Gridiron Capital

What Gridiron Capital does

Gridiron Capital is a relationship-driven private equity firm founded in 2005 and headquartered in New Canaan, Connecticut, that invests in middle-market companies across the United States and Canada. The firm applies a thematic, sector-focused strategy across three verticals — Business Services, Consumer Products & Services, and Industrial Growth — targeting control-oriented investments in companies typically with revenues under $250 million, often partnering with founders, family-owned businesses, and management teams seeking capital, operational support, and succession or exit planning. Since inception, Gridiron reports involvement in more than 227 growth-oriented companies, including 40 platform companies, and currently actively manages 35+ portfolio companies such as Leaf Home, Erie Home, Greenix, ABC Legal Services, Health Monitor Network, GarageCo, Colibri Group, AML RightSource, Class Valuation, Vistage Worldwide, and M&D Distributors.

The firm monetizes through the standard PE revenue architecture: recurring management fees on committed capital (industry-typical 1.5–2% annually), performance-based carried interest on fund returns above the preferred hurdle (typically ~20%), and transaction-related value creation through operational improvements, add-on acquisitions, and strategic transformations executed prior to exit. Distribution is conducted via direct enterprise field sales — sourcing investments through proprietary founder and intermediary relationships built over 20+ years — and supported by a Centers of Excellence program and Board of Business Executives that provide post-close operational resources in technology, marketing, HR, operations, and sales. Fund V closed above target at $2.1 billion in October 2023, and Gridiron is reportedly targeting $2.5 billion for Fund VI.

Gridiron's organization is led by Co-Founder and Managing Partner Tom Burger, Managing Partner Kevin Jackson, and Managing Partner & COO Scott Harrison, with a broader senior bench of Managing Directors, Operating Partners, Operating Advisors, and a dedicated CFO (Jessica Kurys) and GC/CCO (Shari Miller). The firm has been recognized as the #1 firm in the 2025 HEC Paris-Dow Jones Lower Mid-Market Buyout Performance Ranking (its fourth such #1) and as an Inc. Founder-Friendly Investor for the fifth consecutive year, and it received a passive minority investment from RidgeLake Partners in November 2023 to support continued growth.

Name

Gridiron Capital

Legal name

Gridiron Capital, LLC

Website

https://gridironcapital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gridiron Capital is a relationship-driven private equity firm founded in 2005 that makes control-oriented middle-market buyout investments across business services, consumer products & services, and industrial growth in the United States and Canada, partnering with founders and management teams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Equity

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525), Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAAADAH

Family Office Investment Platforms & Direct Investing (PE/VC/Co-Invest)

Financial & Insurance/Asset & Wealth Management/Family Offices (Single- & Multi-Family)

SECONDARYFSANAAAD

Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists)

Financial & Insurance/Private Equity & Venture Capital/Venture Capital Firms

Keywords

• Middle market buyouts
• Private equity investments
• Growth capital
• Control buyout investing
• Portfolio management services

Headquarters

HQ city

New Canaan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Management Fees: Private equity firms typically charge management fees on committed capital under management, typically 1.5-2% annually.
2. Carried Interest: Performance-based fees earned when investment returns exceed specified hurdle rates, typically 20% of profits above the preferred return.
3. Portfolio Company Value Creation: Realizing returns through operational improvements, add-on acquisitions, and strategic transformations of portfolio companies prior to exit.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gridiron Capital is a relationship-driven private equity investment firm that makes control-oriented buyout investments in middle-market companies across the United States and Canada. The firm focuses on three core sectors: business services, consumer products & services, and industrial growth. Gridiron partners with founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams by providing growth capital, operational expertise through its Centers of Excellence, and strategic guidance to build industry-leading companies.

