What Arising Ventures does

Arising Ventures is a privately held long-term holding company founded in 2020 that acquires and operates software businesses rather than developing proprietary technology. The company targets well-built software platforms with $3M–$30M in revenue and established competitive moats, positioning itself as a founder-friendly acquirer that offers an alternative to traditional private equity by aligning long-term shareholder interests with portfolio company health. Its go-to-market motion is direct, relationship-driven outreach to software founders and owners, with deals characterized as fast and seamless relative to conventional fund-backed acquirers.

The company's portfolio currently comprises four wholly-owned subsidiaries spanning distinct verticals: Jyve (a software and marketplace platform powering in-store execution for brands and retailers), ERA (a full-service retail recovery auditing firm that monetizes profit leakage in client transactional data), Abstract (a real-time design collaboration platform with version control for Sketch), and UpCounsel (an online marketplace connecting businesses with attorneys). Arising Ventures generates revenue through the operating returns of its portfolio companies, with the revenue model described as subscription/recurring in nature, though no specific pricing or revenue figures are publicly disclosed.

The company is led by CEO and co-founder Kjerstin Erickson (Stanford-educated, Oxford MBA via Skoll Scholarship, Y Combinator graduate), co-founder Xavier Helgesen (founder of Better World Books at $70M revenue and Zola Electric reaching 1M users in Africa), co-founder Sieva Kozinsky, and COO Danny Page (former ESPN sportscaster). Arising Ventures operates remotely in the United States with 51–100 employees and has not disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or a parent company relationship, consistent with its self-described structure as a founder-owned holding company rather than a fund.

Name

Arising Ventures

Legal name

Arising Ventures

Website

https://arisingventures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Arising Ventures is a privately held long-term holding company that acquires and operates software businesses with $3M–$30M in revenue, currently managing four portfolio companies spanning retail execution, retail auditing, design tooling, and legal services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Remote

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Portfolio Company Returns: Arising Ventures generates returns through acquiring and operating software companies over the long term. As a long-term holding company (not a fund), they align what is best for each business with what is best for shareholders. Returns come from operational improvement, growth, and eventual value creation of portfolio companies including Jyve, Abstract, UpCounsel, and a retail recovery auditing firm.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Arising Ventures is a long-term holding company that acquires and operates software businesses, providing strategic, operational, and shared-services support to portfolio companies. It targets well-built software platforms with $3M-$30M in revenue and established competitive moats, focusing on ownership transitions, turnaround situations, and long-term value creation rather than short-term fund exits.

Product overview

Arising Ventures operates as a long-term holding company that acquires and manages a portfolio of software businesses. The portfolio includes four distinct acquired brands: Jyve (retail execution software and marketplace), ERA (retail recovery auditing services), Abstract (design collaboration platform), and UpCounsel (legal services marketplace). These products serve different market segments—retail operations, financial auditing, design/creative work, and legal services—unified under Arising Ventures' holding structure focused on sustainable growth and operational excellence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jyve Software and marketplace platform that powers smarter, more productive, and accountable execution for brands and retailers in physical store environments.
• ERA (Enhanced Recovery and Audit) Full-service retail recovery auditing firm that monetizes profit leakage within client transactional data and develops new opportunities and revenue streams for large retailers.
• Abstract Real-time design collaboration platform with version control for Sketch, enabling multiple designers to work in the same file simultaneously without losing the original.
• UpCounsel Online marketplace for legal services that enables entrepreneurs and businesses to find and hire attorneys.

Quantifiable outcome

• Better World Books generated $70 million in revenue and served over 10 million customers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Thoma Bravo: Largest dedicated software-focused PE firm globally. A structural incumbent in any competitive process for VMS and SaaS assets Arising targets, though operating through large funds rather than a perpetual holding vehicle.
• Vista Equity Partners: Major software-focused PE firm with a long track record acquiring and operating enterprise and vertical-market software. Overlaps directly with Arising on software deal flow, though at much larger scale and through multi-billion-dollar funds.
• Alpine Investors: PE firm built around an operator-led, 'PeopleFirst' thesis and active across services and software. Less software-specialized than Thoma Bravo, but overlaps with Arising on founder-friendly deal sourcing and operator-led value creation.
• Francisco Partners: Software and technology-focused PE firm that competes across mid-market software transactions. Relevant counterpart for the same founder-led software businesses Arising targets.
• Insight Partners: Large software-focused investment firm active across venture, growth, and buyout stages. Comparable activity in software acquisition, particularly in the SaaS and vertical-software segments Arising targets.

Emerging players

• Mainsail Partners: Growth equity firm investing exclusively in bootstrapped, founder-led SaaS companies. Directly competes for the same 'founder-friendly' small-to-mid software businesses Arising acquires.
• Serent Capital: Software-focused growth equity firm investing in vertical-market software. Overlaps with Arising's deal space and revenue range for smaller-to-mid software acquisitions.
• ParkerGale Capital: Lower-middle-market PE firm specifically investing in profitable, bootstrapped B2B software companies. Operates in the same niche and revenue range as Arising's acquisition criteria ($3M-$30M revenue software).

Direct peers

• Tiny Ltd: Canadian tech holding company founded by Andrew Wilkinson that acquires and operates small software and consumer businesses long-term. Shares Arising's perpetual holding structure and founder-operator ethos, though with a broader tech mix.
• Constellation Software: The benchmark perpetual holding company for vertical-market software, acquiring and operating hundreds of VMS businesses over decades to compound value. Structurally the closest analog to Arising's long-term holding-company model for software.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/arisingventures
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arising-ventures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Arising Ventures