Brightstar Capital Partners

What Brightstar Capital Partners does

Brightstar Capital Partners is a middle-market private equity firm founded in 2015 by Andrew Weinberg, headquartered in New York, NY with an additional office in West Palm Beach, FL. The firm manages approximately $5 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2026, employs more than 100 professionals, and holds roughly 20 active portfolio companies. It invests across four core verticals: Business Services, Industrials, Technology/Media/Telecom, and Financial Services.

Brightstar's investment approach layers proprietary AI tooling on top of traditional private equity operations through its internal Brightstar.AI unit, which supports due diligence, portfolio monitoring, and value-creation analytics. Recent platform and add-on acquisitions include Bendon, Simon Eye, Erdman, KZF Design, W.W. Williams, and PlayAGS (a $1.1 billion take-private), demonstrating both sector specialization and willingness to scale check size. The firm also maintains strategic relationships with the Claure Group (minority stake acquired in 2023) and a Brazil lottery joint venture with Scientific Games, expanding its international and operating-partner footprint.

Revenue is generated through management fees on AUM, carried interest on realized investments, AI service fees, and realized investment gains. In April 2026, Brightstar launched a dedicated Lower Middle Market Strategy, broadening the firm's addressable deal universe below its historical core check size and signaling continued platform expansion.

Name

Brightstar Capital Partners

Legal name

Brightstar Capital Partners

Website

https://brightstarcp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Brightstar Capital Partners is a New York-based middle-market private equity firm founded in 2015 by Andrew Weinberg, managing approximately $5 billion in AUM across Business Services, Industrials, TMT, and Financial Services for institutional and other limited-partner investors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Equity Fund Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Micro-PE / Lower Middle Market ETA Funds (FSANALAG)

Keywords

• Middle market private equity
• Control buyout investments
• Private equity fund management
• Portfolio company operations
• Family business investing

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Management Fees: As a private equity firm registered with the SEC, Brightstar earns recurring management fees from its investment funds (Fund I, II, and III referenced), typically calculated as a percentage of committed or invested capital.
2. Carried Interest / Performance Fees: Carried interest earned on investment returns above hurdle rates on Brightstar Funds, including side-by-side co-investment rights for certain partners.
3. Brightstar.AI Service Fees: Fees and compensation from Brightstar.AI services provided to Brightstar Funds and their portfolio companies, borne by the appropriate fund or portfolio company.
4. Realized Investment Gains: Capital gains realized from the sale or exit of portfolio company investments (e.g., Best Choice Roofing divestment context, Partially Realized / Realized portfolio statuses noted on portfolio page).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Brightstar Capital Partners manages middle-market private equity funds that make control-oriented investments in companies across Business Services, Industrials, Tech/Media/Telecom, and Financial Services. The firm partners with management teams on operational engagement, strategic input, and active ownership, supplemented by its internal AI capability (Brightstar.AI) and a dedicated lower-middle-market strategy focused on founder-, family-, and entrepreneur-led businesses.

