Growthcap Insights

In this episode, we speak with Jim Carlisle, Managing Director of THL Partners, a private equity firm investing in middle-market growth companies across financial technology and services, healthcare, and technology and business solutions. Jim is the Head of the Technology & Business Solutions vertical, the Automation Fund and a member of the firm’s Management Committee. Leading a team to develop the firm’s technology practice and build leadership in its automation theme, Jim contributes thought leadership to THL’s Identified Sector Opportunity (ISO) platform and fosters a thriving culture through specialization and professional development opportunities. THL has raised more than $35 billion of equity capital, invested in over 170 companies and completed more than 600 add-on acquisitions representing an aggregate enterprise value at acquisition of over $250 billion. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.  If you like the episode, click to subscribe.

In this episode we talk about value creation, which is critical to how growth investment firms consistently succeed in transforming their portfolio holdings into category leading expansion companies built for the long term. Firms and groups such as Blackstone Growth, Great Hill Partners, Insight Partners and Vista Equity shared with GrowthCap on the Growth Investor podcast how they think about value creation and their approach to closely partnering with management teams to optimize key operational areas that are critical for rapid scale to occur. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show. If you like the episode, click to subscribe.

In this episode, we speak with Maxim Melamedov, the CEO of Zesty, which has developed the next generation of cloud management solutions. Maxim came to Zesty from a prior career in homeland security and is a veteran of the Israeli Air Force. Zesty helps cloud engineering teams to slash cloud costs, maintain perfect app performance, minimize the hassle of managing infrastructure, and fully realize the true flexibility of the cloud. The company has raised over $116 million since its founding and is backed by B Capital, Sapphire Ventures, and other notable investors. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show. If you like the episode, click to subscribe.

In this episode, we speak with Ned Gilhuly and Scott Stuart, the founding partners of Sageview Capital, which is a private investment firm with over $2 billion in assets under management focused on enduring software and tech-enabled businesses. Ned and Scott founded Sageview in 2006 after their nearly two decade careers at KKR. Ned joined KKR in 1986 in San Francisco and rose to establish and oversee all aspects of KKR’s business in Europe as well as serve on KKR’s Investment Committee. Scott joined KKR in 1986 in New York, and rose to become responsible for the utilities and consumer products industry groups as well as serve on KKR’s Investment Committee. Historically, the Sageview team has been the single largest investor in every fund, making up over 20% of its invested capital. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.  If you like the episode, click to subscribe.

In this episode we speak with Saar Safra, CEO and Co-Founder of Beewise. 75% of all the fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts that we consume around the globe are pollinated by bees. We’re talking for 8 billion people. Beewise’s mission is to help beekeepers pollinate and produce honey by saving their bees, utilizing modern technology. The company has redesigned the beehive with today’s technology providing climate & humidity control, pest control, autonomous swarm prevention, automated harvesting and real-time problem alerts. The company has raised over $120 million from leading investors including Insight Partners, Corner Ventures and other notable firms. Saar is a seasoned entrepreneur and has had three successful exits from the five companies he founded prior to Beewise. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.  If you like the episode, click to subscribe.

In this episode, we speak with Pawan Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO of Fashinza, a next generation supply chain and a fashion marketplace for brands and manufacturers. The platform supports everything from design to delivery, with end-to-end production and merchandising support. It provides direct access to vetted suppliers, real-time production tracking, digitized assembly lines, and data driven quality control. Previously, Pawan co-founded Curofy, which today is the largest network of Doctors in India.  Curofy was acquired by a large US corporate, Edifecs, in an all-cash deal in 2017. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show. If you like the episode, click to subscribe and drop us a comment.

In this episode, we speak with Matt Schwartz, Co-Founder and CEO of Afresh. Afresh is on a mission to reduce food waste globally by transforming the fresh food supply chain. The company builds AI-powered solutions that meet fresh food’s many challenges to optimize grocery retail forecasting, ordering, and operations. Matt co-founded Afresh in 2016 while pursuing his MBA at Stanford.  He began his career as a consultant with Bain & Company. Afresh has raised approximately $150 million and is backed by Insight Partners, Spark Capital, Walter Robb and other notable investors. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show. If you like the episode, click to subscribe.

