Growth Equity vs. Buyout Private Equity: Understanding the Differences
Private equity is a type of investment strategy that involves investing in privately-held companies to generate significant returns. Within the private equity industry, two commonly used strategies are growth equity and buyout private equity. While both approaches involve investing in companies, there are distinct differences in their objectives, investment criteria, and risk profiles. In this article, we will explore the differences between growth equity and buyout private equity to provide a better understanding of these investment strategies.
Growth Equity
Growth equity is a private equity strategy focused on investing in companies that have demonstrated stable revenue growth and the potential for future expansion. The primary objective of growth equity investors is to provide capital to rapidly growing companies in exchange for an ownership stake. These investments typically occur during the early or expansion stages of a company’s lifecycle.
Key characteristics of growth equity investments include:
- Growth-oriented Companies: Growth equity investors seek companies that have proven business models, consistent revenue growth, and a clear path to future expansion.
- Minority or Non-control Investments: Growth equity investors generally take minority or non-control positions in the companies they invest in. They provide capital and strategic guidance but leave the existing management team in control.
- Long-term Perspective: Growth equity investments have a longer time horizon compared to other private equity strategies. The goal is to support the company’s growth trajectory and increase its value over time.
- Risk and Return: Growth equity investments carry a moderate level of risk. While there is