Our ROOTS
“When I raised my search fund over 30 years ago, we never talked about this as an asset class, and I never felt like I was part of someone’s portfolio. Back in those early days, it was about mentorship. In this regard, I prefer to stay stuck in the past.”
-David Dodson
Who is Futaleufu Partners?
Mentorship for Entrepreneurs
Futaleufu's name is different– and we are different. We are experts in operating support who believe that entrepreneurship through acquisition is fundamentally about mentorship, and we don't just talk the talk.
The entrepreneurs we work with leverage specific programs that we offer, such as our CEO Boot Camp; our Successful Searching webinar series; the Manager's Handbook CEO accelerator program; our credit and debt expertise, and our willingness to join your board, which together help you unlock the full value of your company when it comes time to sell.
Why We Do This
Over the last two decades, money has poured in to invest in search funds, but not enough experienced operators with the time and interest to mentor. So when we decided to raise a fund, we wanted to do things a little differently. We wanted to use the idea of an investment fund to organize talent to support search fund entrepreneurs, with experts in operating support, not as a way to raise capital.
Which is why we raised our money from seventeen former operators, most of them from the search fund world. In return for investing in our fund, they promised a commitment and enthusiasm to mentor, join boards, and help the next generation of search fund entrepreneurs—and that’s who we are about.
Which is also why, in the last thirty years, we’ve not increased the number of entrepreneurs we work with. We’ve stayed small for a reason: we believe the search fund model depends on mentorship and operating expertise, and that personalized attention cannot be institutionalized. It is a one-on-one process.
That’s who we are, and why we do what we do.
Search Fund Investing. Old School.
“There is only one measure that matters to us. It’s what the entrepreneurs we work with have to say about us.”
- David Dodson