The Bootstrap Difference

“We are owner-operators who honor the legacies of bootstrapping entrepreneurs by unlocking the potential of the companies they built.”

Investment Approach

  • We are experienced, successful entrepreneurs
  • We have a long-term horizon
  • We provide day-to-day leadership
  • We will partner with entrepreneurs to implement a succession plan

Investment Approach

Size:

  • Revenue from $5 to $10 million
  • EBITDA from $750,000 to $1.5 million

Ownership:

  • Control Preferred

Sectors:

  • Business services, distribution and light manufacturing / assembly
  • Defensible, measurable differentiation or niche market position

Stages:

  • Mature and growth stage companies

Location:

  • Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Colorado

Characteristics


> We invest to build companies that entrepreneurs and owner-operators founded, nurtured from the start-up phase and bootstrapped into thriving enterprises. We work hands on with our portfolio companies, providing the day-to-day leadership and helping the businesses reach their full potential. We feel strongly that we are stewards of the prior owners’ legacies and strive to honor them by growing and developing the businesses we buy.


“Bootstrap-Capital serves a very unique and important role in filling the gap in the market for low-middle market financing. Both of the Principals are experienced and understand how to get things accomplished in what is an underserved market for equity-based financing. This expertise, combined with their commitment to enable business owners to succeed over a longer-term horizon, is something that every entrepreneur should consider when looking at alternatives for capital.”

John Goebel,  Bryan Cave LLP.


Situations where we can provide a solution:

  • Owner-operators without a viable succession plan who seek to retire
  • Entrepreneurs who have plateaued and seek a new owner to reinvigorate their organizations’ growth
  • Businesses with over-leveraged balance sheets whose leadership has failed to take advantage of market opportunities

Our companies share a common set of characteristics:

  • They operate in the business services, distribution and light manufacturing industries
  • They deliver measurable value to their customers and have significant untapped market opportunities
  • Their former owners were willing to give up control in order to achieve liquidity and/or growth objectives
  • They value their employees and embrace servant leadership