Pine Tree Equity

What Pine Tree Equity does

Pine Tree Equity is a Miami-based private equity firm founded in January 2007 that invests in and actively expands small-capitalization service businesses, exclusively partnering with founding entrepreneurs. The firm targets profitable, family- or founder-owned companies with $10 million to $50 million of revenue and $2-7 million of EBITDA across healthcare services, business services, consumer services, and financial services. Pine Tree structures both majority and minority recapitalizations, deliberately preserving founder ownership and operating control in 32 of 34 platform investments, and accelerates growth through geographic expansion and add-on acquisitions, having executed 117 bolt-ons across 34 platforms since inception.

The firm operates a concentrated fund strategy of 8-10 investments per fund and has raised four fund vintages since 2007. Its differentiation rests on alignment of interests, with the team itself the largest investor in each fund, no formal investment committee, and no forced exit timeline. Value creation is delivered through full-time internal operating partners (former CFO/COO operators) who support accounting, budgeting, controls, financing, reporting, systems, and recruiting in partnership with founders, supplemented by an Independent Sponsor Capital Program that broadens deal flow. Pine Tree cites a 100% success rate on majority investments with no losses, top-1% returns among PE firms, and reported 5.6x-6.7x cash-on-cash multiples and 62-69% IRRs across early exit cohorts.

Pine Tree monetizes through traditional private equity mechanics: management fees on committed or invested capital across successive fund vintages, plus carried interest on realizations such as the $108 million Skinfood sale to Goodai Global in January 2026. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, sourcing proprietary deals directly from founders, through a financial-advisor referral network paid traditional referral fees, and via independent sponsor relationships. The firm is headquartered at 1515 Sunset Drive, Suite 32, Miami, FL 33143, with a team of approximately ten investment and operations professionals led by Managing Partner and founder Jeff C. Settembrino.

Name

Pine Tree Equity

Legal name

Pine Tree Equity Management, LP

Website

http://www.pinetreeequity.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pine Tree Equity is a Miami-based private equity firm founded in 2007 that invests in and expands small-capitalization U.S. service businesses with $10M-$50M of revenue, partnering exclusively with founding entrepreneurs who retain ownership and operating control.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Private Equity Fund Management: Pine Tree Equity generates returns through investing in small service businesses in partnership with founding entrepreneurs. The firm makes both majority and minority investments and generates returns through value creation, exits, and portfolio company growth. They operate as a private equity firm with multiple funds (Pine Tree Equity I, II, III, IV) since inception in 2007.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pine Tree Equity is a private equity firm that invests in and actively expands small capitalization service businesses with $10-50 million in revenue, through both majority and minority equity partnership investments. The firm partners exclusively with entrepreneurial families and founders, providing growth capital, add-on acquisition support, and internal operating partner resources while founders retain meaningful ownership and day-to-day operating control.

Product overview

Pine Tree Equity operates as a private equity firm offering equity partnership investments to small capitalization service businesses. The company provides two primary investment structures: majority and minority equity investments in companies with $10-50 million revenue. Core offerings are supplemented by add-on acquisition support, internal operating partners, and capital programs for independent sponsors. The firm has a concentrated portfolio approach, typically making 8-10 investments per fund across healthcare, business, consumer, and financial services industries, with 151 investments completed since inception in 2007 and a 100% success rate.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Equity Partnership Investment (Majority) Majority equity investment in small capitalization service businesses with $10-50 million revenue, providing capital for geographic expansion, add-on acquisitions, and operational growth while founders retain meaningful ownership and day-to-day operating control.
• Equity Partnership Investment (Minority) Minority equity investment in small capitalization service businesses, offering capital and strategic resources while allowing founders to retain legal and operating control of their business.
• Add-On Acquisition Support Strategic and financial support for portfolio companies acquiring competitive or complementary businesses to accelerate growth, including identifying acquisition targets, conducting due diligence, and integration support.
• Internal Operating Partners Program Full-time internal operating partners (former CFO/COO types) who work in partnership with founding entrepreneurs to manage accounting, analysis, budgeting, controls, financing, reporting, systems, cost savings, recruiting, and restructurings across portfolio companies.
• Independent Sponsor Capital Program Capital solution for independent sponsors seeking funding to complete transactions, targeting small cap founder-owned businesses that fit Pine Tree Equity's investment mandate.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% success rate with no losses across all investments
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Trivest Partners: Trivest is a Miami-based lower-middle-market PE firm focused on founder/family-owned businesses, often in the Southeast US. Highly comparable to Pine Tree on geography, target company profile ($10-100M revenue), service-business focus, and founder-friendly partnership model.
• Revelstoke Capital Partners: Revelstoke Capital Partners is a Denver-based PE firm focused exclusively on healthcare services businesses — a sector where Pine Tree has built significant portfolio exposure. Comparable to Pine Tree on healthcare services focus and lower-middle-market target profile.
• Bow River Capital Partners: Bow River Capital Partners is a Denver-based lower-middle-market PE firm focused on founder/family-owned businesses across healthcare, business services, and industrial services. Comparable to Pine Tree on target profile and sector mix.
• Bunker Hill Capital: Bunker Hill Capital is a Boston-based lower-middle-market PE firm focused on family/founder-owned businesses, often with operating partner support. Comparable to Pine Tree on lower-middle market focus, founder alignment, and operational value-add.
• Gen Cap America: Gen Cap America is a Nashville-based lower-middle-market PE firm investing in founder/family-owned businesses with $10-100M revenue. Direct comparable to Pine Tree on mandate size, sector breadth across services, and buy-and-build strategy.
• Gauge Capital: Gauge Capital is a Dallas-based lower-middle-market PE firm focused on founder-led businesses with $10-100M revenue. Comparable to Pine Tree in target profile, concentrated portfolio approach, and partnership-oriented investment style.
• LFM Capital: LFM Capital is a Nashville-based lower-middle-market PE firm focused on engineered industrial and business services companies. Comparable to Pine Tree on target size, operational support model, and concentrated portfolio strategy.
• Mason Wells: Mason Wells is a Milwaukee-based lower-middle-market PE firm that acquires founder-owned businesses, often in services and specialized industrials. Comparable to Pine Tree in target company size, founder-partnership orientation, and add-on acquisition approach.
• Trive Capital: Trive Capital is a Dallas-based lower-middle-market PE firm investing in family/founder-owned businesses with operational improvement potential. Comparable to Pine Tree in target profile, sector breadth in services, and operational value-add approach.
• Wynnchurch Capital: Wynnchurch Capital is a Chicago-based middle-market PE firm with operations partners supporting portfolio companies. Comparable to Pine Tree on operational support model, lower-middle-market focus, and value-creation orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A13 records

Investments7 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Pine Tree Equity