Commitment to Create Value and Sustainable Business
The Northstar team is committed to provide capital and hands-on guidance to game-changing technology companies. The Northstar team is conservative and professional and are expert financial thinkers, adept at assessing capital prospects as well as structuring financing. Northstar’s widespread contacts in the investment, healthcare, technology and data communities enable the company to quickly develop strategic alliances and capture value.
Our collaborative leadership style and strong communication skills result in results. Decisions are made by the team that shares a vision of where the business is going, supports a culture focused on delivering on objectives and getting things done.
Andy Bender
Andy Bender established Northstar in 2017 as a specialized, venture capital firm. Prior to this, Andy founded Polaris Solutions in 2001. Polaris was a technology company that provided global, scalable and efficient compliance platforms to pharmaceutical and device manufacturers. Andy designed and developed many of the concepts, programs and methodologies that grew Polaris from being a solopreneur into an international leader in the healthcare law compliance business.
Andy is strategic, well-thought out and analytical in evaluating investment and strategic options. When necessary, he is hands-on to provide operational support at various stages of a client organization’s growth. Andy believes in creating a supportive culture with clear communication focused on business objectives and grounded in strong company values. Andy also prides himself on working with a loyal group of executives who have been with him for many years. His focus on developing a vision and getting buy-in from the management team are key to the success of the businesses he has led.
Prior to founding Polaris, Andy was the CFO at Underline, an interactive design firm, which he sold to Context Integration, a technology firm. Before Underline he was Senior Director of Operations at Merck-Medco; Senior Manager at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Business Analyst at McKinsey & Co.
Andy holds a BA in Business from Nyenrode University in the Netherlands; an MS in International Finance and Economics from Georgetown University, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He lives with his wife in New York’s Westchester County.