ClearLight Partners
ClearLight Partners is an Irvine, California-based private equity firm that makes control and growth investments in US and Canadian middle-market companies ($25–250M revenue, $4–15M EBITDA) across consumer, business services, specialty manufacturing, healthcare services, and education sectors, funded primarily by sole LP SECOM.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersNewport Beach, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ClearLight Partners does
ClearLight Partners is a private equity firm based in Irvine, California that invests in middle-market companies across the United States and Canada. The firm pursues control investment transactions, management-led industry consolidations, and minority or growth capital investments, targeting companies with $25–250 million in revenue and $4–15 million in EBITDA, with equity check sizes of $10–50 million. Its sector focus spans consumer products and services, business services, specialty manufacturing, healthcare services, and education and training. The firm targets a 5–7 year holding period and 2–3x return multiples, consistent with a classic middle-market buyout strategy executed through both platform investments and add-on acquisitions.
The firm makes money through the standard private equity model: earning management fees on committed/invested capital and carried interest on the profits of realized investments. Its capital base is unusually concentrated — approximately $900 million has been raised cumulatively across three funds from a single limited partner, SECOM, a large Japanese public company. This sole-LP structure provides patient, long-duration capital but creates dependency on a single capital source. Since inception the firm has invested in over 20 platform companies, with notable recent activity centered on an IT services platform (ICS) that has executed multiple add-on acquisitions including AKUITY Technologies and UNS, and more recently TechMD, which was subsequently exited to Integris.
Operationally, ClearLight runs a lean team of approximately five Partners, one Principal, and one Associate, supported by broader staff of 11–50. The firm differentiates through an operating-partner model and an emphasis on partnering with management teams in execution-oriented situations, particularly roll-up and consolidation strategies. Its limited scale, sole-LP structure, and sector-specialized approach position it as a focused middle-market sponsor rather than a diversified alternatives platform.
ClearLight Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ClearLight Partners
- Legal name
- ClearLight Partners LLC
- Website
- https://clearlightpartners.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ClearLight Partners is an Irvine, California-based private equity firm that makes control and growth investments in US and Canadian middle-market companies ($25–250M revenue, $4–15M EBITDA) across consumer, business services, specialty manufacturing, healthcare services, and education sectors, funded primarily by sole LP SECOM.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ClearLight Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private Equity / Middle-Market Investing
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Capital Introducers (PE/VC/Private Credit) (FSAEAMAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
Keywords
Where ClearLight Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Newport Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
ClearLight Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Management Fees: ClearLight generates revenue through management fees charged on the assets under management across its three funds.
- Carried Interest: ClearLight earns carried interest (performance fees) from successful exits of portfolio companies, typically targeting 2-3x returns over a 3-5+ year investment period.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
ClearLight Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ClearLight Partners is a private equity firm that invests equity capital in middle-market U.S. and Canadian companies generating $25-250 million in revenue and $4-15 million in EBITDA, executing control investments, management-led industry consolidations, and minority/growth capital transactions. The firm pairs capital with strategic planning, senior management recruiting, business development, and financing support, typically partnering with existing management teams who retain equity stakes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Control Investment Transactions Equity capital transactions in which ClearLight Partners acquires a controlling equity stake in a private middle-market company, typically investing $10-50 million alongside existing management who retain an equity stake. Targeted at U.S. and Canadian companies generating $25-250 million in revenue and $4-15 million in EBITDA.
- Minority / Growth Capital Investments Minority equity investments providing growth capital to middle-market companies without a change of control, allowing founders and management teams to retain majority ownership while funding acquisitions and expansion. Offered to U.S. and Canadian companies in the same $25-250M revenue and $4-15M EBITDA target band.
- Management-Led Industry Consolidations Buy-and-build investment strategy in which ClearLight partners with an incumbent management team and provides acquisition capital for add-on deals within a fragmented industry, enabling the platform company to consolidate competitors while management retains operating control.
Companies that use ClearLight Partners
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
ClearLight Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ClearLight Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
ClearLight Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- H.I.G. Capital: H.I.G. Capital is a global middle-market private equity firm investing in control and non-control transactions across similar revenue and EBITDA ranges as ClearLight. Both pursue sector-diversified middle-market buyouts with operating-led value creation theses.
- The Jordan Company: The Jordan Company is a middle-market private equity firm focused on control buyouts and recapitalizations in U.S. and global middle-market companies — directly comparable in mandate, check size and operator-involved approach to ClearLight.
- Pfingsten Partners: Pfingsten Partners is a lower-middle-market private equity firm focused on control investments in consumer, business services and industrial companies, with a similar operational-improvement orientation and comparable check size to ClearLight.
- Huron Capital Partners: Huron Capital Partners is a Detroit-based middle-market PE firm executing control buyouts in consumer, business services and specialty industrial verticals — closely overlapping ClearLight's primary segment focus and investment criteria.
- CIVC Partners: CIVC Partners is a Chicago-based middle-market PE firm focused on control investments in business services and consumer services companies — a near-identical vertical mix and check-size profile to ClearLight.
- Trilantic North America: Trilantic North America is a middle-market PE firm executing control buyouts in business services, consumer and industrial companies across the U.S. and Canada — directly overlapping ClearLight's geography and sector mandate.
- Sterling Group: Sterling Group is a Houston-based middle-market PE firm focused on control investments in business services, industrial and consumer verticals — comparable in deal size, hold period and operator-led approach to ClearLight.
- Riverside Partners: Riverside Partners is a Boston-based middle-market PE firm focused on control buyouts in healthcare services, business services and specialty consumer — directly comparable in check size and sector breadth to ClearLight.
- Audax Group: Audax Group is a middle-market PE firm executing control buyouts and add-on acquisition platforms in business services, consumer and healthcare — directly comparable to ClearLight in roll-up strategy and middle-market focus.
- Sentinel Capital Partners: Sentinel Capital Partners is a lower-middle-market PE firm focused on control investments in business services, consumer, healthcare and industrial verticals — closely comparable to ClearLight in target company size and operating-improvement thesis.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ClearLight Partners social profiles
Digital presenceClearLight Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ClearLight Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
ClearLight Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ClearLight Partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A4 records
Investments22 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ClearLight Partners
What does ClearLight Partners do?
ClearLight Partners is a private equity firm that invests equity capital in middle-market U.S. and Canadian companies generating $25-250 million in revenue and $4-15 million in EBITDA, executing control investments, management-led industry consolidations, and minority/growth capital transactions. The firm pairs capital with strategic planning, senior management recruiting, business development, and financing support, typically partnering with existing management teams who retain equity stakes.
Is ClearLight Partners a public or private company?
ClearLight Partners is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was ClearLight Partners founded?
ClearLight Partners was founded in 1980. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ClearLight Partners based?
ClearLight Partners is headquartered in Newport Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does ClearLight Partners make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest.
Who are ClearLight Partners's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are H.I.G. Capital, The Jordan Company, Pfingsten Partners, Huron Capital Partners, CIVC Partners, Trilantic North America, Sterling Group, Riverside Partners, Audax Group and Sentinel Capital Partners.
Does ClearLight Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for ClearLight Partners.
What industry is ClearLight Partners in?
ClearLight Partners's product category is Private Equity / Middle-Market Investing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAMAE, Private Capital Introducers (PE/VC/Private Credit), with a secondary code of FSANAAAD, Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists). Its NAICS code is 523940.