Product overview

Gridiron Capital is a relationship-driven private equity investment firm that does not offer a unified product or platform. Instead, its 'products and services' consists of its portfolio of middle-market companies across three core sectors: Business Services, Consumer Products & Services, and Industrial Growth. The firm actively manages 35+ current portfolio companies including Leaf Home (residential home services), ABC Legal Services (legal technology), Greenix (pest control), Health Monitor Network (healthcare marketing), GarageCo (garage door services), Colibri Group (professional education), Class Valuation (appraisal management), and others. Additionally, Gridiron has successfully exited multiple portfolio companies including GSM Outdoors, Foundation Wellness, Dent Wizard, Legility, and Motion Recruitment Partners. The portfolio companies operate independently with their own product offerings, platforms, and integrations rather than as modules of a unified Gridiron product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gridiron Capital Fund V Private equity fund vehicle that makes control-oriented buyout investments in middle-market companies across business services, consumer products & services, and industrial growth sectors in the United States and Canada. Limited Partners commit capital to the fund and Gridiron invests on their behalf.
• Centers of Excellence Program Operational support service provided to Gridiron portfolio companies offering specialized resources and best practices across technology, marketing, HR, operations, selling organization and sales best practices, high-performance teams, and high-performance boards. Led by Gridiron's Operating Partners and Managing Partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tripled revenue in less than four years at Erie Home
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

• Stella Point CapitalmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2025Gridiron Capital and Stella Point Capital announced the strategic merger of their portfolio companies Travel Nurse Across America (TNAA) and TotalMed, both healthcare staffing providers. The merger aimed to expand service offerings and improve workforce management solutions for healthcare organizations nationwide.
• Bob Woodruff FoundationminorOthers · 18 October 2022Gridiron Capital partnered with the Bob Woodruff Foundation, investing in the Stand Up for Heroes event and Veterans on Wall Street initiative. The partnership supports service members, veterans, and their families through career opportunities and fundraising.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CCMP Capital: Middle-market PE firm with similar sector-focused approach and comparable AUM scale. Gridiron's Managing Partner Kevin Jackson and Co-Head John Warner both came from CCMP, demonstrating direct strategic, operational, and cultural lineage between the firms.
• TZP Group: Lower middle-market PE firm with operating partner-driven, sector-focused approach. Gridiron's Managing Director Rodney Eshelman came from TZP Group as Partner, indicating close strategic alignment in lower mid-market buyouts and operating value creation.
• Court Square Capital Partners: Middle-market PE firm with comparable AUM scale and sector focus. Gridiron's Managing Director Steve Lamb was a Principal at Court Square, reflecting similar middle-market DNA and shared investment process maturity.
• Avance Investment Management: Lower mid-market PE firm with comparable fund size and sector focus. Steve Lamb joined Gridiron from Avance as Managing Director, and the two firms compete directly for similar lower mid-market opportunities.
• Levine Leichtman Capital Partners: Lower middle-market PE firm with sector-focused approach across consumer, business services, and industrials - directly mirroring Gridiron's three-sector thesis. Comparable fund size and operating value-creation orientation make it one of Gridiron's closest direct competitors.
• AEA Investors: Middle-market PE firm with operating partner-driven value creation approach and sector specialization. Directly comparable strategy in business services, consumer, and industrial segments with similar fund vintage structure.
• JZ Capital Partners: Lower mid-market PE firm with sector specialization and operating value creation focus. Comparable fund size and lower middle-market deal profile, particularly in business services and consumer-adjacent investments.

Broad incumbents

• Madison Dearborn Partners: Larger established middle-market PE firm operating across business services, consumer, and industrial sectors. Competes with Gridiron for the upper end of the lower mid-market and lower end of the middle market, with significantly larger AUM.
• Centerbridge Partners: Mid-market PE firm with credit and equity strategies that competes for similar lower mid-market opportunities. Broader capital base and multi-strategy approach differentiate it from Gridiron's pure-equity lower mid-market focus.
• H.I.G. Capital: Global mid-market PE firm with significant lower middle-market presence across business services, consumer, and industrial sectors. Competes for similar deals but operates with broader geographic footprint and larger combined AUM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gridiron-capital-partners-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A12 records

Investments15 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gridiron Capital