Starting a consumer-focused buyout firm in this economy takes some real guts. One might even say it takes “moxie.”
That would seem to be the thought process behind
San Francisco-based Moxie got its start in January of this year. Though no formal fund-raising effort has been launched to date, the firm has already scoped out a couple of opportunities, passing on one because it was too small, says a source familiar with the situation has told.
Arlander declined to comment due to the firm’s early stage in development.
It appears that Moxie Capital has yet to file a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
While at Bear Stearns Merchant Banking, Arlander led the firm through successful investments in consumer products companies, such as New York & Co., a women’s apparel retailer that the firm reportedly earned a 12x return on its investment.
The firm’s retail arm also reportedly made 80x its money on an investment in teen apparel chain Aeropostale.
Arlander left Bear Stearns Merchant Banking about a year ago, after parent company Bear Stearns collapsed, but before the firm’s private equity arm struck out on its own under the name