In this episode we speak with Sean Behr, CEO of Fountain. Founded in 2014, Fountain started with a vision to transform the hiring of hourly workers. The company’s purpose-built solution is designed to help companies hire high volumes of workers, faster by combining the power of automation with a data-driven applicant tracking system. The company is backed by B Capital Group, Softbank, DCM Ventures, and Y Combinator, among others. Sean joined Fountain as CEO in 2020. Prior to joining the company, he served as CEO and Founder of Stratim (acquired by KAR), an intelligent mobility and fleet infrastructure platform powering the future of transportation. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show. If you like the episode, click to subscribe.

In this episode, we speak with Jonathan Winer, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP). SIP was formed in 2019 and is backed by Alphabet, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, and StepStone Group as its anchor partners. SIP’s mandate is to transform infrastructure by harnessing the power of technology. Jonathan has led three private equity platforms and personally led investments of over $3B with a focus on the application of technology to real assets. Previously, Jonathan was Head of Investments for Alphabet’s urban innovation platform. Earlier in his career, Jonathan worked at the D. E. Shaw group where he built the private equity team across venture capital, growth equity, and structured finance. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.  If you like the episode, click to subscribe.

In this episode, we speak with Jon Korngold, Global Head of Blackstone Growth (BXG) and Global Co-Head of Technology Investing.  We chat about the macro growth equity picture, BXG’s focus areas and its key developments over the last two years. I’ve met hundreds of private equity and growth equity investors over the past two decades and Jon is someone truly unique, not just because of his professional accomplishments, which are many, but because of his insights, thoughtfulness and humility. Blackstone Growth is Blackstone’s dedicated growth equity investing platform.  It is backed by the scale, operating expertise, and global reach of the world’s largest alternative asset manager. Blackstone has $975 billion in assets under management and includes investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, opportunistic, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you

In this episode, we speak with Mark Machin, Co-Founder and CEO of Opto Investments. Opto Investments’ platform provides financial advisors with expert insights and tools to help them discover, execute, and service private investment strategies, such as private equity, real estate, and venture capital, that help their clients build long term wealth. The company is backed by Tiger Global, 8VC, and MSD Capital, among other notable investors. Prior to joining Opto Investments, Mark was the President & CEO at CPP Investment Board, one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing institutional investors with net assets over $520 billion.  Mark spent the first twenty years of his career with Goldman Sachs investment banking culminating in his role as Asia Ex-Japan Head of Investment Banking and Vice Chairman. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show. If you like the episode, click to subscribe and drop us a comment.

In this episode, we speak with Sonya Brown, General Partner and Co-Head of Growth Equity at Norwest. Norwest is a leading venture and growth equity investment firm managing more than $12.5 billion in capital. Since its inception, the firm has invested in more than 650 companies and currently partners with over 200 active companies in its venture and growth equity portfolio. Sonya is focused on growth equity and buyouts investing across a wide range of sectors including consumer, retail, internet, education and business services. Her current investments include Babylist, Forum Brands, Jolyn, Junk King, Kendra Scott, Madison Reed, Senreve, and SmartSign. Before Norwest, Sonya was at Summit Partners for almost a decade. Sonya was recognized by GrowthCap as one of the Top Women Leaders in Growth Investing of 202. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show. If you like the episode, click to subscribe and drop us a comment.

In this episode, we speak with Agam Khare, Founder and CEO of Absolute, a bioscience company leveraging the best of nature, science and innovation to build a better future for people and the planet. The company’s AI-driven operating system can be implemented across vertical farms, greenhouses, open farms, and other areas, enabling farmers to grow crops without using synthetic enzymes and GMOs. Based in Delhi, India, Absolute operates across 16 countries and is backed by Sequoia, Tiger Global, and Alpha Wave. Prior to Absolute, Agam ran India's leading Industrial Robotics & Factory Automation company working across various sectors - Food & Beverage, Pharma, Auto, Oil & Gas, Steel & Cement. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show. If you like the episode, click to subscribe and drop us a comment.

