Growthcap Insights

In this episode, we speak with Gregg Johnson, the CEO of Invoca.  Gregg is a seasoned software leader who previously led Salesforce Marketing Cloud’s social marketing product line, where he integrated $1 billion of M&A investments into the Salesforce product portfolio.  He is also a successful entrepreneur. Invoca is the cloud leader in AI-powered conversation intelligence for revenue teams that enables marketing, sales, customer experience, and eCommerce teams to understand and immediately act on the information consumers share via conversations. The company has raised $184 million from leading venture capitalists including Upfront Ventures, Accel, Silver Lake Waterman, H.I.G. Growth Partners, and Salesforce Ventures. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode, we speak with Michael Kumin, Managing Director at Great Hill Partners, which he joined in 2002.  Michael serves on the firm’s Investment Committee and Executive Committee.  He focuses on digital commerce and software investments. Great Hill Partners is a Boston-based private equity firm that invests in high-growth, disruptive companies across five core sectors (software, digital commerce, financial technology, healthcare, and digital infrastructure). Over the past two decades, Great Hill has raised over $12 billion of commitments across eight funds and invested in more than 95 companies. The Firm was recognized by GrowthCap as a Top 25 Private Equity Firm of 2022. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode, we speak with Nate Locke, Managing Partner and Co-Head of Growth Equity at Kayne Partners. Nate has played a key role in partnering with many of the 48 platform investments and contributing to the 25 exits completed by the Kayne Partners team across six funds and six co-investment vehicles. He was recognized by GrowthCap as a Top 25 Software Investor of 2022. Nate’s select transaction experience includes the sale of Chicago-based, 4C Insights, MaintenanceNet, Learn.com, 3CInteractive and the recapitalizations of Source Intelligence, and myKaarma. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode, we speak with Rachel Geller, Managing Director at Insight Partners where she helps lead investments in high-growth software and internet companies, with a focus on application software and marketplaces. Rachel has provided investment, growth and M&A support for more than 50 portfolio companies.  She is also a vocal advocate for increased diversity in both the software and investment sectors and is a driving force behind many of Insight’s DE&I initiatives. Rachel was recognized by GrowthCap as one of the Top Women Leaders in Growth Investing of 2022. Founded in 1995, Insight has been focused on scaling software companies for over two and a half decades and has invested in over 700 companies worldwide.  The firm has over $90 billion in assets under management. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode, we speak with Matthew Brockman, Managing Partner at Hg, a leading global software and services investment firm. The firm was recognized by GrowthCap as one of the Top 25 Private Equity Firms of 2022. Hg has over $55 billion in total funds under management and is supported by a team of over 280 professionals across Europe and North America, with offices in London, Munich, New York, Paris and San Francisco. Matthew is Managing Partner, Chair of the Investment Committees and a member of the Board at Hg. He focuses on the day to day leadership of the firm and also the Genesis and Mercury fund teams. Matthew joined Hg in 2010 and originally led the development of the software focused Mercury funds, acting across many of the investments in that fund including Allocate, Intelliflo and Sequel Business Solutions. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode we chat with Ben Spero, Managing Director at Spectrum Equity, a leading growth equity firm that specializes in partnering with internet-based software and information services companies. Spectrum was started in 1994, and recently closed its tenth fund with $2 billion. The firm has an exceptional track record partnering with founders of high growth, bootstrapped companies as their first institutional investment partner. Ben joined Spectrum in 2001 and is co-head of the firm, leading their San Francisco office. Some of the investments he’s led for Spectrum include Grubhub, SurveyMonkey, Lucid Software, iPay Technologies, The Knot Worldwide, AllTrails, and Headspace. We chat with Ben about how the firm and growth equity have evolved during his long tenure at Spectrum and some of the investment areas he’s most excited about. I am your host RJ Lumba. We hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode we chat with Greg Moerschel, Managing Partner at BPOC, a firm committed to middle market healthcare companies, typically led by founders. Greg was recognized by GrowthCap as a Top Healthcare Investor of 2022. He joined BPOC as a Partner in 1997. Greg currently serves on the boards of Medicus Healthcare Solutions and Maxor National Pharmacy Services. Beyond capital, BPOC has over two decades of accumulated experience to convey to growing businesses. Many founder-led companies represent the life’s work of a group of dedicated individuals, so BPOC approaches each opportunity with respect and humility. The firm has produced exceptional results for all stakeholders over the years, and contributed to expanded access, improved quality and reduced costs of healthcare delivery. