Investing in established, cash‑flowing, small businesses
We back Self-Funded Searchers and Independent Sponsors with $300k – $2m of capital + real operational experience, from LOI through close and beyond.
Searching or under LOI? We’d love to connect.Why Searchers Work With Us
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By Searchers, for Searchers
As past searchers ourselves, we understand the unique challenges and rewards of acquiring and scaling a small business.
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Encouraging Partners
We don’t just fund companies. We invest in people. From day one, we’re here as trusted allies, helping searchers lead with clarity and confidence.
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Long-Term Approach
We are patient capital, focused not only on the current deal but on the long-term future and relationship as well.
A trustworthy searcher buying an enduring business.
Profitable, stable, boring? Beautiful. We invest $300k – $2m in businesses with the following characteristics:
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Under 5x Multiple
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Earnings of $750k+
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History of Profitability
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Low Customer Concentration
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Low CapEx
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Low Cyclicality
See how standard self-funded search investment terms work.
A short walkthrough of how self-funded search investor terms are typically structured.
Entrepreneurial Capital Preferred Searcher Program
Not Yet Under LOI? We provide free support through our Preferred Searcher Program. Our Preferred Searcher Program offers select searchers hands-on support, insider access, and a direct line to our team, from Pre-LOI through post-close. If you’re serious about your search, we’re here to help you go further, faster.
Community engagement:
Access to our Preferred Searcher Slack Community, where you can:
- Connect with other searchers
- Contact our team directly
- Pose questions and provide insight
- CIM review
- LOI review
Fundraising assistance:
- Investor support letters
- Proof of funds letters
Deal support:
- Access to off-market deals
- Introductions to deal-team partners
- Prioritized consideration for potential investment
Post-close support:
- Access to investor pool for advisory & board participation (if we invest in you)
Under LOI? Here’s how we determine if we’re the right fit for each other:
01 Screen
We perform an initial review based on deal teasers, and a screening call with our Chief of Staff, to determine if the deal is obviously outside our sweet spot, in which case we pass.
02 Analyze
We sign the NDA for deals that pass the initial screen. We analyze the financial model to approximate investor returns in conservative growth scenarios. We review for other red flags (high customer concentration, etc.).
03 Meet
After determining that a deal seems to work on paper, we introduce the searcher to our deal team, first virtually and then ideally in-person if mutual interest in the opportunity continues to grow.
04 Deep-Dive
When a deal reaches this stage we dive into due diligence alongside you. We want to make sure both of us are making a wise investment, and will do everything we can to help you stress-test that.
05 Support and Grow
Post close, we provide support, typically through advisory board participation, leveraging our entrepreneurial experience and network to help you operate successfully.
Grant Hensel
Hi, I’m Grant.
I’ve started businesses 10 times:
- 2 acquired
- 7 failed
- 1 still growing (Nonprofit Megaphone, 60+ employees with a great leadership team)
It only took me 30 years to realize, in 2023, that perhaps it was better to buy than build.
I became a searcher because of love: my wife Julia worked at BCG (great job, but you work every hour of the day and night), and we wanted her to have more flexibility & ownership. Period.
I did the search (which was actually a lot of fun), and Julia operates the business we acquired. It’s called Lexigate, a firm specializing in SEO for personal injury attorneys.
It was such a good experience that we started investing personally in other self-funded searchers. We’ve now raised a fund (Entrepreneurial Capital!) to write larger checks and support self-funded searchers more holistically.
It’s great to meet you!