Operationally-focused PE Funds
Title says it all. What are the best operationally-focused private equity funds out there? Focusing specifically on Associate learning/exposure opportunities and overall fund returns
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Apollo, Platinum, KPS, One Rock, Monomoy
KPS is amazing. They have scaled incredibly well, have a killer reputation, etc.
I can't think of a better example tbh!
There are also several KPS spin-outs that are fairly young firms that I have heard good things about as well.
Aside from Monomoy, are there any others that have been particularly successful? They're the only one I've come across and don't seem to be especially young.
A lot of the firms mentioned do more turnaround stuff, which don't get me wrong, are definitely good for learning operations. But, if you want to get a more traditional operating-focus at vanilla buyout funds, I would recommend CD&R and Vista.
GTCR
What about funds like Veritas and Apax?
Would throw in Permira, very impressive growth of all of their portfolio companies
Lone Star
Shore capital
What about more on the tech side of things? Which growth equity or buyout funds tend to be more operationally heavy? Feel like funds in this universe have struggled recently. Think firms like Marlin.
What happened with Marlin? Heard about it through the grapevine but know no concrete details...
Not to highjack your thread (because it's related) but are there any PE funds run by former operators instead of all ex-bankers? Think Alpine Investors with Graham Weaver.
What do you mean Alpine? He’s a former banker that followed the traditional PE route before launching the firm
STG Partners
A handful of funds that might fit the criteria:
I'm not sure I would call HIG that operationally intense? They're more of a volume play. Raise $x fund but deploy it into 1.25x - 1.5x the amount of deals other funds in the same size range do.
On the contrary, funds like HIG and Platinum actually tend to be pretty heavily operationally involved with their portcos, there's a reason why they spend a lot of resources building a bench of operators. Their operational value-add isn't the most bespoke (like somewhere like KPS), and they tend to follow a well-trodden playbook (ERP integration, IT modernization, streamlining headcount and optimizing facilities, evaluating add-on opportunities, standardizing finance and BD processes), but it's hard to argue that they're not very hands-on with their portcos.
CD&R
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