Founded in 1998 by Bill Hambrecht, WR Hambrecht + Co is a financial services firm committed to using technology and auction processes to provide open and fair access to financial markets for all its clients. The firm’s impartial auctions have dramatically changed the traditional investment banking landscape by allowing the market to determine pricing and allocations.

The OpenIPO® auction, for example, levels the playing field in initial public offerings, allowing individuals and institutional investors to bid online for shares of an IPO. All investors end up paying the same price – a price determined by the auction. The OpenBook® auction for corporate bonds, is an online system that offers transparent, real-time price discovery. OpenFollowOn® auction extends the transparency and real-time price discovery of the OpenBook auction to follow-on equity offerings allowing interactive bidding and gives investors a view into the book as it builds.

WR Hambrecht + Co continues to identify markets where auctions will benefit investors and issuers. We provide underwriting and advisory services for technology and emerging growth companies, as well as technology driven institutional agency brokerage and a fully electronic retail brokerage platform for individual investors.

WR Hambrecht + Co is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia.