Searchlight Capital Partners

What Searchlight Capital Partners does

Searchlight Capital Partners is a global private investment firm founded in 2010 by Eric Zinterhofer (formerly of Apollo Management), Erol Uzumeri (formerly Head of Private Equity at Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan), and Oliver Haarmann (formerly of KKR). The firm manages approximately $17 billion in assets under management through offices in New York (headquarters), London, Toronto, and Miami. Searchlight pursues private equity and opportunistic credit investments across North America and Europe, focused on the telecommunications, media, business services, industrials, and financial services sectors. Deal execution spans leveraged buyouts, corporate divestitures, public-to-private transactions, capital solutions, and significant minority stakes.

The firm operates two core strategies. Private Equity targets control and significant minority investments in market-leading businesses through leveraged buyouts, corporate divestitures, and public-to-private transactions. Opportunistic Credit provides flexible capital for catalyst-driven situations, market dislocations, stressed debt, restructurings, and structured equity across North America and Europe. Revenue is generated through the standard private equity model: management fees (typically 1-2% of AUM) on committed or invested capital, plus performance-based carried interest (typically 20% above a hurdle rate). Limited partner investors include pension funds, endowments, sovereign wealth funds, foundations, and family offices, accessed through direct institutional relationships.

Searchlight's portfolio spans more than 40 companies globally, with notable holdings including Bezeq (Israel, divested 2025), Consolidated Communications/Fidium (US), Hyve Group (UK), CloserStill Media (B2B events), Integrated Power Services (US industrial services), KORE Group Holdings (IoT connectivity), EOLO (Italian broadband), Shift4 Payments, Cengage Learning, Adams Outdoor Advertising, and 160over90. The firm differentiates through its flexible mandate across the capital structure, deep sector specialization (particularly in TMT infrastructure and B2B media/events), a dedicated Value Creation team with embedded data and analytics, and repeat co-investment relationships with Providence Equity Partners, Abry Partners, BCI, and others. Recent significant transactions include the $3.1 billion acquisition of Consolidated Communications (2023, with BCI), the $860 million divestiture of the Bezeq stake (2025), and the $726 million going-private acquisition of KORE Group Holdings (2026, with Abry Partners).

Name

Searchlight Capital Partners

Legal name

Searchlight Capital Partners, L.P.

Website

http://www.searchlightcap.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Searchlight Capital Partners is a global private investment firm founded in 2010, managing approximately $17 billion in assets under management. The firm invests across private equity and opportunistic credit strategies in telecommunications, media, business services, industrials, and financial services throughout North America and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Equity & Investment Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259), International, Secondary Market, and All Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation (522299)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Credit / Direct Lending (FSAAAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Institutional Capital Introduction (LP/Family Office/Endowment Matching) (FSAEALAI), Alternative Investments for Private Wealth (Hedge Funds, PE/VC Access, Private Credit) (FSAAABAI)

Keywords

• Private equity investments
• Opportunistic credit
• Leveraged buyouts
• Alternative asset management
• Capital solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Management Fees: Private equity firms typically charge management fees on committed or invested capital under management, typically ranging from 1-2% of AUM annually.
2. Carried Interest: Performance-based carried interest typically 20% of profits above a hurdle rate, aligning investor and manager interests.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Searchlight Capital Partners is a global private investment firm managing approximately $17 billion in assets under management across two core strategies: Private Equity and Opportunistic Credit. The Private Equity strategy executes leveraged buyouts, corporate divestitures, public-to-private transactions, and significant minority stakes in market-leading businesses across telecommunications, media, business services, industrials, and financial services. The Opportunistic Credit strategy provides flexible capital through stressed debt, restructurings, capital solutions, and structured equity in catalyst-driven situations across North America and Europe.

