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VC= Venture Capital Firm PE= Private Equity Firm A= Angel Firm
Mecklenberg County
Blue Point Capital Partners (PE)
201 S. Tryon St., Ste. 850, Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: 704-347-1111 Fax: 704-347-1107
Contact: Shannon Smith sgsmith@bluepointcapital.com
Typical Investment Range: $10,000,000-50,000,000
Total Managed Funds: $715,000,000
Stage Criteria: Management buyouts, expansion
Type of Capital: Private equity firm
Specialty: Manufacturing, business services, value-added distribution
CapitalSouth Partners (VC)
4201 Congress St., Ste. 360, Charlotte, NC 28209
Phone: 704-376-5502 Fax: 704-376-5877
Contact: Joe Alala III jalala@capitalsouthpartners.com
Typical Investment Range: $5,000,000-25,000,000, up to $40M
Total Managed Funds: $600,000,000+
Stage Criteria: Growth capital, buyouts, recapitalizations, add-on acquisitions
Type of Capital: Preferred & common equity, subordinated debt w/ warrants
Specialty: Building products, business services, consumer/retail, general industrial, healthcare, technology
Carousel Capital (PE)
201 N. Tryon St., Ste. 2450, Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: 704-372-2040 Fax: 704-372-1040
Contact: Nelson Schwab III nschwab@carouselcapital.com
Typical Investment Range: $10,000,000-40,000,000
Total Managed Funds: $528,000,000
Stage Criteria: Leveraged buyouts
Type of Capital: Private equity firm
Specialty: Business services, Consumer products, and services, healthcare services
Cerium Capital LLC (PE)
101 S. Tryon St., Ste. 2410, Charlotte, NC 28280
Phone: 704-918-1097
Contact: Paul Solitario paul@ceriumcapital.com
Stage Criteria: Mergers and acquisitions of middle-market companies
Chapter IV Investors (PE)
301 S. Tryon St., Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: 704-644-4071
Contact: Barnes Hauptfuhrer barnes@chapterIVinvestors.com
Typical Investment Range: $10,000,000-50,000,000
Total Managed Funds: $270,000,000
Stage Criteria: Mature, equity
Type of Capital: Private equity firm/hedge fund hybrid
Colville Capital (PE)
201 S. College St., Ste. 2770, Charlotte, NC 28244
Phone: 704-323-4400 Fax: 704-323-4420
Contact: Mark Mealy mmealy@colvillecapital.com
Stage Criteria: Manufacturing, distribution, and service businesses with values from $10-50 million
Copeley Capital (PE)
129 W. Trade St., Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: 704-409-3070 Fax: 704-409-3075
Contact: Lane Faison lfaison@copeleycapital.com
Typical Investment Range: $3,000,000-5,000,000
Total Managed Funds: $30,000,000
Stage Criteria: Recapitalization, owner transitions, growth capital, corporate divestitures.
Specialty: Established businesses that are leaders in their market
Crutchfield Capital (PE)
4201 Congress St, Ste. 360-B, Charlotte, NC 28209
Phone: 704-525-9120
Contact: E. Elliott Crutchfield eec@crutchcap.com
Stage Criteria: business and consumer services, healthcare, retail, franchisors/franchisees, light manufacturing, and value-added distribution businesses with EBITA between $1 and $10 million
Dogwood Equity (PE)
1901 Roxborough Rd., Ste. 300, Charlotte, NC 28211
Phone: 704-362-1800 Fax: 704-366-1850
Contact: Steve Buchanan sbuchanan@dogwoodequity.com
Typical Investment Range: $2,000,000-6,000,000
Total Managed Funds: $74,000,000
Stage Criteria: Buyout and select later-stage growth investments
Type of Capital: Private equity firm
Specialty: Mfg/Distribution, service, consumer products
Frontier Capital (PE)
1111 Metropolitan Ave., Ste. 1050, Charlotte, NC 28204
Phone: 704-414-2880 Fax: 704-414-2881
Contact: Andrew Lindner andrew@frontierfunds.com
Typical Investment Range: $10,000,000-20,000,000
Total Managed Funds: $250,000,000
Stage Criteria: Expansion capital, later stage; $5-$30 million revenue, 25%+ growth rates, EBITDA positive
Type of Capital: Private equity firm; growth equity
Specialty: Business services: IT, software, communications services, healthcare
Pamlico Capital (PE)
150 N. College St., Ste. 2400, Charlotte, NC 28288
Phone: 704-374-4948 Fax: 704-374-6711
Contact: Scott Perper scott.perper@pamlicocapital.com
Typical Investment Range: $15,000,000-100,000,000
