Equity Partners

Specialist Search Fund and SME Succession Investor in Europe.

Orca Equity Partners collaborates with driven entrepreneurs to acquire small businesses and transform them into market leaders.

Your partner for Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition

At Orca Equity Partners, we back exceptional individuals on their journey to acquire and grow high-potential SMEs across Europe. Whether you are launching a search fund, pursuing a self-funded search, or executing a roll-up strategy, we provide the equity capital, operational guidance, and strategic support needed to succeed in today's competitive SME acquisition market.

Based in London and active throughout Europe, we specialise in succession transactions in the lower middle market. Our focus is on partnering with talented acquisition entrepreneurs who are ready to become CEOs of established, profitable businesses.

Complete Support for SME Acquisitions & Search Funds

The journey of an acquisition entrepreneur comes with many challenges—from sourcing the right business to structuring deals and driving post-acquisition growth. The right investment partners make all the difference.

With almost 50 years of combined experience in SME buyout investing and operational leadership, we provide hands-on support at every stage of your entrepreneurship through acquisition journey:

    • Identifying high-potential SMEs aligned with your skills, sector expertise, and growth ambitions

    • Leveraging our extensive network of business owners, advisors, and intermediaries across Europe

    • Accessing off-market succession opportunities in family-owned businesses

    • Negotiating acquisitions and structuring optimal deal terms

    • Coordinating comprehensive due diligence across financial, legal, commercial, and operational work streams

    • Raising equity capital and securing senior and mezzanine debt financing

    • Managing complex stakeholder dynamics in succession scenarios

    • Building effective Boards with experienced independent directors

    • Defining clear strategy and actionable value creation plans

    • Recruiting key management talent to strengthen your leadership team

    • Implementing operational improvements and digital transformation initiatives

    • Driving inorganic growth through bolt-on acquisitions and market consolidation

    • Preparing for a successful exit through strategic sale or secondary buyout

Our European SME succession investment approach

We invest up to €7.5m in equity capital per transaction, targeting profitable SMEs with €1-10 million in EBITDA. Our sweet spot is established businesses facing ownership transition, where a talented new CEO can unlock significant growth potential. We are London-based and invest across Europe.

We are flexible ETA investors, focused on the entrepreneur and not the structure. We back traditional search funds, self-funded searches and roll-up platforms.

We back entrepreneurs across a broad range of sectors, with particular experience in:

Technical Services

Fire safety, testing and inspection, HVAC, security

Software & IT Services

Vertical market software, cyber security, IT managed services

Industrial & Manufacturing

Niche manufacturing, engineering and infrastructure services, specialised distribution

Healthcare

private clinics, dental, specialist medical services

Education & Training

Vocational training, professional education

We actively avoid highly cyclical industries, businesses dependent on a small number of customers or contracts, and sectors facing structural decline.

Why choose Orca as your search fund investor?

At Orca, we are entrepreneurial SME investors at heart. Growing up in families of small business owners, we deeply understand management succession challenges and the latent potential within family-owned SMEs across Europe.

We have dedicated our careers to unlocking this potential by backing the next generation of CEOs to acquire and grow these businesses. Our experience in SME succession investing, search funds, and lower middle market private equity gives our entrepreneurs an edge in an increasingly competitive market.

What Sets Us Apart:

  • Deep ETA Expertise

    We live and breathe entrepreneurship through acquisition. Unlike generalist investors, we understand the unique challenges of search fund entrepreneurs—from navigating two-year searches to managing first-time CEO transitions.

  • Hands-On Partnership

    We are active, engaged partners who roll up our sleeves. You'll have direct access to our team and extensive network of former CEOs, industry experts, and functional specialists who have built successful businesses in your target sectors.

  • Flexibility

    We back both traditional search funds and self-funded search entrepreneurs, as well as experienced operators pursuing roll-up platforms. What matters most is the quality of the entrepreneur and the opportunity.

  • Aligned Incentives

    Our team commits significant personal capital alongside our investors in every deal. We succeed when you succeed, creating true long-term alignment throughout your ETA journey.

  • Network

    Having led SME buyout transactions ourselves for many years, we have extensive networks with corporate finance advisors / brokers, debt providers and sector experts. We feel deep satisfaction when we introduce our entrepreneurs to the perfect off-market deal or industry expert who changes the course of their journey for the better.

Ready to begin your
ETA Journey?

If you’re an aspiring SME CEO or search fund entrepreneur, Orca Equity Partners is here to help you succeed.