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Spring Lake Equity Partners is a Boston-based private equity firm focused on providing growth equity and venture capital to later-stage technology companies. The firm’s investment strategy centers on partnering with strong management teams, offering capital to accelerate growth and operational expansion within its portfolio. They operate as a Registered Investment Adviser, specializing in the technology sector.
The firm was founded in 2013 as a spin-off from the Tudor Investment Corporation, where its managing members previously led the private equity arm known as Tudor Ventures. Founding partners Bob Forlenza, Carmen Scarpa, and Jeff Williams brought their extensive experience from Tudor Ventures to establish Spring Lake Equity Partners, building upon a deep understanding of technology investment.
Spring Lake Equity Partners seeks to collaborate with promising entrepreneurs and issuers in the technology space who are actively pursuing growth equity investments. The firm’s vision is to foster the development and expansion of these companies, contributing to their long-term success and market presence. They consistently seek opportunities to propel companies forward.
Key people at Spring Lake Equity Partners.
Key people at Spring Lake Equity Partners.
Spring Lake Equity Partners is a Boston-based private equity firm founded in 2013 that invests equity capital in later-stage, technology-oriented private companies, typically those with $5-$50 million in revenue exhibiting high growth, repeatable sales processes, and capital efficiency[1][2][3][5]. The firm's mission centers on partnering with strong management teams to fund growth initiatives, provide liquidity, and enhance value through active board participation, strategic planning, and network access, primarily as minority investors deploying $5-$20 million per deal[1]. Their investment philosophy emphasizes tech and tech-enabled services, including sub-sectors like software, digital media, cybersecurity, health IT, ecommerce, SaaS, and adtech, positioning them as key supporters in the startup-to-scaleup ecosystem by enabling next-level expansion for high-momentum companies[1][3][6].
Spring Lake Equity Partners was established in 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts, evolving from a focus on venture capital and growth equity in technology sectors[5]. Key founding partners include Carmen Scarpa (Founding Partner and Managing Partner), Dan MacKeigan (Founding Partner), and Bob Forlenza (Managing Partner), with additional leadership from figures like Dante Balestracci (Principal) and Bob McCormack, whose background includes executive roles at a startup software company (as CFO and CEO, leading to a strategic sale), management consulting at Bain & Company across industries like IT and financial services, and an MBA from Harvard Business School[1][5]. The firm's evolution reflects a consistent emphasis on later-stage tech investments, managing multiple closed funds (five as of available data, with close dates including 2015, 2013, and 2007) and one fund in market, building on partners' operational and deal-making expertise to refine their growth-oriented strategy[5].
Spring Lake rides the wave of maturing tech ecosystems where later-stage companies require growth capital amid scaling pressures from SaaS proliferation, cybersecurity demands, health IT digitization, and ecommerce expansion—trends amplified by post-pandemic digital acceleration[1][3]. Timing favors them as venture-backed startups seek liquidity and efficiency in a higher-interest environment, with their $5-$50M revenue sweet spot bridging seed-to-unicorn gaps for capital-efficient firms[1][2]. Market forces like repeatable sales models and tech-enabled services align with investor appetite for proven momentum over speculative early-stage bets, while their minority stakes and operational involvement influence the ecosystem by mentoring management teams toward sustainable scaling and exits[1][5].
Spring Lake is poised to capitalize on AI-driven tech evolution within its core sectors like SaaS and cybersecurity, potentially expanding fund sizes or deal flow as later-stage opportunities proliferate in a stabilizing PE market. Trends such as regulatory pushes for health IT and adtech innovation will shape their trajectory, with their partner-led, hands-on model likely amplifying influence through more high-profile exits. As Boston's tech hub grows, expect refined focus on sub-$50M revenue scalers, reinforcing their role in elevating management teams to enduring value creators—echoing their foundational commitment to partnership-driven growth[1][3][5].
Spring Lake Equity Partners has 2 tracked investments across 2 companies. The latest tracked deal is $32.0M Series C in Zylo in November 2022.
| Date | Company | Round | Lead Investor(s) | Co-Investor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2022 | Zylo | $32.0M Series C | Baird Capital | Accel, Allos Ventures, ALT Capital, Alumni Ventures, Ankona Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Drive Capital, Elevate Ventures, Forum Ventures, Foundation Capital, Foundry Group, Sangeen ZEB, High Alpha, Ignition Partners, MassMutual Ventures, Matrix, Maven Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Jeff Richards, Openview Venture Partners, Pioneer Fund, S28 Capital, SaaS Venture Capital, Salesforce Ventures, Slack Fund, TM3 Capital, Unusual Ventures, Upfront Ventures, Matt Garratt, Y Combinator, Allen Gannett, Bill Smith, Edith Harbaugh, Gokul Rajaram, Jonathan Wasserstrum, OTT Kaukver, TIM Seears, Eric TAN, Anthology Fund |
| Jan 1, 2018 | MATRIXX Software | $40.0M Series C | Stefan Dyckerhoff | General Catalyst, Karim Faris, IVP, Lumia Capital, Telstra Ventures, George Hoyem, Adams Street Partners, Susan Buttsworth, Greylock Partners, Swisscom Ventures |
