Start-ups launched by ex-bankers / ex-consultants

HF's are pretty popular for ex-bankers to start-up. I think a lot of them start up when the bankers realize "hey, I can do this crap better than a bank." I'm sure ex-traders start up HF's as well, but I mainly see ex-bankers which is sort of ironic.

Do burned-out bankers do any interesting stuff other than HFs? Interesting startups?

This ex-banker started a lingerie company (my wife's industry).  I know of several other bankers who have started fashion related companies. 

How easy/hard is it to raise capital being an ex banker?

How about non-profit? Are they into it afer banking?

I would think that more ex-consultants than ex-bankers end up taking the entrepreneurial route. But there are more bankers than consultants on this board, so that might skew the answers to your questions.

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Right now this is a job. If I advance any higher in this company, then this would be my career. And um... Well, if this were my career, I'd have to throw myself in front of a train.

A lot of consultants do consulting with the view of starting their own business, predominantly coming in as associates. Bain and BCG seem to have a much more entrepreneurial bend than the other GMCs but by and large there are a lot of people interested in starting their own firm.

Arguably the consulting network is better for a new firm than the banking network, but honestly the skillset itself is relatively similar.

Sort of finance-related but in a different vein from conventional private equity/hedge funds... hope to share more with the board by the time summer rolls around and I can reveal more.

I know of other ex-bankers who have done non-profit work, taught in different countries, and even one who started a Chinese import/export company!

Not everyone goes to a PE or HF... that's just the default thing to do. :)

http://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/
Mergers & Inquisitions

dosk, would be very interested to hear what you're up to. Let us all know when you can!