Solo Sponsor: 5 Deals & 2 Exits
Steven McGrath went from closing deals at billion-dollar family offices to becoming a solo independent sponsor headquartered in a LEGO-strewn basement. He proudly calls his first platform "Apollo 13", a near-impossible mission where he delivered 1x+ MOIC despite 3 Black Swans. Now, after 5 deals and 2 exits, he reflects on his journey as a lean, entrepreneurial, and disciplined sponsor.
In 2016, when his family office employer suddenly exited private equity in the midst of a deal, Steve worked with the seller to re-sign the LOI and thus launched Level Capital Partners from his home office, surrounded by LEGO and uncertainty.
That first deal, Care Plus, became a war story he now calls his "Apollo 13." Over its holding period, the business faced 3 Black Swans: a whistleblower claim, COVID, and treacherous legislation. Despite these headwinds, Steve delivered a 1x+ MOIC, which he credits to a small recruiting arm which became the unexpected engine behind the successful exit.
Since then, Level Capital Partners has executed 4 more platforms. Steven has intentionally avoided adding a co-founder, citing misaligned economics and personal risk tolerance as key reasons. Instead, he operates lean. He processes payroll, manages early diligence, and even plays ad hoc IT support for his small team.
His playbook grows companies organically without relying on leverage or add-ons. In one platform, Affirmative, he turned a $2.7 million revenue business into a $6 million ARR machine using zero debt.
Steve states that being an independent sponsor is more than finance, it's entrepreneurship. His journey proves that you don't need a fund or a partner to win in private equity, you just need to get the first deal done and never stop building.
Check today's new episode of the Minds Capital Podcast.
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