Different PE strategies?

What are some of the key strategies different funds utilize across acquisitions? I was reading through Bain's PE reports and in the '18 one, they described "buy-and-build" pretty extensively. So I was curious what is the nomenclature that PE veterans would describe other major strategies and examples of deals in each

Guessing "value" investing is one -i.e., identifying an undervalued target from non-systematic factors. Would love to hear what everyone else thinks or point me to any resources that talk about this in-depth

18 Comments
 
Most Helpful

I haven't seen this anywhere systematically laid out. Here is what comes to mind:

  1. Buy and build
  2. Roll-out
  3. Corporate carve-out
  4. Public-to-private
  5. MBO
  6. MBI
  7. PIPE
  8. Special situations / distressed
  9. Asset sale
  10. Build-a-platform (satellite deals, shipping deals)
  11. Growth equity
  12. Corporate breakup (buy a conglomerate, break it up)
  13. Corporate JV / co-investment (e.g. CVC partnered up with Kone earlier this year in a failed attempt to acquire Thyssenkrupp Elevators)

Can't think of anything else but I am sure the WSO community will be quick to step in and come up with a few more.

Good luck,

Tamara

 

Pleasure.

Roll-out: you take a successful concept and replicate it in other locations. Invest capex, get returns on new locations. Example: PF Changs, Chopt, Golden Goose, Moncler.

Build-a-platform: sometimes it is cheap to buy a hard cash-producing asset and then accumulate a whole portfolio of them, similar to real estate. For example, there were some PE-backed shipping companies (you literally buy vessels). Or expand satellite operations (google Inmarsat). You get paid so called "platform premium" at exit because you have created a large and well-diversified business.

 

Est ducimus commodi rerum autem qui et. Id qui iure recusandae ducimus voluptatem blanditiis repellat. Animi nemo quia dolores eos possimus unde. Assumenda illo ea aut est pariatur.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.3%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Bain Capital 98.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.3%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (98) $365
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (104) $281
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (411) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (272) $124
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (355) $62
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”