Insight Equity
Insight Equity is a Texas-based private equity firm founded in 2002 that makes control investments in middle-market, asset-intensive North American companies across industrial, manufacturing, packaging, and aerospace sectors, often in complex or distressed situations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersSouthlake, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Insight Equity does
Insight Equity is an operationally focused, middle-market private equity firm founded in 2002 and headquartered in Southlake, Texas, with a secondary office in New York. The firm makes control investments in strategically viable, asset-intensive North American companies generating $40 million to $1 billion in revenue, deploying $25 million to $150 million of equity per opportunity. It targets the Industrial & Energy Services, Transportation, Medical, Infrastructure & Waste, Aerospace & Government, Business Services, Building Materials, and Food & Packaging sectors, with explicit interest in complex and special situations including corporate divestitures, bankruptcies, restructurings, family-owned business transitions, and take-privates. The firm executes deals through bankruptcy court processes (e.g., Atwood Mobile Products, Vision-Ease Lens), 363 sale acquisitions, and dividend recapitalizations, with examples including the 2013 Emerge Energy Services NYSE IPO under ticker EMES.
Insight Equity operates a collaborative value-creation model in which partners work hands-on with portfolio management teams on joint operational improvement plans, supported by capital deployment and add-on M&A. The firm earns revenue through a combination of management fees on committed capital (Fund I $250M closed July 2005; Fund II $525M closed February 2010) and carried interest from exits and recapitalizations. As of March 31, 2026, regulatory assets under management stood at $885.9 million; on a portfolio-company-aggregate basis, total revenue across the 73 acquisitions completed since inception is approximately $5.3 billion with assets under management of approximately $2.9 billion. Notable active and historical portfolio companies include IKI Manufacturing, Atmos Technologies, CSAT Solutions, Easy Way Products, Micross Components, Hirschfeld Industries, Walker Group, Emerge Energy Services, and Flanders Corporation.
Insight Equity firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Insight Equity
- Legal name
- Insight Equity Holdings LLC
- Website
- http://insightequity.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Insight Equity is a Texas-based private equity firm founded in 2002 that makes control investments in middle-market, asset-intensive North American companies across industrial, manufacturing, packaging, and aerospace sectors, often in complex or distressed situations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Insight Equity industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private Equity Fund Management
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Multi-Sector / Generalist Growth Equity (FSANACAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Equity Capital Advisory (Private Equity Placements, Growth Capital) (BPAHAOAE)
Keywords
Where Insight Equity is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Southlake
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Insight Equity business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Carried Interest: Performance-based carried interest from successful portfolio company exits, typically 20% of profits above an 8% hurdle rate.
- Management Fees: Management fees on committed capital from Fund I ($250M), Fund II ($525M), and subsequent funds. Fees typically 1.5-2% of committed capital during investment period.
- Dividend Recapitalizations: Portfolio companies complete dividend recapitalizations that provide distributions to Insight Equity and investors, generating cash returns without requiring exit.
- Portfolio Company Exits: Realized returns through strategic sales of portfolio companies (e.g., CSAT Solutions to Verdant Solutions, Plasman, Micross Components, Hirschfeld Industries, Vision-Ease Lens) and IPOs (Emerge Energy Services LP on NYSE as EMES).
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Insight Equity product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Insight Equity is a private equity firm that makes controlling equity investments in strategically viable, middle market companies with $40 million to $1 billion in revenue, deploying $25 million to $150 million of equity per opportunity. The firm partners with portfolio company management teams to drive operational improvements and transformational value creation across industrial, energy services, transportation, medical, infrastructure, aerospace, business services, building materials, and food & packaging sectors. Returns are generated through management fees on committed capital and carried interest from successful portfolio company exits and dividend recapitalizations.
Product overview
Insight Equity is an operationally focused, middle market private equity firm that makes control investments in strategically viable companies across diverse sectors. The firm does not offer a unified technology product but maintains a diversified portfolio of portfolio companies spanning industrial & energy services, transportation, medical, infrastructure & waste, aerospace & government, business services, building materials, and food & packaging sectors. The portfolio includes companies such as IKI Manufacturing (aerosol products), Atmos Technologies (specialty materials for environmental applications), Micross Components (specialty semiconductors for defense/aerospace/medical), Flanders (air filtration systems), Hirschfeld Industries (structural steel fabrication), Walker Group (stainless steel equipment), Emerge Energy Services (frac sand and fuel processing), and various other manufacturing and service companies. The firm leverages a collaborative value creation model to drive operational improvements and growth across its portfolio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- IKI Manufacturing An aerosol manufacturer and contract packager founded in 1955 and headquartered in Edgerton, Wisconsin, offering flexible capabilities and customer service in the aerosol market. Wholly owned portfolio company of Insight Equity since February 2026.
- Atmos Technologies A specialty materials company focused on designing products to address environmental challenges in waste and infrastructure sectors, with offerings including PFAS-free foam and modular leachate treatment systems. Wholly owned portfolio company of Insight Equity since March 2024.
- CSAT Solutions An electronic and digital device repair provider for OEMs offering all-in-one repair services including AI server repair. Operates as USOC. Was a wholly owned portfolio company of Insight Equity from October 2019 until sale to Verdant Solutions in April 2026.
- Micross Components A leading global provider of specialty electronic components for military, space, medical, and demanding industrial applications, offering bare die, wafer processing, and custom packaging services. Wholly owned portfolio company of Insight Equity since December 2012.
