Peterson Partners
Peterson Partners is an independent Salt Lake City-based alternative investment manager founded in 2004, deploying $10-25M in lower middle market PE, $250K-$2.5M in seed-stage venture, and $500K-$5M in search fund investments across more than 300 companies and $2.0 billion+ in AUM.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersSalt Lake City, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Peterson Partners does
Peterson Partners is an independent, privately-held alternative investment manager founded by Joel Peterson in 2004 and headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. The firm operates three distinct investment strategies through dedicated sub-brands: Peterson Private Equity (lower middle market growth and buyout investments of $10-25 million in companies with $5-100M revenue and $2-20M EBITDA across software, business services, healthcare, consumer, transportation, and industrial sectors), Peterson Ventures (pre-seed and seed investments of $250K-$2.5M with follow-on capital in FinTech, SaaS, Digital Commerce, and Consumer Tech), and Peterson Search Partners (entrepreneurship-through-acquisition investments of $500K-$5M in business services, software/internet, and healthcare). The firm manages over $2.0 billion in assets under management across these strategies and has invested in more than 300 companies over its 20+ year history, including notable names such as Allbirds, Bonobos, Lucid Software, solidcore, Packsize, Vivint, Ethos, Jump, and Clutch.
The firm's revenue model follows standard private equity economics: management fees on committed and invested capital across multiple fund vintages (most recently Fund X at $265 million closed in May 2024, Peterson Ventures Fund IV at $140 million closed in 2023, and Search Partners Fund II at $100 million), plus carried interest on realized profits from exits. Distribution and deal sourcing are entirely relationship-driven through the firm's network of CEOs and operators — there are no intermediaries, placement agents, or third-party distribution channels. The firm employs approximately 11-50 staff, predominantly Partners, Vice Presidents, Senior Associates, and Analysts with backgrounds at Goldman Sachs, KKR, Bain, Deloitte, PwC, Credit Suisse, AppFolio, and Harvard/Stanford MBAs, supplemented by an in-house Talent Partner, Strategic HR Advisor, and Operating Partner (Sara Milligan, formerly of AppFolio and KKR) to support portfolio companies post-investment.
The firm's competitive positioning rests on a "people-first" investment thesis articulated by founder Joel Peterson, who teaches entrepreneurship at Stanford Graduate School of Business and serves as Chairman of JetBlue. Marketing channels are non-traditional: a podcast ("Running Stuff" featuring portfolio founders), an annual Investor & CEO conference in Park City, thought leadership publications, and the founder's Stanford platform. The firm does not operate proprietary technology platforms; its differentiation is operational coaching, network access, and long-term partnership orientation rather than financial engineering or technology-enabled investing. Recent activity through early 2026 indicates continued capital deployment, including Series B participations in AI-adjacent companies (Jump, Clutch) and a successful exit at Govineer Solutions to TA Associates.
Peterson Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Peterson Partners
- Legal name
- Peterson Partners
- Website
- https://petersonpartners.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Peterson Partners is an independent Salt Lake City-based alternative investment manager founded in 2004, deploying $10-25M in lower middle market PE, $250K-$2.5M in seed-stage venture, and $500K-$5M in search fund investments across more than 300 companies and $2.0 billion+ in AUM.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Peterson Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private Equity & Alternative Asset Management
- NAICS
- Other Financial Investment Activities (5239), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Equity Buyout Fund-of-Funds (FSANAGAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Secondary Venture Funds (VC Secondaries) (FSANAAAK), Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds / Multi-Manager Platforms (FSANAAAJ)
Keywords
Where Peterson Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Salt Lake City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Peterson Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Private Equity Returns: Peterson Partners generates returns through equity investments in portfolio companies, typically taking minority or majority stakes in lower middle market businesses.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Peterson Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Peterson Partners is an independent investment management firm that deploys capital across three alternative asset strategies: Private Equity (growth and buyout investments of $10–25M in lower middle market companies with $5–100M revenue and $2–20M EBITDA), Venture Capital (pre-seed and seed investments of $250K–$2.5M in FinTech, SaaS, Digital Commerce, and Consumer Tech startups), and Search Funds (entrepreneurship-through-acquisition investments of $500K–$5M). The firm manages over $2.0 billion in assets across these strategies and has backed more than 300 companies over a 20+ year history.