In this episode, we speak with Chris Miller, CEO of Everside Health, one of the largest direct primary care providers in the U.S., operating over 375 health centers in 34 states. Chris is a recognized leader and entrepreneur known for building and scaling companies. He offers a unique blend of business acumen, strategic vision and service delivery to achieve organizational success. Everside Health, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, offers patients direct and convenient, 24/7 access to their physicians by combining increased physician involvement with a data-driven approach focused on delivering better health outcomes. The company started as four companies that came together to create a different kind of healthcare experience. It is backed by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Oak HC/FT, Alta Partners, Greenspring Associates and other strategic investors. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show. If you like the episode, click to subscribe and drop us a comment.

In this episode, we speak with Warren Valdmanis, Partner at Two Sigma Impact, the impact investing business of Two Sigma exclusively focused on workforce impact. Two Sigma Impact combines active, principled ownership and data science with the goal of achieving superior returns and positive social outcomes. It invests in industries that rely heavily on human capital such as education and training, healthcare, consumer, and business services. They believe improving employee engagement and creating more good jobs can improve business performance and create a model for other companies to emulate. Previously, Warren was a Managing Director at Bain Capital, where he helped launch the firm’s first dedicated social impact fund and develop the firm’s strategic approach to social impact investing.  Warren worked at Bain Capital from 2005 to 2019. I am your host RJ Lumba. We hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode, we speak with Don Muir, Co-Founder and CEO of Arc Technologies. Founded in 2021, Arc provides a better way for software startups to raise capital without incurring costly dilution and risky debt.    Arc converts a startups’ future revenue into upfront capital, provides a cash management account to store, manage and spend funds, and delivers financial analytics to drive growth.    The Company is backed by Left Lane Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, NFX and Atalaya Capital, among others.   I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode, we speak with Bryan Mistele, Co-Founder and CEO of INRIX, the global leader in connected car services and mobility analytics. The Company is at the forefront of connecting cars to smarter cities in more than 60 countries around the world. Founded in 2004, INRIX pioneered the practice of managing traffic by analyzing data not just from road sensors, but also from vehicles. Prior to INRIX, Bryan was an executive at Microsoft. He built HomeAdvisor into the #1 ranked business-to-business and business-to-consumer company in both the online mortgage and real estate industries. The company was a joint venture between Microsoft and five leading mortgage banks. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode, we speak with Albert Nieto Riera, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Seedtag. Seedtag is the leading contextual advertising company in Europe and Latin America. With AI technology based on machine learning algorithms, the company powers the most relevant and engaging communications in a privacy-first world through contextual advertising. The company has raised over $300 million dollars from leading investors including Advent International and Oakley Capital. Seedtag was founded in 2014 by two former Googlers with a clear mission: to change how online advertising is done. Today, Seedtag has a large international presence with over 400 employees across offices in Europe, the United States, and Latin America. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode, we speak with Steve Pierson, Managing Partner at Lovell Minnick Partners. Prior to joining the firm in 2016, Steve was at UBS where he served as Head of Financial Institutions Investment Banking Americas and Global Head of Financial Technology & Services. Lovell Minnick Partners is a middle market private equity firm focused on investments in financial services, financial technology and related business services.  Since its inception in 1999, the firm has raised $3.5 billion of committed capital from leading institutional investors. Lovell Minnick Partners was recognized by GrowthCap as a Top 25 Private Equity Firm of 2022. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode, we speak with Alexandre de Vigan, Founder and CEO of nfinite. nfinite is the leading e-merchandising platform for online merchants to create, display and manage product visual experiences to increase their online sales. The company has raised over $100 million dollars from leading investors including Insight Partners and U.S. Venture Partners. nfinite is all about helping the world usher in the post-shoot era in which product visual availability is no longer reliant on costly, logistical, and carbon-heavy photoshoots. Visual production is shifting to computer-generated 3D imagery (CGI) — which facilitates higher performance and resource efficiencies and has less environmental impact. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.