Total Managed Funds: $2 billion
Stage Criteria: Middle to late stage (established businesses)
Type of Capital: Private equity firm; equity, mezzanine
Specialty: Business & tech. services, communications, and healthcare
Plexus Capital (PE)
200 Providence Rd., Ste. 210, Charlotte, NC 28207
Phone: 704-927-6255
Contact: Bob Anders banders@plexuscap.com
Typical Investment Range: $3,000,000-8,000,000
Total Managed Funds: $250,000,000
Stage Criteria: later stage
Type of Capital: Private equity firm
Specialty: invests in a variety of industries, including business services, consumer services, healthcare, manufacturing, value-add distribution, government contracting, and other industries
Ridgemont Equity Partners (PE)
150 N. College St., Ste. 2500, Charlotte, NC 28207
Phone: 704-944-0914 Fax: 704-944-0973
Contact: Ed Balogh ebalogh@ridgemontep.com
Typical Investment Range: $25,000,000 - $75,000,000
Total Managed Funds: $2 Billion
Stage Criteria: middle market buyout and growth
Type of Capital: Private equity firm
Specialty: basic industries and services, energy, healthcare, and telecommunications/media/technology
Vaxa Capital Partners, LP (PE)
6201 Fairview Rd, Ste. 200, Charlotte, NC 28210
Phone: 704-522-9932 Fax: 704-522-6009
Contact: Buck Wearn bwearn@vaxacapital.com
Typical Investment Range: $2,000,000-10,000,000
Total Managed Funds: $55,000,000
Stage Criteria: Expansions, buyouts, recapitalizations, industry consolidations
Type of Capital: Private equity firm
Specialty: All except startups, biotech, real estate, and unestablished technologies
The Wakefield Group (VC)
1110 E. Morehead St., Charlotte, NC 28204
Phone: 704-372-0355 Fax: 704-372-8216
Contact: Steve Nelson steve@wakefieldgroup.com
Typical Investment Range: $1,000,000-5,000,000
Total Managed Funds: $100,000,000
Stage Criteria: Growth-oriented
Type of Capital: Equity
Specialty: IT/health/media
Other Areas in North Carolina
The Aurora Funds (VC)
3100 Tower Blvd., Ste. 1600, Durham, NC 27713
Phone: 919-484-0400 Fax: 919-484-0444
Contact: M. Scott Albert salbert@aurorafunds.com
Typical Investment Range: $500,000-2,500,000 (for first round financing)
Total Managed Funds: over $234,000,000
Stage Criteria: First round, seed
Type of Capital: Equity
Specialty: Healthcare (Biotech, medical devices, healthcare services, healthcare IT) and information technology (internet infrastructure, software, semiconductors/processing tech., emerging tech.), bio-medical engineering
BB&T Capital Partners (VC)
101 N. Cherry St., Ste. 700, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Phone: 336-733-0350 Fax: 336-733-0349
Contact: David G. Townsend dgtownsend@bbandt.com
Typical Investment Range: $5,000,000-15,000,000
Total Managed Funds: over $400,000,000
Stage Criteria: Late-stage growth capital, buyouts, acquisitions, recapitalizations
Type of Capital: Equity & Subordinated Debt (Mezzanine fund)
Specialty: For equity fund: Any type of industry except high tech., real estate, & financial services; For Mezzanine fund: Manufacturing, distribution, service companies, and particular expertise in government services
Carolina Financial Group, LLC (VC)
185 W. Main St., Brevard, NC 28712
Phone: 828-883-4400 Fax: 828-883-4402
Contact: John Stanier jstanier@carofin.com
Typical Investment Range: $5,000,000 & up
Total Managed Funds: More than $325,000,000
Stage Criteria: Capital raising, mergers & acquisitions
Type of Capital: Common equity, convertible preferred equity, redeemable preferred equity, option & warrants; convertible debt, non-convertible debt, second lien debt
Specialty: Manufacturing, consumer products, IT, media & telecommunications, business services, energy
Cherokee Investment Partners
111 E. Hargett St., Ste. 300, Raleigh, NC 27601
Phone: 919-743-2500
Contact: Tom Darden
Typical Investment Range: $25,000,000+
Total Managed Funds: $2 Billion
Specialty: property (brownfield) redevelopment
Falfurrias Capital Partners (PE)
100 N. Tryon St., Ste. 5120, Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: 704.371.3220 Fax: 704.333.0185
Contact: Mark Oken moken@falfurriascapital.com
Typical Investment Range: $10,000,000-30,000,000
Total Managed Funds: $97,000,000
