Unlocking Capital. Enabling Growth. Inspiring Confidence.
At Efficio Partners we work alongside leadership teams to align financial strategy with growth ambition. We help early stage companies raise unique capital, manage liquidity, deliver actionable analytics, and strengthen confidence through clear governance and reporting. Our mission is simple: to give companies the visibility and credibility they need to scale with confidence.
With over 25 years of leadership in strategic finance, spanning renewable power, infrastructure, and other high-growth companies, Michael Smith founded Efficio Partners to bring CFO-level discipline and advisory to growing businesses.
Michael has partnered with leadership teams at private equity–backed companies in the energy transition and infrastructure sectors, guiding them through transformational growth driven by disciplined capital formation, strategic execution, and cultural alignment.
Over his career, Michael has raised more than $10 billion in capital, building deep relationships across banks, private equity sponsors, incubators and venture funds, infrastructure funds, credit funds, and alternative capital providers. He has experience negotiating and executing the full range of complex financial transactions, including project finance, large-scale M&A, public debt and equity, and corporate exits. Beyond transactions, he has designed governance frameworks, implemented systems, led integrations, and delivered reporting and analytics that enhance investor confidence and enable sustainable growth.
Michael is also recognized for his ability to build teams and lead organizations through change. He has guided organizations through rapid expansion, ownership transitions, and restructuring, while fostering cultures rooted in accountability, collaboration, and trust. His leadership philosophy emphasizes empowering people and aligning incentives so that teams thrive alongside company performance.
Michael has a Bachelors of Arts degree in economics from Bucknell University and an MBA from the Yale University School of Management.
Based in Colorado, Michael brings a disciplined, forward-looking, and hands-on approach. He works alongside leadership teams as a trusted partner, equipping them with the clarity, credibility, and confidence to raise capital effectively, plan long term, and make better decisions — while building the teams and cultures that sustain lasting success.
MICHAEL SMITH
At Efficio Partners, we help leadership teams scale with confidence by delivering creative financial strategies, liquidity management, investor-grade analytics, and governance structures that inspire trust. Our expertise spans the full spectrum of growth-stage financial needs:
Capital Readiness & Formation Support – structuring advice for innovative debt and equity, project finance preparation, and transaction support
Long-Term Vision – capital planning, structure optimization, and corporate strategy models
Financial Discipline – cash flow management, burn optimization, operational analytics, governance & controls
Investor Confidence – reporting, financial analytics, and enhanced credibility with capital providers
Strategic Transactions – M&A evaluation, incentive design, organizational structuring, and corporate exits