Product overview

Searchlight Capital Partners operates as a global private investment firm with two core investment strategies: Private Equity and Opportunistic Credit. The Private Equity strategy focuses on transformative investments in market-leading businesses through leveraged buyouts, corporate divestitures, public-to-private transactions, and capital solutions across telecommunications, media, business services, industrials, and financial services. The Opportunistic Credit strategy provides flexible capital for catalyst-driven situations and market dislocations, investing in capital solutions, stressed debt, restructurings, and structured equity across North America and Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Equity Searchlight's core investment strategy focuses on leveraged buyouts, corporate divestitures, public-to-private transactions, and significant minority stakes in market-leading businesses across telecommunications, media, business services, industrials, and financial services sectors. Targeted at institutional limited partners and deployed through direct negotiations with company management and owners.
• Opportunistic Credit Flexible investment strategy targeting catalyst-driven situations and market dislocations in business services, industrials, media, transportation, and hard assets sectors across North America and Europe. Includes capital solutions, stressed debt, restructurings, and structured equity offerings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Bezeq market value increased ~250% since Searchlight assumed control in 2019
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 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 minor.

• Reservoir MediaminorOthers · 11 March 2026Reservoir Media was flagged alongside KORE Group Holdings as a communication services sector stock. Both were noted as potentially overbought based on RSI indicators. No direct partnership relationship.
• TechPro Power GroupminorOthers · 19 December 2025Searchlight portfolio company Integrated Power Services acquired TechPro Power Group for approximately $350 million. This is a bolt-on acquisition by a Searchlight portfolio company, not a direct Searchlight investment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Abry Partners: Abry is a sector-focused PE firm with deep TMT and communications infrastructure expertise and was Searchlight's joint partner on the $726M KORE Group acquisition. Directly comparable on TMT carve-out investing and mid-cap take-privates in the communications ecosystem.
• Strategic Value Partners: SVP is a global alternative investment firm focused on opportunistic credit, special situations, and structured equity — directly comparable to Searchlight's Opportunistic Credit strategy. Albert Shin, Searchlight's Head of Opportunities Funds, is ex-Managing Director and Head of North American Investments at SVP.
• Hg (Hg Capital): Hg is a sector-focused European PE firm specializing in technology and business services, comparable to Searchlight on sector depth. Amanda Good, Searchlight's Head of Value Creation, is an ex-Hg partner, creating direct talent and strategy overlap on business services investing.
• Providence Equity Partners: Providence is a sector-focused PE firm specializing in media, communications, education, and technology — overlapping closely with Searchlight's TMT-heavy investment thesis. The two firms have executed multiple co-investments (CloserStill Media, Hyve Group), making them both partners and closest direct peers.

Broad incumbents

• Carlyle Group: Carlyle is a global alternatives manager with deep TMT and business services investing alongside credit strategies, operating across North America, Europe, and Asia. Comparable as a broad incumbent with similar fund construction (PE buyouts + credit) and founder pedigree overlap (ex-Carlyle/Ontario Teachers').
• CVC Capital Partners: CVC is a major European-headquartered global PE firm with broad sector coverage including TMT and business services. Searchlight's Head of European PE, James Redmayne, is a former CVC Senior Managing Director (14+ years), making it a direct talent and strategy peer for Searchlight's European franchise.
• Apollo Global Management: Apollo is a much larger alternative asset manager with parallel private equity and credit/structured credit strategies. Directly comparable as a founder pedigree competitor — Searchlight's founder Eric Zinterhofer is ex-Apollo Senior Partner — and operates across TMT, business services, and credit strategies at global scale.
• TPG Capital: TPG is a global PE firm with a strong TMT and business services franchise and dedicated credit strategies. Comparable as a multi-strategy alternative asset manager with similar transatlantic footprint and founder pedigree overlap (Andrew Frey, Searchlight CIO, was at TPG).
• KKR & Co. KKR is a global alternatives manager with private equity and credit strategies, and is the prior employer of Searchlight founding partner Oliver Haarmann. KKR's buyout, infrastructure, and credit businesses closely mirror Searchlight's transatlantic PE + opportunistic credit model.
• Bain Capital: Bain Capital operates multi-strategy alternatives including private equity, credit, and special situations. Overlap is direct on TMT and business services investing, and multiple Searchlight senior team members (Amanda Good, Owen Cartier, François Dekker) are ex-Bain, making it a talent-flow peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles26 records

Subsidiaries45 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A24 records

Investments25 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Searchlight Capital Partners