Stage Criteria: Buyouts, recapitalizations, growth financings, corporate divestitures. EBITDA in excess of $2,000,000
Type of Capital: Private equity firm
Specialty: Financial services, consumer products, healthcare, building products, diversified manufacturing, business services, education, training, and information services, infrastructure services
Gardiner Capital, LP (PE)
105 Stratford Rd., Ste. 360, Winston-Salem, NC 27104
Phone: 336-725-0056 Fax: 336-725-1155
Contact: Bob Shepley bob@gardcap.com
Typical Investment Range: $2,000,000-5,000,000 with more available through syndication
Total Managed Funds: $50,000,000
Stage Criteria: Private investment firm; later-stage private equity (buyouts), mezzanine, acquisitions, recapitalizations, debt restructuring; no startups or early-stage companies
Type of Capital: Preferred and common equity; Convertible and sub debt
Specialty: All industries except real estate and financial services
The Halifax Group (PE)
3605 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 490, Raleigh, NC 27612
Phone: 919-786-4420 Fax: 919-786-4428
Contact: David Dupree ddupree@thehalifaxgroup.com
Typical Investment Range: $10,000,000-40,000,000
Total Managed Funds: more than $500,000,000
Stage Criteria: Late stage, buyouts, recapitalizations, growth capital, consolidations, EBITDA greater than $5,000,000
Type of Capital: Private equity firm
Specialty: Business services, healthcare services, infrastructure services, wellness products, and services
Hatteras Venture Partners (PE)
280 S Mangum St., Ste. 350, Durham, NC 27701
Phone: 919-484-0730 Fax: 919-484-0364
Contact: Clay Thorp clay@hatterasvp.com
Typical Investment Range: $2,000,000-5,000,000 (over life of company)
Total Managed Funds: over $120,000,000
Stage Criteria: Pre-seed, early stage
Type of Capital: Private equity firm
Specialty: Biomedical- biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics
Inception Micro Angel Fund (A)
1959 N. Peace Haven Rd., Ste. 111, Winston-Salem, NC 27106
Phone: 336-324-3292
Contact: Tim Janke
www.inceptionmicroangelfund.com
Typical Investment Range: between $25,000 and $100,000 per company with a company board seat, or observer rights, being allocated to IMAF
Total Managed Funds: $3,500,000
Stage Criteria: Angel- start-up stage or one step beyond the start-up
Specialty: biotech., life sciences, diagnostics, medical device area
Intersouth Partners (VC)
406 Blackwell St., Ste. 200, Durham, NC 27701
Phone: 919-493-6640 Fax: 919-493-6649
Contact: Dennis Daugherty Dennis@intersouth.com
Typical Investment Range: $500,000-6,000,000 (w/ avg. total investment in a single company of $12,000,000)
Total Managed Funds: $780,000,000
Stage Criteria: Seed and early stage, first institutional round preferred
Type of Capital: equity Specialty: IT, life sciences
North Carolina Innovative Development for Economic Advancement (NC IDEA) (VC)
334 Blackwell St., Ste. B-015, Durham, NC 27701
Phone: 919-941-5600 Fax: 919-941-5630
Contact: David Rizzo
Typical Investment Range: $250,000-500,000
Total Managed Funds: $25,000,000
Stage Criteria: Early stage Specialty: High-tech startups (NC only)
Pappas Ventures (VC)
Research Triangle Park 2520 Meridian Pkwy, Ste. 400, Durham, NC 27713
Phone: 919-998-3300 Fax: 919-998-3301
Contact: Scott Weiner sweiner@pappasventures.com
Typical Investment Range: $6,000,000-8,000,000
Total Managed Funds: more than $350,000,000
Stage Criteria: Early stage, phase 1 or phase 2 stage of development, late stage/ mezzanine
Type of Capital: Preferred stock, equity
Specialty: Life Sciences: Biotechnology, biopharmaceuticals, drug delivery, medical devices, and health information systems. Drug discovery/drug development is the main interest/focus but will continue to invest in other specialties mentioned above
Piedmont Angel Network (PAN) (A)
243 S. Marshall St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Phone: 336-235-0941
Contact: Andy Dreyfuss adreyfuss@piedmontangelnetwork.com
Typical Investment Range: $250,000-750,000
Total Managed Funds: $15,000,000
Stage Criteria: Angel
Specialty: Does not have to be technology-based businesses, PAN likes to invest in businesses that are addressing large problems — large markets.
