizations. Praetorian Digital was named the U.S. Chamber of Commerce DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year in 2013 and was subsequently acquired by Lexipol through The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm, in February 2019. Prior to Praetorian Digital, Barnes served as Chief Revenue Officer at MOL Global, a major internet company in Southeast Asia that had acquired the social networking pioneer Friendster in 2009.

Barnes also held executive positions at Lockerz (later acquired by LightInTheBox, NASDAQ: LITB) and LookSmart (NASDAQ: LOOK), giving him deep experience across digital media, e-commerce, and internet platforms. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. His combined background as both an operator in venture-backed companies and a strategic dealmaker positions him uniquely as an angel investor and advisor to growth-stage technology businesses.

Aaron Barnes and CEU Advisory Group focus on companies with recurring revenue business models, particularly in the $5 million to $100 million revenue range. His investment and advisory thesis centers on:

• Recurring Revenue Models: Strong preference for SaaS, subscription-based, and other predictable-revenue businesses.
• Technology-Enabled Services: Focus on companies leveraging technology for scalable growth across sectors including SaaS, e-commerce, EdTech, healthcare, energy technology, digital media, and consumer.
• M&A and Capital Formation: Expertise in matching entrepreneurs with liquidity partners, identifying acquisition targets, and facilitating capital raises (equity and debt).
• Operational Value-Add: As a former C-suite operator at multiple venture-backed companies (with ties to firms like KPCB and Sequoia Capital), Barnes brings hands-on operational experience to portfolio companies.
• Seed-Stage Angel Investing: In addition to advisory work, Barnes makes direct angel investments at the seed stage, drawing on his network and operational background to support early-stage founders.