Brennan Plaetzer
Advisor at BAYANA
New York City Metropolitan Area
Overview
Work Experience
Fractional CFO
2025 - Current
As Fractional CFO of Zup Protocol, I help guide financial strategy and capital planning for one of the most ambitious projects in Web3. Zup is building the next generation of liquidity infrastructure—a protocol designed to route liquidity seamlessly across chains, optimize transaction flow, and enable developers to plug into a unified layer of financial connectivity. My role focuses on scaling the financial operating system to match this technical ambition. I work on: • Financial modeling and strategy – aligning tokenomics, capital raises, and business fundamentals. • Investor readiness – ensuring data-driven narratives, projections, and reporting meet institutional standards. • Operational finance – building the systems for treasury management, compliance, and cash flow optimization. At its core, Zup Protocol is tackling one of the biggest pain points in Web3: fragmented liquidity. By providing developers and users with a more efficient way to access and deploy capital across ecosystems, Zup is positioning itself as a critical piece of the decentralized financial stack.
Fractional CFO
2024
Currently serving as Fractional CFO for three high-growth startups across the creator economy, Web3, AI, consumer, and deep tech sectors, each building in bold, future-facing categories. I’m helping these teams scale with financial clarity, capital efficiency, and investor-ready strategies. These companies are pushing boundaries in tokenized ecosystems, AI-powered platforms, and community-driven business models. I’m focused on driving sustainable growth, building financial models and systems from the ground up, and supporting visionary founders. Excited to share more details very soon!
Chief Executive Officer
2020
As a lifelong learner with multifaceted expertise spanning traditional private equity, established tech ventures, and emerging digital assets, I evaluate investments and advise founders across diverse ecosystems shaping the global digital economy. My adaptability bridging legacy finance, decentralized protocols, AI, biotech and more allows me to spot high-upside, undervalued opportunities missed by narrowly-focused investors. With in-depth understanding accrued through self-driven study of sophisticated structuring and quantitative modeling techniques combined with hands-on technology experience, I provide invaluable guidance helping ambitious entrepreneurs build, fund and scale boundary-pushing companies and blockchain platforms to solve real-world problems. I welcome conversations on how we can work together fulfilling this immense potential whether through impact-driven investments, enterprising new partnerships, or collaborating on the frontier tech innovations that will transform lives.
Fractional CFO
2024
Advisor
2023 - 2025
As an accomplished Advisor to BAYANA, the pioneering premium marketplace bridging independent creators with consumers to forge tomorrow's leading brands, my role encompasses steering the financial strategy and modeling pivotal to our success. With a robust foundation of nearly 15 years in alternative asset investing, my journey spans a comprehensive spectrum: from secondary, primary, and co-investment ventures in private equity and venture capital, to the dynamic arenas of digital assets.
Fractional CFO
2024 - 2024
During a focused 3-month engagement as Fractional CFO at Blockchain Laboratories, a tokenization-focused firm, I spearheaded financial strategy and business development initiatives during a critical growth phase. Key accomplishments include: • Developed comprehensive financial models and projections to support strategic decision-making and investor communications • Created detailed business plan outlining market opportunities, competitive positioning, and growth strategies for the tokenization sector • Led grant application process • Established governance frameworks and risk management protocols for blockchain-based financial products • Provided strategic advisory on tokenomics design and regulatory considerations
Vice President - Private Equity
2016 - 2020
Played a key role at the first Registered Investment Company (RIC) in the US dedicated to private equity, pioneering a structure that is now used by more than 50 firms. Helped institutional and individual investors access diversified private market opportunities within a fully compliant 40 Act framework. Led due diligence and investment analysis across secondary, primary, and co-investment strategies. Worked closely with legal, fund admin, and compliance teams to navigate regulatory complexity while scaling a first-of-its-kind vehicle. This experience shaped my understanding of private markets, risk management, and financial innovation, skills I now bring to startups operating at the intersection of emerging tech and capital markets.
Senior Associate - Private Equity
2015 - 2016
Senior Associate
2010 - 2015
Led the development of the firm’s first impact secondaries strategy, creating a model that blended private equity rigor with measurable environmental and social outcomes. By the time I left, I was focused on private market secondaries with targeted impact benchmarks, supporting the evolution of ESG-integrated investing. North Sky Capital pioneered the first impact-focused private equity fund of funds in 2005, setting the stage for a platform that eventually expanded to include primary, secondary, infrastructure, and co-investment strategies, often in complex or special situations. Transaction Experience • Secondary LP purchases • Fund restructurings and recapitalizations • Annex funds • Secondary directs Asset Classes • Buyout • Growth equity • Venture capital • Infrastructure Geographic Focus • North America • Western Europe • Asia Industry Focus • Renewable energy • Waste-to-value and waste reduction • Sustainable agriculture • Energy storage and recycling • Education • Broader climate and environmental solutions This experience built my foundation in long-term capital allocation, structured solutions, and aligning investor objectives with innovative fund models.
North Sky Capital is an investment management firm that invests in companies through private equity funds and infrastructure projects.
Analyst
2010 - 2010
Piper Jaffray Merchant Banking (PJMB) is a part of the asset management business of Piper Jaffray Companies
Summer Analyst
2009 - 2009
Investment banking summer analyst focused on valuation, M&A and turnaround.
FOCUS Investment Banking is a trusted name in middle market M&A advisory services worldwide.