CatalystIQ and Halpern Advisory Merge to Form Gate City Advisory

Merger of equals creates a new Atlanta-based firm combining transaction advisory, CFO services, and AI-powered operations for small and middle market companies

ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, March 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- CatalystIQ, a management consulting firm specializing in data analytics, technology strategy, and AI-powered operations, and Halpern Advisory, a financial consulting firm providing investment banking, transaction advisory, and CFO-to-go services, today announced they have merged to form Gate City Advisory, a new Atlanta-based advisory firm. The combination unites deal execution and financial leadership with AI engineering and data infrastructure to create an advisory platform purpose-built for the modern middle market.

Gate City Advisory offers an integrated model spanning transaction advisory and M&A execution, AI-accelerated diligence and data room preparation, growth capital and capital raising, post-close value capture, AI-powered reporting and workflow automation, and ongoing fractional CFO operations. The firm's tagline captures the philosophy: "We advise on the deal. We build the operating system."

Unlike traditional advisory firms that deliver recommendations and move on, Gate City Advisory builds working infrastructure—automated financial close processes, real-time KPI dashboards, AI-powered contract analysis, and centralized data systems—that remains with the client long after an engagement ends.

"We built Gate City to solve a problem we kept seeing in the market," said Andy Halpern, Managing Partner. "Business owners preparing for a transaction or transformation need financial expertise and deal execution, but they also need their data centralized, their reporting automated, and their operations ready to scale. Our clients get a finance operating system, not a PDF."

"The middle market is full of companies with great fundamentals but fragmented systems and manual processes," said Jason Miller, Managing Partner. "Every engagement produces tangible infrastructure—automated workflows, AI-powered analytics, dashboards that update in real time. Andy's transaction expertise means we know exactly what buyers, lenders, and boards need to see, and my job is to build the systems that deliver it."

The Partners
Andy Halpern oversees deals and financial operations. With over a decade of experience in investment banking, corporate finance, and M&A advisory, Andy serves as the principal financial advisor on buy-side, sell-side, and growth capital transactions. He also provides fractional CFO services, helping companies streamline reporting and drive profitable growth. Prior to forming Halpern Advisory, Andy served as Head of Finance, Accounting and Strategic Analytics for a leading Southeast-based retailer and began his career as a Big-4 CPA.

Jason Miller oversees AI and technology. A Georgia Institute of Technology graduate, Jason architects the AI-powered infrastructure, data systems, and automation that Gate City deploys for clients, with deep expertise in AI architecture, enterprise data infrastructure, business intelligence, and scalable finance automation.

Service Offerings
Gate City Advisory launches with five core engagement models: a Deal Readiness Sprint for M&A preparation including AI-organized data rooms; a Diligence Command Center for fast-turnaround support during live transactions; Growth Capital advisory for debt and equity raises; Post-Close Value Capture turning diligence insights into Day-1 execution; and an AI Enablement Sprint for CFO teams ready to modernize finance operations. The firm also provides ongoing fractional CFO support.

About Gate City Advisory
Gate City Advisory is a CFO advisory and AI-powered operations firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The firm combines transaction advisory, automated reporting, and intelligent infrastructure for lean finance teams navigating deals, building infrastructure, and deploying AI. Gate City was formed through the merger of CatalystIQ and Halpern Advisory. For more information, visit www.gatecityadvisory.com or contact hello@gatecityadvisory.com.

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