VestGen Wealth Partners has secured growth capital from Willow Tree Credit Partners, giving the two-year-old Chicago aggregator fresh firepower to extend a Midwest acquisition run that has already brought 19 advisory firms under one roof.
The deal does not disclose the size of the credit facility. VestGen CEO Jason Hanavan said the institutional backing will allow the firm to press forward with what he described as an "aggressive growth strategy" in a wealth management sector defined by rapid consolidation.
"After launching only two years ago and successfully integrating 19 firms representing $7.5 billion in assets primarily in the Midwest, access to institutional capital will allow us to continue our aggressive growth strategy," Hanavan said in a statement.
VestGen now oversees $8.5 billion in total client assets, up from $5.3 billion at launch in late 2024, when the firm debuted with 10 advisory practices. Nine additional firms representing $2.2 billion in assets joined the platform in 2025.
Willow Tree, the New York-based private credit firm founded by Tim Lower in 2017, has built a $5 billion platform around senior secured, floating-rate loans to middle market businesses.
The VestGen deal marks a move into the rapidly consolidating independent wealth management space, where private credit lenders increasingly compete alongside traditional private equity for a stake in the sector's growth story.
The sustained presence of institutional capital in wealth management M&A has underpinned consolidation, funding growth strategies and supporting large-scale acquisition programs across the landscape, according to a 2026 mid-year analysis from Fidelity Clearing & Custody.
Lower framed the partnership in terms of VestGen's track record. "They have built a scaled platform and shown a disciplined ability to source, close and integrate high-quality firms," he said. "We are pleased to provide flexible capital to support their acquisition strategy."
VestGen's pitch to sellers is built around a succession-focused model - a proposition that has resonated with retiring advisors across the independent channel.
The firm also launched VestGen Retirement Services during 2025, positioning itself to serve both plan sponsors and participants alongside its core wealth management offering. It has invested in developing NextGen advisors as part of its effort to retain client relationships across generations.
The backing comes as wealth management M&A is on track for its most active year on record. Dealmakers announced 120 transactions in the second quarter of 2026 alone, and total volume for the year is on pace to reach approximately 500 deals, according to Echelon Partners' latest RIA M&A Deal Report.
The marquee transaction of the quarter was Empower's acquisition of Milliman's $80 billion book of business, a deal that underscores the growing overlap between retirement plan services and wealth management.
VestGen's model of acquiring practices primarily in the $300 million to $600 million range, integrating them onto a unified technology and service platform, and retaining advisors through equity participation, mirrors a playbook that has attracted significant institutional interest across the RIA space.
Twenty-two minority-investment transactions were announced in the first half of 2026 alone, with the most active investors including Elevation Point, Emigrant Partners, Accelerated Wealth Partners, and Merchant, according to Fidelity's analysis.
For VestGen, the distinction lies in its emphasis on generational continuity. The firm markets itself as a solution to the advisory industry's succession problem - pairing retiring founders with NextGen professionals who can maintain long-term client relationships rather than simply absorbing the book of business.
Hanavan indicated in his statement that near-term announcements are forthcoming, describing moves that would "set us up for long-term success." The firm did not specify a target asset level or deal count for the next phase of its growth program.
Raymond James & Associates served as financial advisor to VestGen. White & Case acted as legal counsel to Willow Tree Credit Partners, and Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff represented VestGen.
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