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode we chat with René Stewart and Rachel Arnold, Senior Managing Directors and Co-Heads of Vista’s Endeavor Fund. Endeavor is one of the world’s largest tech buyout funds led by women. Both René and Rachel were recently recognized by GrowthCap as two of the Top Women Leaders in Growth Investing. Endeavor seeks to capture the opportunity among high-growth enterprise software companies in the lower-middle market. Since launch, Vista’s Endeavor platform has successfully raised two funds and now manages over $2.0 billion, investing in a growing portfolio of innovative businesses with $10 to $30 million in annual recurring revenue. In the past year, the Endeavor team announced several new platform investments including Schoox, BlueConic, BigTime, Jebbit, OfficeSpace and MedTrainer. Endeavor also realized an investment with the sale of SecureLink. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode, we speak with Graham Weaver, Founder and Managing Partner of Alpine Investors, a people-driven private equity firm that invests in software and services businesses. Since its founding in 2001, Alpine has made almost 300 investments and has hired over 60 executives into its portfolio companies. The firm has embarked on eight funds since inception and currently has $8b in assets under management.  It most recently closed Fund VIII in 2021 with over $2.25b in committed capital. Alpine was recognized by GrowthCap as a Top 25 Private Equity Firm of 2022. Graham founded Alpine based on the belief that exceptional people create exceptional businesses, a PeopleFirst philosophy that guides the firm’s choices today. When he’s not inspiring growth at Alpine, Graham teaches a top-rated strategic management course at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode, we speak with Ryan Drant, Founder and Managing Partner of Questa Capital, a healthcare venture growth equity firm that invests in breakout growth companies. Ryan was recognized by GrowthCap as a Top 25 Healthcare Investor of 2022. He has been actively investing in healthcare since 1996. Ryan specializes in the medical device, healthcare services, healthcare technology and specialty pharma sectors. During his investment career, he has served on 42 boards of directors and has overseen the deployment of $1.0 billion in equity capital. Ryan’s key investments include PocketHealth, Avive, and Bicycle Health. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode, we speak with Joshua Nelson, Managing Director and Head of the Healthcare Group for Thomas H. Lee Partners also known as “THL”. In his role, Josh leads a dynamic team with  deep understanding of the healthcare space and operating experience. Josh was recognized by GrowthCap as a Top 25 Healthcare Investor of 2022. THL invests in middle market growth companies exclusively within selected Identified Sector Opportunities (ISOs) in three industry groups: Financial Technology & Services, Healthcare and Technology & Business Solutions.  Since 1974, the firm has raised more than $34 billion of equity capital and has invested in over 160 companies.  Josh is currently on the board of Adare Pharma Solutions, Agiliti Health, Inc., Autism Home Care Holdings, Inc., CSafe Global, Hospice Care, Intelligent Medical Objects, Nextech, Professional Physical Therapy (ProPT), Senior Home Care Holdings, Inc. and Smile Doctors.  I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode, we speak with David Schuppan, a Senior Partner and Co-Head of the Healthcare Team at The Vistria Group, a Chicago-based next generation private investment firm operating at the intersection of purpose and profit. David was recognized by GrowthCap as a Top 25 Healthcare Investor of 2022. With over 20 years of healthcare experience, David joined The Vistria Group in 2017 and has helped grow the firm to over $7.1 billion in AUM. Previously, David was a Founder and Partner of Cressey & Company, a healthcare focused private equity firm. David prides himself on working closely with management teams to address some of the nation’s largest health challenges; in particular expanding access and value of healthcare for complex and vulnerable populations. David is currently a Director of Help at Home, Homefree Pharmacy Services, Medalogix, Mission Healthcare, PHCN, Sevita (2x), Rock Dental Brands and VitalCaring Group. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.