Product overview
Peterson Partners is an independent investment firm offering three distinct investment strategies: Private Equity (growth and buyout investments in the lower middle market), Venture Capital (early-stage investments in startups), and Search Funds (entrepreneurship-through-acquisition). The firm manages over $2 billion across these strategies and has invested in more than 300 companies. Fund X is the most recent Private Equity fund at $265 million.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Private Equity
Companies that use Peterson Partners
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Peterson Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Peterson Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record.
- Mike FabrizioJoining Black Mountain Software (Peterson portfolio company) management team as Co-CEO from Accel-KKR investment team.
- Nate QuinnJoining Black Mountain Software (Peterson portfolio company) as Co-CEO from Menlo Ventures investment team.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Peterson Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sorenson Capital: Salt Lake City-based growth equity and venture firm focused on B2B SaaS, fintech, and enterprise software. Highly comparable to Peterson Ventures in stage focus, geography, and co-investment relationships.
- Mercato Partners: Salt Lake City private equity firm investing growth equity in lower middle market companies across consumer, software, and healthcare. Directly comparable in geographic base, check size, and stage focus to Peterson Private Equity.
- Solamere Capital: Salt Lake City-based private equity and venture capital firm with similar lower middle market focus and Utah/Mountain West orientation. Closely comparable in AUM scale, multi-strategy structure, and entrepreneur-focused investment philosophy.
- Frontier Capital: Charlotte-based growth equity firm investing in lower middle market software and tech-enabled services companies. Comparable in stage, check size, and sector focus to Peterson Private Equity.
- Brentwood Associates: Los Angeles-based private equity firm focused on growth-oriented lower middle market companies with $5-25M EBITDA. Directly comparable to Peterson Private Equity on check size and growth equity orientation.
- EPIC Ventures: Salt Lake City-based venture capital firm investing across software, digital media, and enterprise technology. Comparable to Peterson Ventures in geography and early-stage focus.
- Pelion Venture Partners: Utah-based early- and growth-stage venture capital firm. Directly comparable to Peterson Ventures on stage focus and sector overlap; has participated alongside Peterson in rounds like Jump's Series B.
- Signal Peak Ventures: Salt Lake City venture capital firm investing in early-stage technology companies. Comparable to Peterson Ventures' early-stage strategy with overlapping LP base and Mountain West deal flow.
Broad incumbents
- KKR: Global alternative asset manager with $500B+ AUM. Broad incumbent with overlapping PE strategy at much larger scale; relevant because Peterson operating partner Sara Milligan is a KKR alumna.
- Insight Partners: Global software-focused venture and growth equity firm. Broad incumbent that has co-invested with Peterson Partners in Jump's $80M Series B, validating Peterson's positioning as a respected junior partner in growth deals.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Peterson Partners social profiles
Digital presencePeterson Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Peterson Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Peterson Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Peterson Partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments26 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Peterson Partners
What does Peterson Partners do?
Peterson Partners is an independent investment management firm that deploys capital across three alternative asset strategies: Private Equity (growth and buyout investments of $10–25M in lower middle market companies with $5–100M revenue and $2–20M EBITDA), Venture Capital (pre-seed and seed investments of $250K–$2.5M in FinTech, SaaS, Digital Commerce, and Consumer Tech startups), and Search Funds (entrepreneurship-through-acquisition investments of $500K–$5M). The firm manages over $2.0 billion in assets across these strategies and has backed more than 300 companies over a 20+ year history.
Is Peterson Partners a public or private company?
Peterson Partners is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Peterson Partners founded?
Peterson Partners was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Peterson Partners based?
Peterson Partners is headquartered in Salt Lake City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Peterson Partners make money?
One revenue line is on record: private Equity Returns.
Who are Peterson Partners's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sorenson Capital, Mercato Partners, Solamere Capital, Frontier Capital, Brentwood Associates, EPIC Ventures, Pelion Venture Partners and Signal Peak Ventures. Broad incumbents are KKR and Insight Partners.
Does Peterson Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for Peterson Partners.
What industry is Peterson Partners in?
Peterson Partners's product category is Private Equity & Alternative Asset Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAGAD, Private Equity Buyout Fund-of-Funds, with a secondary code of FSANAAAK, Secondary Venture Funds (VC Secondaries). Its NAICS code is 5239 and its SIC code is 6282.