DFS vs RAND

Discover Financial Services

Discover Financial Services, through its subsidiaries, operates as a digital banking and payment services company in the United States. It operates in two segments, Digital Banking and Payment Services. The Digital Banking segment offers Discover-branded credit cards to individuals; and other consumer products and services, including private student loans, personal loans, home loans, and other consumer lending, as well as deposit products, such as certificates of deposit, money market accounts, IRA certificates of deposit, IRA savings accounts, checking accounts, and sweep accounts. The Payment Services segment operates the PULSE network, an automated teller machine, debit, and electronic funds transfer network; Diners Club International, a payments network that issues Diners Club branded charge cards and/or provides card acceptance services; and Discover Network that processes transactions for Discover-branded credit and debit cards, as well as offers payment transaction processing and settlement services. Discover has strategic network alliance agreement with Arab Financial Services. The company was incorporated in 1960 and is based in Riverwoods, Illinois.

Rand Capital Corporation

Rand Capital Corporation is a business development company and regulated investment company specializing in private equity investments. The firm prefers to make investments through equity or debt instruments in lower middle market and in small to medium-sized privately held companies. It generally lends to more mature companies. The firm does not prefer to invest in real estate sector. It invests in companies that are engaged in the exploitation of new or unique products, technologies, or services. The firm invests in healthcare, consumer products, manufacturing, software, and professional services. It seeks to invest in companies based in the Western and Upstate New York region and its surrounding states with focus on Buffalo and Niagara region. The firm may invest in region within three to five hour drives from Western New York including Canada. It typically invests between $0.5 million and $1.5 million and the total investment in rounds is between $1 million and $5 million. The firm seeks to invest up to maximum of $3 million total per company as part of follow-on investments. It invest in startups and companies having annual revenue up to $10 million. It invest companies having EBITDA up to $5 million. The firm Follow-on investment(s) up to a targeted maximum of $2 million to $3 million total per company. The firm frequently participate three investment round. The firm seeks to be a lead investor in companies within its geographical area and participates in syndicate/co-invest with other investors outside it. It prefers to invest in businesses that are unique or possess proprietary right. The firm prefers to be a minority investor and seeks to take a Board seat in its portfolio companies. It typically holds its investments for a period of five to seven years. Rand Capital Corporation was founded in 1969 and is based in Buffalo, New York.