North Equity
North Equity Partners is a privately held, AI-first private equity firm founded in 2018 in San Francisco that invests in established industry leaders across Digital AI, Physical AI, and Robotics AI through control transactions and buy-and-build strategies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What North Equity does
North Equity Partners (operating as North Equity) is a privately held, AI-first private equity firm founded in 2018 by Matt Sechrest and headquartered at 577 2nd Street, Suite 103, in San Francisco, California. The firm pursues control transactions in established industry leaders across three applied-AI frontiers it defines as Digital AI (knowledge-work automation platforms), Physical AI (perception systems, computer vision, sensors for physical infrastructure), and Robotics AI (AI-enabled robotics for operational efficiency and labor productivity). North Equity explicitly positions itself as a buy-and-build sponsor, providing capital combined with an operator network to build AI-native platform companies in core verticals it considers ripe for AI disruption.
North Equity does not develop or sell proprietary technology products. Its core "offering" is capital plus operating capability, with a partner bench drawn from prior roles at Thoma Bravo (former Partner Tre Sayle, two decades), Warburg Pincus (former General Partner Charles Carmel, $25B+ in tech deals), Goldman Sachs, Cisco, Google, J.P. Morgan, Sky9 Capital, and BestReviews. Operating and venture partners (Momchil Filev, Joe Goldberg, Matt Young) provide portfolio support in AI/ML IP (Filev holds 30+ AI patents), GTM scaling (ex-Snowflake, Splunk, Vanta, VMware, Symantec), and commercial transformations (CRO of four PE-backed companies, $1B+ in exits). The firm markets to qualified founders, management teams, and limited partners via direct outreach, email ([email protected]), and a LinkedIn presence; access is gated behind an investor login.
The firm's revenue model is that of a typical emerging private equity sponsor: management fees on committed fund capital, plus future carried interest on realized gains from control transactions and add-on rollups. No fund size, vintage, AUM, portfolio holdings, or financial performance is publicly disclosed. With 1-10 employees reported and no disclosed fund closings, the firm appears to be at an early institutional stage, sourcing and executing control deals with backing from its founding partners' track records and personal networks rather than from a large disclosed fund base.
North Equity firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- North Equity
- Legal name
- North Equity Partners
- Website
- https://northequity.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- North Equity Partners is a privately held, AI-first private equity firm founded in 2018 in San Francisco that invests in established industry leaders across Digital AI, Physical AI, and Robotics AI through control transactions and buy-and-build strategies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
North Equity industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private Equity Investing
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Technology & Software Growth Equity (FSANACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Equity Capital Advisory (Private Equity Placements, Growth Capital) (BPAHAOAE)
Keywords
Where North Equity is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
North Equity business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
North Equity product offering
Product offeringCore offering
North Equity is an AI-first private equity firm that makes control investments in established industry leaders and pursues buy-and-build strategies across three AI frontiers: Digital AI (AI-powered platforms for knowledge work automation), Physical AI (AI-powered perception systems including cameras, sensors, and computer vision), and Robotics AI (AI-powered robotics for upskilling manual labor). The firm provides capital, operational expertise, and an extensive AI ecosystem network to support management teams building future-proof AI-driven businesses.
Product overview
North Equity is an AI-first private equity firm that invests in established industry leaders across three AI frontiers: Digital AI, Physical AI, and Robotics AI. The firm collaborates with management teams to build future-proof businesses centered around AI innovation, pursuing control transactions in platforms that form the foundation for AI-powered rollups. North Equity does not offer software products or services; rather, it operates as a private equity investment firm focused on acquiring and scaling AI-driven companies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Digital AI Investments Investment focus in AI-powered platforms for knowledge work automation, including workflow automation, intelligent decision-making, and personalized customer engagement. Targets established industry leaders for control transactions to build AI-driven platform businesses.
- Physical AI Investments Investment focus in real-world businesses where AI-powered perception systems, including cameras, sensors, and computer vision, create intelligent physical infrastructure capable of autonomous monitoring, analysis, and operational optimization.
- Robotics AI Investments Investment focus in businesses where AI-powered robotics increasingly allow upskilling of manual labor, enabling step-function improvements in operational efficiency, consistency, scalability, and long-term labor productivity.
Companies that use North Equity
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
North Equity technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
North Equity partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
North Equity competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Silver Lake: Large-cap technology-focused PE firm backing industry leaders through control transactions. Similar in pursuing durable, category-defining tech platforms with operational support.
- Vista Equity Partners: Tech-focused PE firm specializing in enterprise software buyouts with deep operating expertise. Closely parallels North Equity's buy-and-build, control-transaction approach to technology platforms with focus on durable moats.
- Insight Partners: Tech-focused investment firm scaling from growth to control transactions across enterprise software and AI. Directly comparable to North Equity's AI-first, multi-stage technology investing approach.
- Thoma Bravo: One of the world's largest technology-focused private equity firms ($181B AUM), pursuing control transactions in software platforms. Partner Tre Sayle spent two decades at Thoma Bravo, and North Equity explicitly mirrors its model of acquiring and scaling category-leading tech businesses.
Broad incumbents
- Warburg Pincus: Global growth investor with deep enterprise infrastructure and communications tech focus. Strategic Partner Charles Carmel was a GP at Warburg Pincus, and the firm shares North Equity's growth-buyout blend in technology.
- KKR (Technology Group): Global alternative asset manager with a dedicated technology buyout franchise executing control transactions in software and tech-enabled services. Comparable diversified scale and tech focus.
- General Atlantic: Global growth equity firm investing across technology, with portfolio management style similar to North Equity's operational, partner-led model in scaling category leaders.
- Permira: Global investment firm with a sizable technology and software buyout practice pursuing control transactions. Comparable in doing platform-style technology investments with operating support.
- Carlyle Group: Global investment firm with significant technology and AI-related deal activity across its buyout and growth franchises. Comparable as a large, diversified incumbent with AI-focused deployment.
Emerging players
- Battery Ventures: Tech-focused multi-stage investor spanning venture to growth buyouts with strong AI and deep-tech coverage. Overlaps with North Equity's multi-stage, AI-first investment strategy, though typically at smaller scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
North Equity social profiles
Digital presenceNorth Equity financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
North Equity leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
North Equity funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
North Equity M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about North Equity
What does North Equity do?
North Equity is an AI-first private equity firm that makes control investments in established industry leaders and pursues buy-and-build strategies across three AI frontiers: Digital AI (AI-powered platforms for knowledge work automation), Physical AI (AI-powered perception systems including cameras, sensors, and computer vision), and Robotics AI (AI-powered robotics for upskilling manual labor). The firm provides capital, operational expertise, and an extensive AI ecosystem network to support management teams building future-proof AI-driven businesses.
Is North Equity a public or private company?
North Equity is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was North Equity founded?
North Equity was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is North Equity based?
North Equity is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
Who are North Equity's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Silver Lake, Vista Equity Partners, Insight Partners and Thoma Bravo. Broad incumbents are Warburg Pincus, KKR (Technology Group), General Atlantic, Permira and Carlyle Group. Battery Ventures is listed as an emerging player.
Does North Equity have an API?
No public API is recorded for North Equity.
What industry is North Equity in?
North Equity's product category is Private Equity Investing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANACAA, Technology & Software 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.