Stifel Financial receives final approval for North Atlantic AM-Forward Fund

Stifel Financial (SF) announced final federal approval for its Stifel North Atlantic AM-Forward Fund, designed to provide capital to small and mid-sized American manufacturers in the aerospace and defense industries, with a specific focus on increasing additive and advanced manufacturing capabilities in the domestic supply chain. As part of the final approval process, the Fund has earned a Small Business Investment Company license from the Small Business Administration, in partnership with the Department of Defense under the SBIC Critical Technology initiative. With this structure, the Fund is eligible for SBA leverage, which can supplement the amount of private capital raised, and expand investment reach. Earlier this year, the Fund became the first applicant to receive initial “green light” approval to actively raise private capital under this historic SBICCT initiative.