Manikandan Raja is an Analyst at Awad Capital where he supports the execution of sell-side and buy-side M&A mandates as well as capital raising transactions. He joined Awad Capital in 2022 and has experience working on mergers, acquisitions, and asset carve-outs.

Prior to joining Awad Capital, Manikandan was an investment banking Analyst at SA Global Advisors, a technology-focused investment bank based in India, and held an internship position in Torchpass Management, a search fund based in Chicago. Before this, he was a member of the Golder Academies with a focus on investment banking and a consultant at EntreCorps, a student-led consulting organization.

Manikandan graduated with the highest honors and dual degrees in Finance and Accounting from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, United States. In his free time, he enjoys playing football, soccer, and video games.