12 South Capital Partners
12 South Capital Partners is a Charlotte, NC-based private investment partnership founded in 2017 that provides equity capital and operational support to acquisition entrepreneurs and business owners seeking liquidity, investing in service-based B2B companies with revenues above $3 million across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersCharlotte, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What 12 South Capital Partners does
12 South Capital Partners is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based private investment partnership founded in 2017 by Matt Bauer and Chris Hartman that provides equity capital and operational support to acquisition entrepreneurs (searchers) and to business owners seeking liquidity or transition. The firm invests in service-based B2B businesses in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic United States with revenues greater than $3 million and strong, predictable cash flows, engaging with searchers from Pre-LOI through deal closing and exit. The firm also serves owners seeking buy-outs, management partnerships, or growth capital, taking roles ranging from passive investor to active operator and board member.
The firm's portfolio includes American Scale Company LLC and American Welding Service LLC, both acquired in 2018 and led to double in revenue and dramatically improve margins over a five-year period, plus a current investment in The Leaf Squad (investor and board member role) and an exited investment in Half Time Rentals. There is no proprietary technology platform disclosed; the offering is a service-plus-capital model rather than a software product.
12 South Capital Partners generates returns primarily through equity investments in portfolio companies via management partnerships, buy-outs, and growth capital deployments; revenue is derived from portfolio company performance, exits, and carried interest. The distribution model is direct and relationship-led, concentrated in the Charlotte, NC regional ecosystem, with only a Squarespace-hosted website as additional marketing surface. There is no publicly disclosed pricing structure, fund size, AUM, or revenue, and the firm operates with 1–10 disclosed employees.
12 South Capital Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 12 South Capital Partners
- Legal name
- 12 South Capital Partners
- Website
- https://12southcapitalpartners.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- 12 South Capital Partners is a Charlotte, NC-based private investment partnership founded in 2017 that provides equity capital and operational support to acquisition entrepreneurs and business owners seeking liquidity, investing in service-based B2B companies with revenues above $3 million across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
12 South Capital Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private Equity / Investment Partnership
- NAICS
- Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Small-Cap / Micro-Buyout (FSANABAD)
Keywords
Where 12 South Capital Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charlotte
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
12 South Capital Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Investment Returns: Generates returns through equity investments in portfolio companies, including management partnerships, buy-outs, and growth capital deployments. Revenue derived from portfolio company performance, exits, and carried interest.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
12 South Capital Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
12 South Capital Partners is a private investment partnership that provides equity funding to acquisition entrepreneurs (searchers) to buy businesses, with engagement spanning Pre-LOI through deal closing and exit. It also structures business transition solutions for owners via buy-outs, management partnerships, and growth capital. The firm then takes an operator or board role inside the acquired company.
Product overview
12 South Capital Partners is a private investment partnership operating as a single, unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The firm provides two primary services: equity funding and operational support for acquisition entrepreneurs (searchers) looking to acquire businesses, and comprehensive business transition solutions for existing business owners including buy-outs, management partnerships, and growth capital. The firm also actively manages an investment portfolio of acquired companies where it serves in various capacities from passive investor to active operator. Investment criteria focus on Southeast and Mid-Atlantic USA, service-based B2B businesses with revenues exceeding $3 million, and stable industries with predictable cash flows.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Acquisition Entrepreneur Support Equity funding and operator support for acquisition entrepreneurs (searchers) seeking to buy businesses, with engagement spanning Pre-LOI through deal closing and exit. Targeted at service-based B2B businesses with revenues greater than $3 million in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic USA.
- Business Transition Services Transition solutions for business owners including buy-outs, management partnerships, and growth capital. Targets owners of service-based B2B businesses with revenues greater than $3 million, strong predictable cash flows, and a stable industry in the Southeast or Mid-Atlantic USA. Use cases include owner liquidity, sharing upside growth potential, providing a dedicated management team, or obtaining experienced advisory support for strategic challenges.
- Investment Portfolio Management Active investment and operational management of acquired portfolio companies, with the partnership acting in capacities ranging from passive investor to operator or board member. Current and exited portfolio holdings include American Scale Company LLC, American Welding Service LLC, The Leaf Squad, and Half Time Rentals.
Companies that use 12 South Capital Partners
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
12 South Capital Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
12 South Capital Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
12 South Capital Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- FVL Capital Partners: Search fund equity investor providing capital to first-time acquisition entrepreneurs, with an operator-sponsor model very similar to 12 South Capital Partners.
- Prairie Capital: Lower middle-market private equity firm acquiring small, profitable businesses and partnering with management. Directly comparable in deal size, sector, and owner-transition thesis.
- Tandem Capital Partners: Lower middle-market PE firm that partners with small business owners and operators. Similar small-cap buyout and management partnership focus to 12 South.
- Pacific Lake Partners: Search fund-focused capital provider offering equity and support to acquisition entrepreneurs. Competes for the same searcher relationships as 12 South.
- Anacott Capital: Provides equity capital and support to acquisition entrepreneurs (searchers). Comparable audience and value proposition to 12 South's searcher-facing services.
- Peachtree Point Capital Partners: Lower middle-market PE firm focused on searchers and small business acquisitions, with a service-business orientation comparable to 12 South's investment criteria.
- Search Fund Capital Partners: Specialized equity capital provider for individual searchers/acquisition entrepreneurs seeking to buy SMBs. Directly comparable to 12 South's searcher-focused offering with similar check sizes and operator engagement.
Broad incumbents
- Kingswood Capital Management: Lower middle-market PE firm investing across services, consumer, and industrial businesses. Larger-scale incumbent operating in adjacent segments of the same small-cap buyout market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
12 South Capital Partners social profiles
Digital presence12 South Capital Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
12 South Capital Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
12 South Capital Partners subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
12 South Capital Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
12 South Capital Partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 12 South Capital Partners
What does 12 South Capital Partners do?
12 South Capital Partners is a private investment partnership that provides equity funding to acquisition entrepreneurs (searchers) to buy businesses, with engagement spanning Pre-LOI through deal closing and exit. It also structures business transition solutions for owners via buy-outs, management partnerships, and growth capital. The firm then takes an operator or board role inside the acquired company.
Is 12 South Capital Partners a public or private company?
12 South Capital Partners is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was 12 South Capital Partners founded?
12 South Capital Partners was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is 12 South Capital Partners based?
12 South Capital Partners is headquartered in Charlotte, United States, in the North America region.
How does 12 South Capital Partners make money?
One revenue line is on record: investment Returns.
Who are 12 South Capital Partners's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are FVL Capital Partners, Prairie Capital, Tandem Capital Partners, Pacific Lake Partners, Anacott Capital, Peachtree Point Capital Partners and Search Fund Capital Partners. Kingswood Capital Management is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does 12 South Capital Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for 12 South Capital Partners.
What industry is 12 South Capital Partners in?
12 South Capital Partners's product category is Private Equity / Investment Partnership. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANABAD, Small-Cap / Micro-Buyout. Its NAICS code is 5239 and its SIC code is 6282.