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Generation Partners is a growth equity firm based in Greenwich, Connecticut, with additional offices in Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles, California, that provides private equity investments to help management teams scale their companies. The firm manages both private equity and real estate funds, focusing on growth-stage businesses across various industry sectors where its principals frequently serve on corporate boards. To date, the organization has completed over 50 investments, utilizing an investment committee that has been operating together continuously since 2004. Beyond initial capital allocation, the firm assists its private and publicly traded portfolio companies with strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, technology assessment, and executive team building. Key leadership driving these initiatives includes majority owners Mark Jennings and John Hawkins, alongside Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Lou Marino. Generation Partners was founded in 1995 by Mark Jennings.
Key people at Generation Partners.
Generation Partners was founded in 1996 by Mark Jennings (Co-Founder & Managing Partner) and John Hawkins (Co-Founder & Managing Partner).
Key people at Generation Partners.
Generation Partners was founded in 1996 by Mark Jennings (Co-Founder & Managing Partner) and John Hawkins (Co-Founder & Managing Partner).
Generation Partners has 2 tracked investments across 2 companies. The latest tracked deal is $100.0M Series C in Payactiv in August 2020.
| Date | Company | Round | Lead Investor(s) | Co-Investor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 13, 2020 | Payactiv | $100.0M Series C | — | Ziegler |
| Jun 5, 2012 | Donuts | $100.0M Other Equity | — | Adams Street Partners, Austin Ventures, Emergence Capital, Paul Stahura, TL Ventures |
Generation Partners is a US-based growth equity firm that provides equity capital to growth-stage companies via buyouts and growth equity investments, targeting recurring revenue service businesses in Business & Information Services, Healthcare Services & Technology, Media & Marketing Services, and Real Estate.[1][2][4] The firm's mission centers on building best-in-class service businesses through innovation, operational excellence, and strong leadership, guided by conscious capitalism principles to create shareholder value with positive impact on stakeholders.[2][3] Its investment philosophy emphasizes long-term partnerships as "business builders," offering not just capital but strategic guidance, M&A expertise, management team building, financial strategy, and access to networks, drawing from decades of buyout, growth equity, and venture experience.[2] In the startup ecosystem, Generation Partners influences growth by accelerating portfolio companies through acquisitions, talent recruitment, and market expertise, with examples like PayActiv (earned-wage access), ReCept Pharmacy (specialty services for underserved patients), and Virtual Radiologic (remote diagnostics).[3]
Generation Partners operates as an SEC-registered investment advisor (under Generation Partners Management, LLC), with principals boasting over three decades of experience in sales, marketing, buyouts, growth equity, and venture capital.[2][5] The firm has maintained a long-term focus, involved in some businesses since before 2005, evolving from broad private equity roots into targeted growth equity for service-oriented sectors amid secular trends like digital services and healthcare innovation.[2][4] Key partners leverage networks in online marketing, M&A, recruiting, and capital markets, humanizing their approach through support for mission-driven entrepreneurs, as seen in investments like Sterling Talent Solutions for workplace safety and Remote Legal for efficient legal access.[2][3]
Generation Partners rides trends in service digitization and healthcare/tech convergence, capitalizing on secular shifts toward remote diagnostics, earned-wage access, and efficient legal/background services amid rising demand for cost-effective, scalable solutions.[3] Timing aligns with post-2005 growth in recurring revenue models, where market forces like regulatory pressures (e.g., 340b clinics), financial stress for underserved workers, and workplace safety needs favor their targets.[2][3][4] The firm influences the ecosystem by enabling add-on acquisitions and high-performance teams, strengthening competitive positions in fragmented sectors and promoting conscious capitalism to attract mission-aligned talent and capital.[2][3]
Generation Partners is poised to expand in resilient service sectors amid economic volatility, leveraging its M&A and finance expertise for bolt-on deals in AI-enhanced healthcare and digital marketing.[2] Trends like workforce financial wellness and remote professional services will shape its path, potentially amplifying influence through larger funds or thematic funds targeting climate remediation and identity tech.[3][4] As a steady builder in growth equity, its stakeholder-focused model positions it to thrive, echoing its foundational role in accelerating mission-driven scale.
