W. R. Hambrecht Co., Inc.

WR Hambrecht + Co, founded in 1998, is a financial services firm that uses technology and auction processes to provide open and fair access to financial markets for all its clients. The company specializes in Internet and auction processes, offering underwriting and advisory services for technology and emerging growth companies, as well as equity research, sales and trading, brokerage, and private equity offerings. WR Hambrecht's OpenIPO system enables individuals and institutional investors to bid online for shares of an initial public offering, while OpenBook provides transparent price discovery for corporate bonds. The firm is headquartered in San Francisco and has offices in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Montreal, and London, with financial backing from industry leaders such as American Century, Crimson Ventures, Fidelity Ventures, Instinet, and Novell.