Product overview

Brightstar Capital Partners is a middle-market private equity firm whose core offering is control-oriented fund management across four verticals — Business Services, Industrials, Tech/Media/Telecom, and Financial Services. Its product/service architecture is not a single SaaS product but rather a unified investment platform with several dedicated components: (1) Middle-Market Private Equity Investment Services, which form the core offering and are delivered through multiple Brightstar Funds supported by hands-on operational engagement; (2) Brightstar.AI, the firm's internal AI capability platform that provides AI services to Brightstar Funds and their portfolio companies; (3) the Brightstar Lower Middle Market Strategy, a dedicated strategy targeting founder-, family-, and entrepreneur-led businesses; and (4) The Pulse of Family Business Research Series, a research/thought-leadership offering published in partnership with Family Business Magazine and previously Campden Wealth. Together these offerings form Brightstar's "mission-built ecosystem" for value creation, with Brightstar.AI and the Lower Middle Market Strategy functioning as add-on capabilities layered on top of the core fund management services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Middle-Market Private Equity Investment Services Core fund management offering: control-oriented private equity investments in U.S. middle-market companies, with hands-on operational engagement, partnership with management teams, and a relationship-driven sourcing model supported by Brightstar.AI.
• Brightstar.AI Dedicated internal AI and technology capability that provides AI services to Brightstar Funds and their portfolio companies, supporting productivity, execution, decision-making, and transformation across the firm and portfolio.
• Brightstar Lower Middle Market Strategy Dedicated Brightstar investment strategy focused on partnering with founder-, family-, entrepreneur-, and operator-led businesses; supports management teams in executing operational and strategic initiatives and targets long-term growth.
• The Pulse of Family Business Research Series A series of surveys and reports co-developed with Family Business Magazine and previously Campden Wealth that provide data-driven perspectives, practical insights, and frameworks on family business governance, succession planning, and engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• $5 billion in assets under management (as of March 31, 2026)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Kirkland & Ellis LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 22 April 2026Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal advisor to Brightstar Capital Partners on the acquisition of Bendon Publishing International.
• Portage Point Partners LLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 22 April 2026Portage Point Partners LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to Bendon Publishing International on the Bendon acquisition by Brightstar.
• Northborne PartnerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 21 January 2026Northborne Partners served as the exclusive financial advisor to KLM Acquisition Corporation (Aluma Trailers) in its sale to Novae, a portfolio company of Brightstar Capital Partners.
• Squire Patton BoggsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2026Squire Patton Boggs served as legal advisor to America's Auto Auction (Brightstar portfolio company) on the acquisition of UK-based G3 Vehicle Auctions.
• Scientific GamesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 January 2025Brightstar Global Solutions Corporation and Scientific Games formed a joint venture (Sp Loterias Spe Sa) that was awarded a 15-year concession to operate a lottery in São Paulo, Brazil's most populous state (~44 million inhabitants). The entity will manage draw games, traditional and digital scratchcards, and self-draw lotteries.
• Houlihan LokeycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 12 August 2024Houlihan Lokey served as financial advisor to Brightstar on the acquisition of Stratus Team, LLC from Godspeed Capital Management LP.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sun Capital Partners: Middle-market private equity firm led operationally by Bruce Roberson (Brightstar's President/COO) prior to joining Brightstar. Directly comparable in size, operational orientation, and industrial/services deal mix.
• Wynnchurch Capital: Middle-market private equity firm focused on industrials and business services with a hands-on operational model. Directly comparable in AUM scale, sector focus, and operational value-creation playbook.
• H.I.G. Capital: Global alternative investment firm with a large middle-market LBO franchise and deep bench of former LBO professionals (Yue Xi previously in H.I.G.'s LBO Group). Comparable in deal size, sector breadth, and lower-middle-market focus.
• Lindsay Goldberg: Middle-market private equity firm focused on industrials, services, and healthcare where Andrew Weinberg was previously a Partner. Directly comparable given shared founder lineage, similar control-oriented buyout style, and overlapping vertical focus.
• Atlantic Street Capital: Lower-middle-market private equity firm with operating partner culture; Trish Lukasik joined Brightstar from Atlantic Street. Comparable in size, operating-driven approach, and lower-middle-market focus.
• Abry Partners: Middle-market private equity firm with a strong value-creation / operating focus; Chris Nicolini (Brightstar MD, Value Creation) was previously a Senior Operations Executive at Abry. Comparable in size, sector focus, and operational orientation.
• Calera Capital: Middle-market private equity firm where Yue Xi (Brightstar MD, Co-Head of Business Services) was previously a Vice President. Comparable in fund size, business services orientation, and platform-building approach.
• Bregal Partners: Lower-middle and middle-market private equity firm (Bregal Partners II) where Charles Yoon, Brightstar's Managing Partner of the Lower Middle Market Strategy, was previously Managing Partner. Comparable in size, sector focus, and relationship-driven family/founder model.
• Monitor Clipper Partners: Middle-market private equity firm where Charles Yoon was previously a Partner. Comparable given similar AUM scale, lower-middle-market focus, and business services / industrials orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Partners Group: Large global private markets firm where Christopher Grillo (Brightstar Principal) previously worked on the investment team. Comparable in AI/data-driven diligence orientation and diversified industrial/business services exposure, though at materially larger AUM scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brightstar-capital-partners

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A20 records

Investments2 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Brightstar Capital Partners