For our 100th episode, it is only fitting we interview an investor at one of the key pioneering firms of the growth equity industry.  I’ve heard others in the industry refer to the firm as “The Mighty General Atlantic”, they are indeed the gold standard in growth investing. In this episode, we speak with Robb Vorhoff, Managing Director and Global Head of General Atlantic’s Healthcare Group.  Robb was recognized by GrowthCap as a Top 25 Healthcare Investor of 2022. General Atlantic is a leading global growth equity firm providing capital and strategic support for growth companies. Established in 1980, General Atlantic operates out of 15 global locations across five regions and is supported by 455 employees.  The firm has $64 billion in assets under management.   Robb is active on a number of boards including Alignment Healthcare, Equality Health, Included Health, Marathon Health, Oak Street Health, OneOncology, Stellar Health and Vida Health. Robb joined General Atlantic in 2003.    Previously, he was an analy

In this episode, we speak with Sean Kim, President and Chief Product Officer of Kajabi, an all-in-one knowledge commerce platform.   Kajabi is used by both seasoned business owners and first-time knowledge entrepreneurs. It has helped its customers generate over $3.5 billion in sales and reach  nearly 60 million people across the globe with their valuable educational content.  Prior to joining Kajabi, Sean was Head of Product at TikTok and before that was Global Head of Product for Retention for Amazon Prime. Kajabi has raised over $550 million in funding and is backed by TPG, Tiger Global, Spectrum Equity and other notable investors. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode, we speak with Jeff Crisan, who co-founded Silversmith Capital Partners in 2015. In his role as a Managing Partner, Jeff focuses on investments in Healthcare IT & Services. Jeff was recognized by GrowthCap as a Top 25 Healthcare Investor of 2022. Silversmith Capital Partners is a Boston-based growth equity firm focused on partnering with and supporting the best entrepreneurs in growing technology and healthcare companies. Since its founding in 2015, the firm has raised four funds and has $3.3 billion of capital under management.  With more than 20 years investing experience, Jeff has led many of the firm’s key healthcare investments including Iodine Health, LifeStance Health (Nasdaq: LFST), MediQuant, Nordic, Panalgo (acquired by MMIT/Evaluate), Partners Surgical, Sound Physicians, Upperline Health, US Health Partners and Within3.  I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.  

In this episode, we speak with Chris Gordon and Devin O’Reilly who lead Bain Capital’s healthcare investing efforts and have been working closely together for 17 years. Chris also co-heads Bain Capital’s overall North American private equity business. Chris and Devin were each recognized by GrowthCap as a Top 25 Healthcare Investor of 2022.   Since joining Bain Capital in 1997, Chris has been actively involved in nearly all of the firm’s healthcare investing activity, and also helped launch Bain Capital’s dedicated life sciences investing effort in 2016.   Devin joined the firm in 2005.  Previously, he served healthcare industry clients as a consultant at Bain & Co., and also held general management positions in the technology industry.    Bain Capital is one of the world’s leading private investment firms with approximately $160 billion in assets under management. The firm pioneered the value-added approach to investing and has been at the forefront of growth investing since its founding in 1984.    I am

In this episode, we speak with Garheng Kong, Managing Partner and Founder of HealthQuest Capital, a leading healthcare focused growth equity firm.  HealthQuest invests in commercial stage innovations across the healthcare spectrum from medical devices and technologies to biopharma and diagnostics, and beyond. Garheng founded HealthQuest in 2012.  He is a physician, scientist, and engineer by training, and has over two decades of experience investing in innovative healthcare companies with a long list of successes including 28 IPO and M&A exits.  Garheng received undergraduate degrees in both Chemical Engineering and Biological Sciences from Stanford, while on an athletic scholarship. He then earned a MD, PhD and MBA from Duke University, graduating at the top of his class in each instance. His early career included stints at GlaxoSmithKline, McKinsey and a medical device start-up, TherOx, before joining Intersouth Partners and then Sofinnova Investments. Garheng was recognized by GrowthCap as a Top 25 Hea

In this episode, we speak with Michel Tricot, Co-Founder & CEO of Airbyte, the new open-source data integration platform that syncs data from applications, APIs & databases to data warehouses, lakes and other destinations. Airbyte is backed by Accel, Benchmark, and Altimeter Capital, among other investors.  The company has raised over $180 million since its founding in 2020. Prior to founding Airbyte, Michel was a Founding Member & Director of Engineering at rideOS and before that was the Director of Engineering for LiveRamp.   I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode, we speak with Rick Song, Co-Founder & CEO of Persona, a company that enables businesses to seamlessly verify customer identities with a drop-in widget that can be integrated in less than 10 lines of code. Persona is backed by Founders Fund, Index Ventures, and Coatue among other investors.  The company has raised over $200 million since its founding in 2018. Prior to founding Persona, Rick was an engineer at Square and during college was a  KPCB Engineering Fellow.  I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.

In this episode, we speak with Amit Sharma, the CEO and Founder of CData Software, which is a leading provider of data access and connectivity solutions. Its mission is to simplify the way its users connect, integrate, and automate their enterprise data. The Company is backed by Updata Partners and others and has raised over $160 million. Amit has guided CData Software’s rise from startup to a fast growing and profitable software company trusted by some of the largest corporations across the globe. I am your host RJ Lumba.  We hope you enjoy the show.