What Advaya Capital does

Advaya Capital is a San Francisco-based private equity firm founded in 2024 by Managing Partners Anant Gupta and Rishi Jain. The firm invests in lower-middle-market businesses — with a stated target enterprise value range of $50 million to $500 million — partnering with management teams in three verticals where it has demonstrable operator depth: sports, industrials, and information services. Its portfolio currently consists of two active investments: a minority stake in the United Soccer League (acquired in 2025 alongside BellTower Partners and Weatherford Capital) and a wholly-owned acquisition of Comscore Movies for approximately $70 million in cash, completed in May 2026 in partnership with Lead Edge Capital and rebranded to its historical identity Rentrak.

The firm's value proposition centers on deep sector expertise, a hands-on operating partner model, and patient long-duration capital. The investment team is supported by a six-person bench including Vice President Abdur Qureshi (ex-CVC Capital Partners), Operating Partners Jarod Were (sports analytics, ex-NHL/Supponor) and Paul Schwarzbaum (industrials, former CEO of Tronair), and Strategic Advisor Jay Gambrell (software and technology). Portfolio companies are augmented with industry operators on their boards — for example, former Paramount distribution head Chris Aronson (a co-founder of the original Rentrak) joined the Rentrak board alongside Arturo Guillén, while USL appointed Paul McDonough as CEO and installed BellTower's Kewsong Lee as Board Co-Chair.

The business model is conventional private equity: Advaya raises capital from limited partners, deploys it into portfolio companies, and seeks returns through operational improvements, growth initiatives, and eventual exits. The firm does not publicly disclose fund size, management fees, or revenue, and uses relationship-based sourcing and its professional network rather than a traditional sales motion. As of mid-2026 the firm remains in active build-out phase, with stated intent to continue deploying across sports, industrials, and information services.

Name

Advaya Capital

Legal name

Advaya Capital

Website

https://advayacap.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Advaya Capital is a San Francisco-based private equity firm founded in 2024 that partners with management teams in lower-middle-market sports, industrials, and information services businesses, currently holding United Soccer League and Rentrak (acquired from Comscore for $70M).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Equity

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Managed Account / SMA Multi-Manager Platforms (FSANAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family Office Investment Platforms & Direct Investing (PE/VC/Co-Invest) (FSAAADAH)

Keywords

• Private equity investing
• Middle market acquisitions
• Growth capital
• Portfolio management
• Operational partnership

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

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 Investment Returns: Advaya Capital generates returns through equity investments in portfolio companies, realizing value through strategic exits, operational improvements, and growth initiatives. The firm takes an active ownership approach with dedicated operating partners and strategic advisors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Advaya Capital is a private equity firm that acquires controlling or significant minority stakes in middle-market businesses with enterprise values between $50 million and $500 million, partnering with management teams in sports, industrials, and information services. The firm deploys patient capital with a long-term investment horizon and provides hands-on operational support through dedicated operating partners and strategic advisors. Current portfolio companies include United Soccer League (USL) and Rentrak (formerly Comscore Movies, acquired for approximately $70 million in May 2026).

Product overview

Advaya Capital is a private equity firm that operates as a single unified investment platform, rather than a product-based company. The firm focuses on acquiring and building market-leading companies in sectors where it has deep operational expertise: Sports, Industrials, and Information Services. Its portfolio consists of two primary investments: United Soccer League (USL) and Rentrak (formerly Comscore Movies). USL operates professional soccer leagues across the United States, while Rentrak provides theatrical box office analytics and measurement services to the global entertainment industry. Advaya Capital provides portfolio companies with operational support, strategic guidance, and capital for growth initiatives, rather than offering standalone software products or modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Equity Investment Platform Private equity investment and hands-on operational partnership for management teams of middle-market businesses (enterprise value $50M–$500M) across sports, industrials, and information services. Capital is deployed alongside operating partners and strategic advisors who support value creation in portfolio companies.
• United Soccer League (USL) Professional soccer league organization operating across multiple divisions including USL Championship, USL League One, and the upcoming USL Premier, serving youth, pre-professional, and professional soccer across more than 200 communities in 45 states. Operated as a portfolio holding.
• Rentrak (formerly Comscore Movies) Theatrical box office analytics platform collecting transaction-level data from approximately 34,000 theaters and over 200,000 screens across 70+ countries, covering approximately 95% of the global box office. Provides box office measurement services to studios, distributors, and exhibitors for release strategy, financial settlements, talent compensation, and downstream licensing decisions. Held as a wholly-owned portfolio company.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Golden Gate Capital: Middle-market private equity firm where Advaya co-founder Anant Gupta previously worked. Most comparable in fund size, sector breadth, and operational orientation to Advaya's middle-market thesis.
• Brookfield Asset Management: Global alternative asset manager where Advaya co-founder Anant Gupta previously led the Nielsen acquisition and board involvement. Represents both the institutional background of the team and a comparable operational, board-engaged investing style, though at vastly larger scale.
• CVC Capital Partners: Global large-cap private equity firm where Advaya VP Abdur Qureshi previously worked. While CVC operates at materially larger scale and broader sector mandate, it represents the institutional pedigree of Advaya's team and a comparable PE-style approach to operational value creation.

Direct peers

• Lead Edge Capital: Growth equity firm that co-invested with Advaya Capital on the $70M Rentrak acquisition. Operates a similar middle-market, sector-focused investment model with a comparable fund size and LP base, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Arctos Sports Partners: Sports-focused private equity firm that holds minority stakes in major U.S. sports leagues and teams. Direct peer in the sports investment thesis that underpins Advaya's USL holding, with longer track record validating the asset class.
• Bruin Capital Partners: Sports-, media-, and technology-focused private equity firm with a comparable middle-market, sector-specialist mandate. Highly comparable in sector overlap (USL-style sports rights and media analytics) and fund size.
• Weatherford Capital: Growth-oriented investment firm that co-invested in USL alongside Advaya Capital. Operates a similar relationship-driven, middle-market model with comparable check sizes and a focus on consumer and sports businesses.
• Saban Capital Group: Private investment firm focused on media, entertainment, and sports with both minority and control transactions. Comparable in deal style (sports/media focus), check size flexibility, and long-duration capital approach relevant to Advaya's USL and Rentrak holdings.
• BellTower Partners: Sports- and media-focused private investment firm that anchored the USL capital round alongside Advaya Capital. Closely comparable in sector focus (sports), fund size, and partnership-based deal structures.

Emerging players

• 26North Capital Partners: Newer sports- and entertainment-focused alternatives platform led by veteran investors. Comparable to Advaya as a recently formed, sector-specialist private investment firm targeting sports and entertainment opportunities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/advaya-capital

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Advaya Capital