River Cities Capital Funds (VC)
3737 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 100 Raleigh, NC 27612
Phone: 919-573-6111 Fax: 919-573-6050
Contact: Edward McCarthy emmcarthy@rccf.com
Typical Investment Range: $2,000,000-4,000,000
Total Managed Funds: $400,000,000
Stage Criteria: Early stage, expansion stage, late stage (No seed stage companies unless extraordinary basis)
Specialty: IT, healthcare (sub-categories: software as a service, enterprise or infrastructure software, business process outsourcing, devices)
Salem Halifax Capital Partners, LP (PE)
112 Cambridge Plaza Dr., Winston-Salem, NC 27104
Phone: 336-768-9343 Fax: 336-768-6471
Contact: Phillip Martin pmartin@salemcapital.com
Typical Investment Range: $2,000,000-10,000,000
Total Managed Funds: $150,000,000
Stage Criteria: Later stage
Type of Capital: Private equity firm; subordinated, mezzanine debt with warrants (SCP will invest capital as pure equity in certain situations, but rarely)
Specialty: Traditional manufacturing, distribution, service businesses; employ low to medium technology companies
SilkRoad Equity (PE)
111 N. Chestnut St., Ste. 200, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Phone: 336-201-5046 Fax: 336-201-5141
Contact: Matt Roszak matt@silkroad.com
Typical Investment Range: $1,000,000-20,000,000 & up
Total Managed Funds: Over the past 20 years, invested in or acquired over 150 companies w/ valuations ranging from $5 - $500 million
Stage Criteria: Broad range: from start-ups to buy-outs, buy-ins, spin-offs
Type of Capital: Private equity firm
Specialty: Technology, media entertainment, life science, telecommunications, retail, manufacturing, business services
SJF Ventures (VC)
200 N. Mangum St., Ste. 203, Durham, NC 27701
Phone: 919-530-1177 Fax: 919-530-1178
Contact: David Griest dgriest@sjfund.com
Typical Investment Range: $1,000,000-10,000,000
Stage Criteria: Expansion stage with $1M+ in annual revenue
Type of Capital: Equity, subordinated debt
Specialty: Cleantech and sustainability, business services, and web-enhanced services.
