August Spark

August Spark is a New York-based family office that specializes in investments across marketing, technology, and business services. The firm focuses on acquiring majority ownership in profitable companies, typically those with $2 million to $10 million in pre-tax profitability. They aim to leverage their expertise in sales and marketing, growth strategy initiatives, fostering company culture, and digital transformations to support their portfolio companies.

The firm was relaunched in August 2018, having previously operated as Team JMC. August Spark was established to address a perceived gap in investor expertise within the marketing and business services sectors, particularly given the increasing importance of technology and digital-first offerings.

August Spark adopts a long-term, founder-friendly approach to its investment timeline, distinguishing itself from the shorter horizons often seen with traditional private equity and venture capital firms. Beyond majority acquisitions in the middle market, the firm also targets early-stage startups with high growth potential and significant impact, seeking to support innovative entrepreneurs developing breakthrough technologies and solutions across various industries. Their investment checks for these early-stage ventures range from $250,000 to $2 million.

The team at August Spark brings significant operating and entrepreneurial experience. Notably, Michael Cassidy, a key figure, was the founding CEO of Undertone, a prominent advertising technology company that was successfully acquired by Perion in 2015. This background allows the firm to provide strategic partnerships and operational support to its portfolio.