Clavana is delighted to welcome the newest members of our Elite Athlete Programme:
Australian Olympian Angus Dawson, Team USA Olympians Aaron Small and Drew Kibler, and Finnish National Champion Liina Winborn.

Clavana is proud to welcome Grace Castonguay to the team. A Team USA biathlete who rose through World Cup and World Championships finishes within five years, Grace brings structured discipline, analytical clarity, and international high-performance experience into buy-side origination at Clavana.

Clavana is pleased to welcome Destin Lasco to the team. A world-class backstroke swimmer competing internationally and targeting the LA28 Olympic cycle, Destin brings the same discipline, technical precision, and consistency from elite sport into buy-side origination.

Clavana is pleased to welcome Adele Likin to the team. A professional Ironman 70.3 athlete with multiple top-five finishes, she now brings the same sporting discipline and consistency into deal origination at Clavana.

Clavana is proud to welcome Darr Smith - world-ranked US triathlete with eight professional wins, 19 podiums, and a recent top-10 finish at the 2025 World Triathlon Championship Series Weihai. Darr's decade of high-performance racing, with over 100 professional starts, has shaped a rare and "elite" blend of endurance, consistency, and competitive clarity perfectly aligned with Clavana’s approach to origination.

Clavana is proud to welcome Paul Schommer - US Olympian, World Cup biathlete, and trusted leader within US Biathlon - to our Origination Team. Known for his elite blend of endurance, precision, and composure under pressure, Paul now brings his competitive mindset and authentic, people-centred approach to private-markets origination as he prepares for Milano–Cortina 2026.

Clavana is proud to welcome Madigan Munro - World Championship mountain biking medallist, multi-time U23 National and Pan-American Champion, and Team USA athlete. One of the most versatile and disciplined riders in American cycling, Madigan now brings her precision, emotional intelligence, and high-performance mindset to private-markets origination, while continuing to compete internationally.

Clavana is proud to welcome Chris Del Bosco, three-time Olympian, X Games medallist, and Ski Cross World Champion, to its Origination Team. One of the most respected competitors in the sport, Chris now brings his precision, resilience, and high-performance mindset to private-markets origination while leading a resurgence of U.S. Ski Cross and targeting Milano–Cortina 2026.

Clavana is proud to welcome Kali Wilding, Team USA sprint kayaker and rising international competitor, to its Origination Team. Whilst still representing the U.S. on the world stage, Kali brings her elite performance mindset, curiosity, team spirit and relationship-driven mindset to private-markets deal origination at Clavana.

Clavana is thrilled to welcome Teal Cohen, Olympian and World Champion rower, to its Origination Team. Fresh off gold medals at the World Rowing Championships in Shanghai and the Head of the Charles Regatta, Teal continues to train with Team USA whilst building her career in private-markets origination with Clavana.

Clavana, a next-generation M&A origination and deal sourcing firm, today announced its official launch.

Founded by seasoned dealmakers Clive Cooper and Lara Hughes-Francis, Clavana partners with private equity funds, portfolio companies, and acquisitive corporates to unlock vetted, off-market M&A opportunities worldwide.

This article explains what buy-side M&A really means and why proactive origination has become a competitive advantage for private equity and acquisitive corporates. It outlines how market mapping, direct founder outreach, and early relationship building create proprietary opportunities. For investors and founders alike, buy-side engagement is reshaping how deals are done.