Aurora Capital Partners

What Aurora Capital Partners does

Aurora Capital Partners is a middle-market private equity firm founded in 1991 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The firm acquires companies valued between $100 million and $500 million, deploying $50 to $300 million of equity per transaction, and has invested approximately $6 billion in equity capital across more than 255 historical transactions. Aurora invests across three defined verticals: Industrial & Business Services, Industrial Technologies, and Software & Tech-Enabled Services, and pursues an active buy-and-build model in which portfolio companies execute an average of six transformative acquisitions during Aurora's hold period.

The firm's core product is capital and operational partnership with management teams of market-leading middle-market companies. Aurora supports portfolio companies through a dedicated Strategy & Operations Program, an Executive Board with specialized human capital and operations expertise, and — as of May 2026 — a strategic AI partnership with WovenLight to embed data science and AI-driven value creation across the portfolio. The current portfolio spans diverse businesses including Anova (industrial IoT monitoring of 1.8M+ assets in 80+ countries), GenServe (backup power for critical infrastructure), Universal Pure (HPP food safety), Grace Hill (real estate SaaS), Zywave (insurance SaaS), and Lubrication Engineers (industrial lubricants in 60+ countries).

Aurora generates returns through capital appreciation of portfolio companies, realized via eventual sale or IPO (notably K&F Industries and Douglas Dynamics/PLOW). The firm earns management fees on its AUM and carried interest on profitable realizations, and in 2025 demonstrated portfolio rotation through the divestiture of FMG Suite to GTCR. Aurora Capital Partners Management VI L.P. is the SEC-registered investment adviser entity; the firm does not sell products or services to end customers but rather acquires and builds businesses directly through negotiated transactions.

Name

Aurora Capital Partners

Legal name

Aurora Capital Partners Management VI L.P.

Website

https://auroracap.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aurora Capital Partners is a Los Angeles-based middle-market private equity firm founded in 1991, managing approximately $6 billion in equity capital across industrial & business services, industrial technologies, and software & tech-enabled services sectors, executing platform and add-on acquisitions in partnership with management teams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Equity Investment

NAICS

Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Institutional Consulting RIAs (OCIO/Endowments/Foundations/Pensions) (FSAAACAG)

Keywords

• Middle-market private equity
• Buyout investing
• Industrial business services
• Industrial technologies investing
• Software tech-enabled services

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Private Equity Investment Returns: Aurora generates returns through capital appreciation of portfolio companies, ultimately selling investments at higher valuations. The firm has invested approximately $6 billion in equity capital and completed over 255 transactions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Aurora Capital Partners is a Los Angeles-based private equity firm that invests in middle-market companies valued between $100 million and $500 million, deploying $50 to $300 million of equity per transaction. The firm focuses on three sectors—Industrial & Business Services, Industrial Technologies, and Software & Tech-Enabled Services—partnering with management teams to build market-leading platforms, executing an average of six transformative acquisitions per portfolio company. Since its 1991 founding, Aurora has invested approximately $6 billion in equity capital and completed over 255 transactions.

Product overview

Aurora Capital Partners is a private equity firm (not a product/technology company) that invests in middle-market companies across three sectors: Industrial & Business Services, Industrial Technologies, and Software & Tech-Enabled Services. The firm targets companies valued between $100-500 million with equity deployment of $50-300 million per transaction. Their portfolio includes diverse businesses such as Anova (Industrial IoT monitoring solutions), GenServe (backup power), Universal Pure (food safety/HPP), Grace Hill (real estate software), Lubrication Engineers (industrial lubricants), First Legal (litigation support), Pace (analytical testing), Spray-Tek (spray drying), Zywave (insurance SaaS), Cold Chain Technologies (thermal packaging), PSC Group (logistics services), Inhance Technologies (polymer solutions), Randall Reilly (talent acquisition), Fusable (data analytics), and Sharps Medical Waste Services. Portfolio companies execute an average of six transformative acquisitions during Aurora's partnership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aurora Capital Partners Investment Services Private equity investment services targeting middle-market companies valued between $100–500 million, deploying $50–300 million of equity per transaction across three sectors: Industrial & Business Services, Industrial Technologies, and Software & Tech-Enabled Services. The firm partners with management teams to execute transformative add-on acquisitions.
• Aurora Strategy & Operations Program An in-house portfolio company support program that provides operational expertise, organizational development, and strategic resources to portfolio companies under Aurora's ownership. Includes support from Executive Board members Neel Bhatia (organizational development) and John Pencak (portfolio operations).

Quantifiable outcome

• Average of six transformative acquisitions per portfolio company
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• WovenLightcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026Aurora Capital Partners entered a strategic partnership with WovenLight, a firm purpose-built to transform performance in private equity portfolio companies through data science and artificial intelligence. WovenLight operates a differentiated co-sponsorship model, deploying both capital and operational expertise alongside Aurora. The partnership is already active across Aurora's portfolio with live projects underway at several portfolio companies. WovenLight was founded by Simon Williams, who previously co-founded QuantumBlack (acquired by McKinsey in 2015).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wynnchurch Capital: Wynnchurch Capital is a middle-market private equity firm specializing in industrial, business services, and energy investments with comparable AUM and overlapping sector focus. Both firms emphasize operational value creation through management partnership.
• Audax Group: Audax Group is a leading middle-market private equity firm focused on buy-and-build investing across business services, industrial technology, and healthcare. Its systematic add-on acquisition approach, deal size band, and sector overlap with Aurora make it a direct competitor for similar platforms.
• American Industrial Partners: American Industrial Partners is a private equity firm focused exclusively on industrial businesses, making it directly comparable to Aurora's Industrial & Business Services and Industrial Technologies sectors. AIP's sector specialization aligns with Aurora's targeted approach.
• H.I.G. Capital: H.I.G. Capital is a global alternative investment firm with significant middle-market private equity activity across business services and industrial sectors. Its broad middle-market focus directly overlaps with Aurora's investment strategy and target valuation band.
• Kainos Capital: Kainos Capital is a middle-market private equity firm focused on branded consumer and specialty industrial companies. Its middle-market approach and similar deal size to Aurora make it a comparable competitor for platforms in overlapping end-markets.
• Genstar Capital: Genstar Capital is a middle-market private equity firm investing in technology, business services, financial services, and industrial companies. Its sector coverage and lower-middle to middle-market check sizes closely mirror Aurora's investment profile.
• Olympus Partners: Olympus Partners is a middle-market private equity firm with a multi-sector approach including business services, industrial, and consumer companies. Similar AUM and middle-market focus make it a direct comparable to Aurora's deployment profile.
• GTCR: GTCR is a leading middle-market private equity firm that acquired FMG Suite from Aurora in 2025, evidencing direct overlap in software/tech-enabled services. Both firms pursue similar-sized buyouts with operating-partner-led value creation.
• Graham Partners: Graham Partners is a private equity firm focused on industrial technology and advanced manufacturing businesses. Its specialization in industrial tech closely mirrors Aurora's Industrial Technologies sector focus and similar AUM range.

Broad incumbents

• New Mountain Capital: New Mountain Capital is a larger private equity firm focused on defensive growth sectors including business services and software/tech-enabled services. Its software portfolio overlaps with Aurora's third sector, though it generally operates at larger check sizes and is therefore positioned as a broader incumbent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aurora-capital-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A39 records

Investments10 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Aurora Capital Partners