Court Square Capital Partners

Court Square Capital Partners is a private equity firm specializing in leveraged buyout transactions and growth investments in middle-market companies across North America. Founded in 2006 as a spinoff from Citigroup's venture capital division, the firm traces its roots back to 1968 through its predecessor, Citicorp Venture Capital Equity Partners. Court Square was established by co-founders Joe Silvestri, Dave Thomas, and Mike Delaney, who led the separation from Citigroup and named the firm after Citigroup's headquarters location at One Court Square in Queens. The firm has built a 40-year track record of partnering with founders, families, and management teams to drive long-term value creation and establish market leadership in their portfolio companies. The firm focuses on four primary industry sectors: Business Services, Healthcare, Industrials, and Technology & Telecom. Court Square typically invests between $75 million and $350 million in equity in businesses with enterprise values ranging from $150 million to $1.5 billion. As of March 2023, the firm managed approximately $7.4 billion in assets under management, with historical investor commitments reaching $8.2 billion. The firm's investment professionals have deployed over $4.5 billion across more than 150 transactions, generating $14 billion in returns to date. Court Square employs a generalist approach while maintaining deep expertise in specific sectors, with a particular focus on companies positioned to benefit from favorable market trends, disruption, or consolidation opportunities. Court Square's portfolio includes over 240 platform investments across diverse industries. Notable portfolio companies span multiple sectors, including Auto Europe (international car rental distribution), Getaroom (travel and hospitality), Medical Knowledge Group, DISA, and AHEAD. The firm has also made significant investments in companies such as Connatix, Dynata, and Drew Marine. In March 2015, Court Square acquired Research Now, demonstrating its active approach to platform consolidation and value creation. The firm's investment strategy emphasizes responsible organic and inorganic growth through disciplined planning and strategic investment in people, processes, and systems. Court Square's organizational structure includes experienced investment professionals organized by sector expertise, with managing partners and co-heads leading Business Services, Healthcare, Industrials, and Technology & Telecom divisions. The firm operates with a collaborative, partnership-oriented culture built on core values of partnership and collaboration, integrity and trust, responsibility and accountability, and evolution and growth. Court Square has been recognized as a founder-friendly investor, appearing on Inc.'s 2024 and 2025 lists of founder-friendly investors. The firm's Resource Partners work closely with executive teams to identify external resources and develop value creation initiatives, supporting portfolio companies in achieving transformational growth and establishing themselves as world-class businesses.