- Flanders One of the largest manufacturers of air filters, air handling and containment systems in North America, offering residential, commercial, and industrial filtration products. Was a wholly owned portfolio company of Insight Equity from May 2012 until sale in May 2016.
- Hirschfeld Industries One of the largest fully integrated fabricators of highly engineered structural steel components in North America, serving transportation infrastructure, industrial development, commercial construction and power generation markets. Was a wholly owned portfolio company from April 2006 until sale in February 2018.
- Walker Group A premier provider of stainless steel equipment for dairy, pharmaceutical and ethanol industries, including tank trailers, processing tanks, and barrier systems. Wholly owned portfolio company of Insight Equity since October 2006.
- Emerge Energy Services A master limited partnership (NYSE: EMES) comprising sand operations through Superior Silica Sands LLC and fuel processing and distribution through AEC and Direct Fuels subsidiaries. Wholly owned portfolio company of Insight Equity since May 2013.
- VirTex Enterprises A portfolio company serving the aerospace and government sector, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Insight Equity since October 2017.
- Plasman Group A portfolio company serving the transportation sector specializing in automotive exterior plastics. Was a wholly owned portfolio company from December 2011 until sale in November 2021.
Quantifiable outcome
- Targeting 30%+ internal rates of return annually
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Insight Equity
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Insight Equity technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Insight Equity partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Martifer Energy SystemsminorJoint venture with Hirschfeld Industries to manufacture wind towers in the United States. Part of recapitalization of Hirschfeld Industries. Martifer based in Oliveira de Frades, Portugal with extensive wind tower experience.
- Hunton & Williams LLPminorLegal counsel for Fund I closing. Key legal advisory relationship.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves19 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Insight Equity competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Audax Group: Middle-market private equity firm focused on control buyouts of North American companies in similar revenue and equity check ranges ($25M-$150M); comparable operationally intensive, multi-sector strategy with heavy add-on activity.
- H.I.G. Capital: Large middle-market PE sponsor making control investments across industrials, business services, and consumer with similar $25M-$150M equity check sizes; closest scale and sector overlap to Insight Equity.
- Platinum Equity: Operationally focused buyout sponsor with a strong complex/carve-out and distressed deal orientation, very similar to Insight Equity's 363/bankruptcy playbook (e.g., DURA, BMC, Atwood) and industrial sector concentration.
- American Industrial Partners: Middle-market PE firm dedicated to industrial, manufacturing, and aerospace/government businesses; strong sector overlap with Insight Equity's Aerospace & Government, Industrial & Energy Services, and Building Materials verticals.
- Wynnchurch Capital: Middle-market PE firm focused on operationally complex, special situations and corporate carve-outs in industrial/services businesses; closely comparable thesis to Insight Equity's collaborative value creation model.
- Sun Capital Partners: Operationally focused middle-market buyout firm investing in industrial, consumer, and business services companies; similar control-equity check size and operational-improvement playbook.
Broad incumbents
- Centerbridge Partners: Larger multi-strategy alternative asset manager with a meaningful middle-market private equity and special situations franchise; competes for similar distressed/complex carve-outs but operates at materially greater scale.
Regional players
- Stonepeak Partners: Large infrastructure and industrials-focused private equity firm with overlap in aerospace/government and industrial-services portfolio themes; comparable industrial-buyout orientation though primarily infrastructure-weighted.
Emerging players
- Vance Street Capital: Lower middle-market PE firm specializing in industrial manufacturing and aerospace/defense; directly comparable to Insight Equity's Industrials and Aerospace & Government verticals but smaller and more concentrated.
- Brightstar Capital Partners: Middle-market PE firm focused on industrial, business services, and consumer companies with operational improvement orientation; comparable size and sector overlap to Insight Equity.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Insight Equity social profiles
Digital presenceInsight Equity financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Insight Equity leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Insight Equity subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries28 records
Insight Equity funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Insight Equity M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A7 records
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Insight Equity
What does Insight Equity do?
Insight Equity is a private equity firm that makes controlling equity investments in strategically viable, middle market companies with $40 million to $1 billion in revenue, deploying $25 million to $150 million of equity per opportunity. The firm partners with portfolio company management teams to drive operational improvements and transformational value creation across industrial, energy services, transportation, medical, infrastructure, aerospace, business services, building materials, and food & packaging sectors. Returns are generated through management fees on committed capital and carried interest from successful portfolio company exits and dividend recapitalizations.
Is Insight Equity a public or private company?
Insight Equity is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Insight Equity founded?
Insight Equity was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Insight Equity based?
Insight Equity is headquartered in Southlake, United States, in the North America region.
How does Insight Equity make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Carried Interest is the primary driver. The others are management Fees, dividend Recapitalizations and portfolio Company Exits.
Who are Insight Equity's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Audax Group, H.I.G. Capital, Platinum Equity, American Industrial Partners, Wynnchurch Capital and Sun Capital Partners. Centerbridge Partners is listed as a broad incumbent. Stonepeak Partners is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Vance Street Capital and Brightstar Capital Partners.
Does Insight Equity have an API?
No public API is recorded for Insight Equity.
What industry is Insight Equity in?
Insight Equity's product category is Private Equity Fund Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANACAO, Multi-Sector / Generalist Growth Equity, with a secondary code of BPAHAOAE, Equity Capital Advisory (Private Equity Placements, Growth Capital). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.