What Clearhaven Partners does

Clearhaven Partners is a Boston-based private equity firm founded in 2019 by Michelle Noon and Kevin Wood, exclusively focused on investments in lower middle market software and technology companies. The firm pursues a thematic investment approach across four software themes (Essential Systems, Hybrid Infrastructure, Experience & Engagement, and Data Proliferation), targeting platform companies with at least $20 million in recurring revenue that are at important inflection points in their lifecycles. Clearhaven raised a $312 million debut fund in September 2021 and a $580 million second fund in December 2023, with assets under management exceeding $1 billion as of June 30, 2025.

The firm operates as a traditional private equity sponsor: it generates management fees on committed and invested fund capital and earns carried interest on successful exits of portfolio companies. Clearhaven sources deals through direct outreach, advisor relationships, and software-ecosystem networking, then partners with management teams to execute a Value Acceleration Playbook spanning strategy, talent and culture, growth, optimization, innovation, and M&A. The current portfolio of eight active companies spans customer engagement (Engageware), international cloud voice (AVOXI), digital signage and workplace experience (Korbyt), nonprofit data integration (Omatic), digital asset management (PhotoShelter), AI-driven video creation (SundaySky), video streaming infrastructure (Wowza), and media transport and observability (Zixi). Several portfolio companies are layering AI into their core products (generative AI for video and customer engagement; computer vision for image tagging), and the firm has installed new CEOs at three portfolio companies since 2024 to execute AI-led growth strategies.

Clearhaven maintains a single Boston office at the Prudential Center and a lean team of 11 to 50 employees that includes investors, operating partners, and operating executives recruited from prior roles at Thoma Bravo, Advent International, Apax, JMI Equity, Riverside Partners, Amazon Web Services, McKinsey, and multiple software operating companies. The firm pursues a buy-and-build approach, having executed add-on acquisitions at Wowza (AVA Intellect, 2025), Engageware (Aivo, 2023; SilverCloud, 2021), and PhotoShelter (Third Light, 2022), and has cultivated co-investment alignment by including portfolio company management teams in equity rounds (e.g., Zixi executives in 2024).

Name

Clearhaven Partners

Legal name

Clearhaven Partners LP

Website

https://clearhavenpartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clearhaven Partners is a Boston-based private equity firm founded in 2019 that exclusively invests in lower middle market software companies with at least $20 million in ARR, managing more than $1 billion in AUM across two funds and an eight-company portfolio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Equity / Investment Management

NAICS

All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399), Other Financial Investment Activities (5239), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology & Software Growth Equity (FSANACAA)

Keywords

• Private equity
• Software investments
• Lower middle market
• Value creation
• Technology buyouts

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

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. Management Fees: Clearhaven generates management fees from its funds under management. The firm manages more than $1 billion in AUM as of June 30, 2025.
2. Carried Interest / Performance Fees: Clearhaven generates carried interest from successful exits of portfolio companies, aligning the firm's interests with investors and portfolio company management teams.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Clearhaven Partners is a Boston-based private equity firm that invests growth capital exclusively in lower middle market software and technology companies with at least $20 million in ARR. The firm manages more than $1 billion in AUM across two private equity funds and provides operational support to a portfolio of eight SaaS and software platform companies through a partnership-oriented investment approach and proprietary Value Acceleration Playbook.

Product overview

Clearhaven Partners is a Boston-based private equity firm exclusively focused on software and technology investments. Rather than a single unified product, Clearhaven's offering comprises a portfolio of eight distinct SaaS and software platform companies, each targeting different enterprise needs: Engageware (customer engagement with AI agents, scheduling, and knowledge management), AVOXI (cloud voice communications), Korbyt (digital signage and workplace experience), Omatic (nonprofit data management), PhotoShelter (digital asset management), SundaySky (AI-driven video creation), Wowza (video streaming infrastructure), and Zixi (media transport and observability). Clearhaven provides operational support, strategic guidance, and capital to help these companies scale profitably.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Engageware
• AVOXI
• Korbyt
• Omatic
• PhotoShelter
• SundaySky
• Wowza
• Zixi

Quantifiable outcome

• Portfolio company success through operational value creation and strategic support

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Kirkland & Ellis LLPminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerKirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel to Clearhaven Partners for transactions including the TimeTrade acquisition. This is a recurring professional services relationship for legal advisory.
• RSM US LLPminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRSM US LLP provided transaction advisory support to Clearhaven Partners. This is a recurring professional services relationship for financial due diligence and advisory.
• EntromyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClearhaven engaged with Entromy upon acquiring TimeTrade Systems to conduct NEW CEO Effectiveness assessments and Organizational Network Analysis to support integration and executive onboarding. This partnership provides operational tools for portfolio company value creation.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• JMI Equity: JMI Equity is a growth equity firm focused on software and tech-enabled services companies, with similar fund size and sector concentration to Clearhaven. Closely comparable in stage (growth equity), check size, and software-only mandate; Paul Chang (Clearhaven Partner) previously worked at JMI.
• WestView Capital Partners: WestView Capital is a Boston-based growth equity firm investing in lower middle market software, healthcare IT, and tech-enabled services. Highly comparable to Clearhaven by fund size, sector focus, geography, and growth-stage approach.
• TZP Group: TZP Group is a multi-strategy private equity firm focused on the lower middle market, with a strong software and tech-enabled services franchise. Comparable in fund size, stage, and sector emphasis; Choon Woo Ha (Clearhaven Principal) previously worked at TZP.
• Accel-KKR: Accel-KKR is a technology-focused private equity firm investing in lower middle market software and tech-enabled businesses. Directly comparable by stage, sector focus, and check size; Ryan McMullin (Clearhaven Operating Principal) previously worked at Accel-KKR.
• Riverside Partners: Riverside Partners is a Boston-based middle market private equity firm focused on healthcare and technology. Both Clearhaven co-founders (Noon and Ryan) previously worked at Riverside, and the firm shares Clearhaven's lower middle market software and tech-enabled services orientation.
• Mainsail Partners: Mainsail Partners is a growth equity firm focused exclusively on bootstrapped, lower middle market software companies. Closely comparable in sector focus, fund size, and growth-stage orientation to Clearhaven's $20M+ ARR thesis.
• Sumeru Equity Partners: Sumeru Equity Partners is a technology-focused middle market private equity firm investing in software and tech-enabled services businesses. Comparable in stage, sector, and check size to Clearhaven.

Broad incumbents

• Thoma Bravo: Thoma Bravo is the largest software-focused private equity firm globally, taking control buyouts across the full software market capitalization range. Comparable in software-only mandate but operates at meaningfully larger scale and lower mid-market discipline; Michelle Noon previously worked at Thoma Bravo.
• Insight Partners: Insight Partners is a leading global software and technology investor operating across venture, growth, and buyout stages. Comparable in software focus but at materially larger fund size and broader stage mandate than Clearhaven's lower middle market focus.
• TA Associates: TA Associates is a Boston-based global growth private equity firm with a strong software and technology practice. Comparable in software focus and Boston geography but operating at meaningfully larger fund size and broader stage mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ClearhavenPE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clearhaven-partners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A6 records

Investments4 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Clearhaven Partners