
Private Equity
What We Do
Since 2012, the Nicola Private Equity team has provided patient equity capital to a diverse set of high-quality private businesses primarily across North America.
$756M AUM
$387M AUM in directs
$170M+ New directs in the past 12 months
$195M Capital raised and $190M capital deployed in the past 12 months
What We Bring
- Long-Term Partner: Our evergreen fund model means we are a long-term investor with the ability to provide continued capital support to our high-conviction assets.
- Diversified Approach: We employ a variety of investment strategies across both control and minority transactions, and we have the flexibility to invest across a wide range of industries and security types, including both structured and traditional equity as well as convertible debt.
- Entrepreneurial and Agile Approach: We strive to meet the pressing timelines of our partners and businesses and have a lean operating model to quickly execute on transactions.
Strategies
Co-Investments
Our team has developed a robust network of strong relationships with top performing and entrepreneurial private equity GPs in North America. We take a flexible approach, partnering with GPs we have confidence in to give companies the time and resources they need to realize on their growth opportunities.
Opportunities We Consider
- Both primary and secondary late-stage minority equity transactions and control co-investment opportunities.
- Focus on private equity fund GPs with whom we have prior relationships, but opportunistically participate alongside highly capable, independent sponsors with strong track records.
Target Criteria
- Investment amount size: $15 – 50M
- Enterprise Values ranging from $20mn-$7bn
- High-margin, historically stable cash flows, low leverage, low capex, low cyclicality, and long-term earnings visibility
- Strong stakeholder (sponsor / management / shareholder) alignment
Separate Accounts
We seek to be long-term capital providers for partners with compelling investment strategies and strong track records, in structures outside of traditional closed-end blind pools. Target criteria is similar to Co-investments, but over multiple investments over several years.
Secondaries
We believe secondaries are an attractive asset class within private equity, and we seek to allocate a significant piece of fund capital towards these opportunities given the many benefits they present for investors. We are primarily focused on GP-led, single asset transactions with strong transaction rationale, a high degree of GP alignment and attractive economics. We also have, and will, continue to opportunistically acquire LP fund and individual portfolio company interests.
Target Criteria
- Investment amount size: $25M
- Quality underlying assets with high-margin, historically stable cash flows, low leverage, low cyclicality, and long-term earnings visibility
- Strong stakeholder (sponsor / management / shareholder) alignment
Funds
We look to invest as a Limited Partner in private equity funds to provide diversified exposure to private equity assets. We seek to build long-term relationships with exceptional fund managers to drive returns and co-investment opportunities.
Target Criteria
- Investment amount size: $25-50M
- Established and emerging managers with excellent performance track records
- Investment thesis supported by strong macro factors
- An edge in sourcing and diligence, with ability to drive unique, proprietary deal flow
- Demonstrable value-add to portfolio companies
- Strong co-investment pipeline with attractive co-investment economics
Our Investments
Growth Equity
Lead Investor
Take-Private Carve-Out
Lead Investor
Brampton, ON-based space technology company, provides geointelligence, robotics & space operations, and satellite systems.
Growth Equity
Co-Investor
Florida based US vacation rental management company.
Control Buy-Out
Co-Investor
National US airport food & beverage retailer.
The information presented above/below should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product.
Partners



