Unlocking Value, Charting Success: Ponte Partners, Your Trusted Partner in the Secondary Market

Who We Are

Based in San Francisco, California, Ponte Partners is an investment firm specializing in addressing the distinctive investment and liquidity needs of institutional and private investors, fund managers, and entrepreneurs.

‍Our collaborative approach involves acquiring interests in private equity and venture capital funds, as well as privately owned companies.

While we have cultivated a strong expertise in technology and digital health, our investment portfolio spans diverse sectors such as consumer, business services, and industrials.

Emphasizing the smaller end of the market in both the US and Europe, Ponte Partners is uniquely positioned to navigate and capitalize on opportunities in these regions.

Our investor base includes family offices and financial institutions, reflecting the trust and confidence placed in our ability to deliver tailored solutions and drive success in the dynamic landscape of investment management.

Our name Ponte (pawn-te), which means bridge in Latin and many Romance languages, refers to our San Francisco roots and our ability to bridge the gap between those constituencies who desire to create continued value in their investments and those who seek liquidity.

Investment
Approach

With a wealth of experience, Ponte Partners excels in partnering with private equity institutional investors, fund managers, and entrepreneurs to craft tailored solutions for their distinctive liquidity and investment requirements.

Our focus spans transactions ranging from $2 million to $100 million, with a primary emphasis on assets situated in the US and Europe. Operating across diverse sectors including technology, consumer, manufacturing, and business services, we bring a versatile approach to address the evolving needs of our clients. Whether facilitating strategic investments or navigating complex transactions, Ponte Partners is committed to delivering value and success across a broad spectrum of industries.

LP Interests

Ponte Partners specializes in the acquisition of limited partner interests in private equity and venture capital funds, sourced from a diverse pool including family offices, endowments, and financial institutions.

Our engagement in these transactions is driven by various factors, including responding to regulatory changes, adjusting private equity allocations, streamlining GP relationships, and facilitating divestment of tail-end funds. Whether acquiring interests in individual companies, funds or portfolios, Ponte Partners offers a strategic and adaptable approach to meet the unique needs and objectives of our partners in the ever-evolving landscape of investment management.

Direct Portfolios

Ponte Partners specializes in the acquisition of direct portfolios, encompassing interests in private companies.

These transactions are often initiated by investors seeking liquidity from fund assets held over an extended period or by large institutions such as corporations, banks, and government programs looking to divest specific assets under unique circumstances. Our collaborative approach extends to working with general partners who aim to remain actively involved in the ongoing management of these assets. Ponte Partners brings expertise and flexibility to navigate these transactions, ensuring a strategic and seamless process for all parties involved.

Focus Areas

Investing in cloud-based software solutions offering scalability, security, and customization by providing businesses with efficient and flexible tools to streamline their operations and workflows.

Enterprise SaaS

Investing and supporting innovative technological solutions that address healthcare challenges and drive industry growth.

Digital Health

Capitalizing on growing demand for advanced technologies and services that protect digital assets and data, we are positioning ourselves to advance security in an increasingly interconnected world.

Cybersecurity

We participate in the dynamic and innovative financial technology sector, with opportunities to support disruptive solutions, reshape traditional finance, and capitalize on substantial yield returns.

Fintech

Embracing emerging AI and ML technologies, our strategy focuses on harnessing automated data analysis and decision-making capabilities to seize opportunities for innovation, drive efficiency gains, and secure competitive advantages across sectors for sustained long-term returns.

Artificial Intelligence

Investing in the opportunistic category involves seeking out unique and potential high-rewarding opportunities across various industries and asset classes, based on specific circumstances and market dynamics.

Opportunistic

Transaction Examples

Ponte's team has developed extensive experience in conducting various types of investments.

GP Restructuring

In response to regulatory changes, a large institutional investor sought to divest its preferred shares in a growth equity fund. The fund's portfolio, consisting of fewer than ten companies in specialty retail, industry, and software, presented a unique challenge.

The General Partner, comprising two seasoned investment professionals, remained integral to the fund's ongoing management post-transaction.

Our task in this intricate process was to efficiently conduct due diligence, accurately value the portfolio, and execute the transaction within a compressed time frame stipulated by the seller. Equally crucial was structuring the offer to ensure that non-preferred investors could participate in the potential upside.

Despite the complexity, Ponte Partners successfully navigated the process, concluding the transaction to the satisfaction of the seller and in alignment with the interests of the two non-preferred investors within a matter of weeks.

Acquisition of Assets From Three Different Sellers

The transaction consisted in providing a General Partner with financing for the acquisition of interests in seven small and midsized companies operating in a diversified range of sectors, including manufacturing and software.

The General Partner comprised a 3- person team who had experience in investing but had not completed an acquisition before.

Transaction highlights included conducting in-depth financial and industry due diligence alongside the General Partner, assisting them in structuring a complex transaction involving three different sellers, monitoring the investment, leading to the decision to sell substantial portfolio assets at the peak of the market cycle.

Structured Acquisition With Earn-out

A large financial institution was looking to divest its corporate venture fund. The General Partner had left to create their own independent venture fund. There were only five assets left in the legacy portfolio, with a large part of the value concentrated in one mature company, which was very close to doing its IPO.

This situation made it very difficult for the parties to agree on a price as the seller was reluctant to sell below the expected IPO price and the buyer to take the risk not only on the future stock price but also on the IPO taking place. The deal that was finally agreed consisted in a cash price and an earn-out based on the future stock price of the main asset. The IPO took place and was successful, hence providing a favorable outcome for both buyer and seller.