Southeast Interactive Technology Funds (SEInteractive) (VC)
3800 Paramount Pkwy., Ste. 115, Morrisville, NC 27560
Phone: 919-558-8324 Fax: 919-558-2025
Contact: Norvell Miller
Typical Investment Range: $15,000,000-30,000,000
Total Managed Funds: $260,000,000
Stage Criteria: Early stage
Type of Capital: Preferred equity, convertible debt
Specialty: IT, communications
Southern Capitol Ventures (VC)
21 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 105, Raleigh, NC 27603
Phone: 919-858-7580
Contact: Ben Brooks ben@southcap.com
Typical Investment Range: $35,000-1,000,000
Total Managed Funds: $20,000,000
Stage Criteria: Early state technology
Specialty: software, e-commerce, digital media, mobile, and healthcare IT
The Trelys Funds (VC)
PO Box 5066, Cary, NC 27512
Phone: 919-459-4650. Fax: 919-459-4670
Contact: Adrian Wilson awilson@trelys.com
Typical Investment Range: $500,000-3,000,000
Type of Capital: Equity
Triangle Capital Corporation (VC)
3700 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 530, Raleigh, NC 27612
Phone: 919-719-4770 Fax: 919-719-4777
Contact: Garland Tucker, David Parker, Tarlton Long, Brent Burgess
Typical Investment Range: $5,000,000-15,000,000
Total Managed Funds: $250,000,000+
Stage Criteria: Later stage growth, acquisitions, recapitalizations, leveraged & management buyouts
Type of Capital: Mezzanine, senior and subordinated debt, first and second lien loans, equity
Specialty: Diversified
TriLinear, LLC (VC)
380 Knollwood St., Ste. 410, Winston Salem, NC 27103
Phone: 336-748-1200 Fax: 336-748-1208
Contact: Roane Cross, Jr. roane.cross@trilinearllc.com
Typical Investment Range: $1,000,000-2,000,000
Total Managed Funds: $80,000,000
Stage Criteria: Early stage
Type of Capital: Equity, convertible debentures, preferred, debt with warrants
Specialty: Carolinas commercial real estate, communications, information technology
Vaxa Capital Partners (PE)
109 Laurens Rd., Ste. 4-C, Greenville, SC 29607
Phone: 864-240-7400 Fax: 864-240-7408
Contact: M. Dexter Hagy
Typical Investment Range: $2,000,000-10,000,000
Total Managed Funds: $55,000,000
Stage Criteria: Expansions, buyouts, recapitalizations, industry consolidations
Type of Capital: Private equity firm
Specialty: All except startups, biotech, real estate, and unestablished technologies
Organizers/Meetings/Forums/Networking/Advice
Business Innovation & Growth Council (BIG) (VC, PE)
1927 S. Tryon St., Ste. 310, Charlotte NC 28203
Phone: 704-927-8064 Fax: 704-342-2975
Contact: Ms. Terry Cox, President and CEO info@bigcouncil.com
The Business Innovation and Growth Council, a non-profit association, serves as a catalyst for economic development in the greater Charlotte area by promoting the formation and success of entrepreneurial companies.
Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) (VC, PE, A)
334 Blackwell St., Ste. B012 Durham, NC 27711
Phone: 919-549-7500 Fax: 919-549-7405
Contact: Joan Siefert Rose, President jsrose@cednc.org
The Council for Entrepreneurial Development is a private, non-profit organization that identifies, enables, and promotes high-growth and high-impact entrepreneurial companies and accelerates the entrepreneurial culture of the Research Triangle and North Carolina.
North Carolina Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC)
8701 Mallard Creek Rd., Charlotte, NC 28262
Phone: 704-548-1090 Fax: 704-548-9050
Contact: George McAllister, Executive Director gmcallister@sbtdc.org
The organization is operated as an inter-institutional program by The University of North Carolina. The development center offers small business owners a variety of services and programs and also publishes small business guides.
Ventureprise (VC, PE)
8701 Mallard Creek Rd., Ste. 100, Charlotte, NC 28262
Phone: 704-548-9113 Fax: 704-602-2179
Contact: Paul Wetenhall, President PWetenhall@BenCraigCenter.com
www.ventureprise.org www.bencraigcenter.com
The Ben Craig Center provides a wide array of support services that give its companies a strong competitive advantage over other startups. Access to advice from leaders in Charlotte‘s high-tech community, in-house consulting, financing referrals, marketing, and PR aid, and solid turn-key infrastructure are only a few of these services. These and many other services include: Physical infrastructure, mentoring and advising, staff expertise, external business network, and access to capital
WED3
201 S. College St., Ste. 1610, Charlotte, NC 28244
Contact: Paul Solitario paul@wed3.org
Wed3 is a regionally focused group of investors and representatives of investment corporations. This members-only group reviews business summaries submitted by companies and individuals. Selected groups then have the opportunity to present their presentations to a Wed3 regular membership meeting. Through this process, Wed3 hopefully acts as a matchmaker for young companies and interested investors.
