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About Us
Helping founders from industry scale.
You can hit the accelerator without losing control.
We provide founders of rapidly growing SaaS and technology-enabled services companies with a unique balance of capital and help.
Scale your sales & marketing, hire your first professional executives, better leverage your systems and processes, adopt best practices, expand your addressable market, and even acquire a competitor or complementary business.
We are your partners and sounding board. It starts with how we can help you -- not how you can help us!
We are currently investing out of a $70 million, fully-committed fund.
Come join us on Growth Street.
Growth Street Investments
Entrepreneur
Founders lived the problem the business is now solving
Industry
Vertical SaaS and technology-enabled services companies
Geography
Across the U.S. with a focus on underserved markets
Company Size
$1-5 million of annual run-rate recurring revenue
Investment Size
$3-10 million
Portfolio
Industry:
B2B Vertical SaaS; Accounting
Suralink‘s SaaS solution is specifically built for accounting firms to manage workflows related to PBC request lists and secure document transfer to deliver internal operational efficiencies and improve client experience. Founder was previously an auditor and corporate controller.
Tim Ballantyne
Co-Founder and CEO
Tim Ballantyne
Co-Founder and CEO
Why did you choose to partner with Growth Street?
As our business grows, we continue to face challenges that are new to us but common for companies that have a similar profile to us. In addition to the capital that allows us to pursue our objectives, Growth Street’s specialized focus allows us to tackle these challenges more quickly and more effectively. Growth Street has been down this road many times before and can help us get to our destination more quickly.
How did you confirm Growth Street was the right partner?
We had several discussions about the specifics of Growth Street's methodology and how exactly they would help us grow. We ensured we were aligned on our desired outcomes for the company. We talked to their portfolio companies to see what they were like to work with day-in and day-out. After all of that, we knew Growth Street was the right partner for Suralink.
What inspired you to start your own company?
While working in public accounting I grew frustrated with the processes we used to interact with clients. They were not only inefficient, they routinely caused serious problems and delays. A much better way seemed obvious, and I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur!
When you are not working where can we find you?
At this stage of my life, at the park with my kids, at the pool with my kids, or playing Lego’s and Minecraft with my kids.
Who is better at ping pong, Nate or Steve?
If it’s a doubles game, in a non-regulation size room, with no warmup, playing with brand new partners, and playing only to five points… definitely Steve. Any other time, Nate.
Industry:
B2B Vertical SaaS; Hospitality
Hotel Effectiveness‘ SaaS platform allows hotel owners, third party management companies, and property-level managers to control labor expenses according to occupancy rates and labor standards. Founders previously worked at IHG Hotels & Resorts.
Mike Martin
Co-Founder and CEO
Mike Martin
Co-Founder and CEO
Why did you choose to partner with Growth Street?
I knew we could do more and move faster, but I needed the right partner. Growth Street is that partner for us. We specifically chose to partner with Growth Street because the firm's culture, values, and goals align perfectly with our company's. Partnering with Growth Street allows us to accelerate our growth, invest in our people and industry-leading product, and consider add-on acquisitions to deliver even greater value to our customers.
How would you describe life after partnering with Growth Street?
Partnering with Growth Street has made my life better. Even though we had a profitable and growing business, deep down I was always worried about something. I often felt alone whenever I had an important decision to make. Today, I worry less and spend more time thinking longer term about the business. I’m happier at work. Even more importantly, my wife tells me that I’m noticeably happier and less stressed at home.
Before Growth Street, who did you talk to about important work stuff?
I have always sought out entrepreneurs from all types of businesses and at all stages. When I talk to an entrepreneur who’s ahead of me on building their company, I learn how they did it. When I speak with an earlier stage entrepreneur, I get more clarity about my own business from giving them advice about their business.
How has Growth Street helped?
Strategically, Growth Street helped us complete our first acquisition. We never would have done that without them. Their team has helped us create a scalable sales & marketing technical platform. They have identified key executive hires from their own networks. They also helped us in smaller ways like advising on how to structure a partnership or deal with a tricky customer issue.
When you are not working where can we find you?
I’ve been in the hotel business for most of my life, so not surprisingly, I love visiting hotels and traveling. Closer to home, I ride a Peloton bike most mornings. It gives totally measurable results and allows you to take classes to compete against thousands of people all around the world. It’s the perfect workout for a super competitive person.
What inspired you to start your own company?
I was a frustrated employee and saw companies that became too large to care genuinely for their customers and team members.
Who is better at ping pong, Nate or Steve?
Nate – that perfect smile is disarming and makes you want to let him win.
Industry:
B2B Vertical SaaS; Real Estate
Visual Lease provides end-to-end lease accounting and management SaaS. Founder previously started a lease auditing services business.
In June 2019, Visual Lease completed a successful financing with Spectrum Equity.
Marc Betesh
Founder and CEO
Marc Betesh
Founder and CEO
Why did you choose to partner with Growth Street?
Good, wholesome, really smart guys. Good values. I always look for people who will make proper, well-reasoned decisions. And I look for people who share my values of honesty, transparency and integrity.
How would you describe Growth Street as an investor?
As soon as Growth Street invested in us, they jumped in to help improve our organizational structure and position us for growth. Steve and Nate clearly are not your standard investors. They are true partners. Not only do they help us achieve our vision for the company, they care about me personally and about maximizing my success as a founder and entrepreneur.
When you are not working what are you doing?
I’m always working. I integrate my work with my family life; they are not separate activities. I don’t see work as work, but rather as my hobby and lifestyle.
Who is better at ping pong, Nate or Steve?
Nate, for sure.
Industry:
B2B Vertical SaaS; Child Care
ChildCareCRM’s SaaS platform offers child care center owners and directors a comprehensive, web-based customer relationship and marketing automation system specifically designed for the child care industry. Founder previously worked at a childcare management software company.
Chuck Gibbs
Co-Founder and CEO
Chuck Gibbs
Co-Founder and CEO
Why did you choose to partner with Growth Street?
They are engaged, team-oriented, minority investors, who provided capital and expertise to grow the business, and they had the right connections for the next level. It just felt right.
How has Growth Street helped?
Steve and Nate’s guidance and sometimes “tough love” has made us a better company, and their connections have provided us opportunities we otherwise may have never had. They have helped with marketing strategy, planning and systems, financial budgeting and analysis, coordinated offshore projects we needed done, provided analysis around key hires, managed a small acquisition, and have been involved in our quarterly and annual offsite planning sessions. They are there when you need them and not overly intrusive when you don’t. I feel they are true partners with us and not just investors. They are partners who really care.
How would you describe life after choosing to partner with Growth Street?
Partnering with Growth Street provided us the capital and connections to get great people on our team, as well as providing me personally with some peace of mind - even taking a little cash off the table. This allowed me to focus more on the long term growth of the business instead of constantly being in the weeds and worrying about meeting short term obligations both in the business and personally. Growth Street brings a focus on structure and professionalism, which is helping us transform ChildCareCRM.
Who is better at ping pong, Nate or Steve?
If you tie both hands behind Nate’s back, definitely Steve.
Industry:
B2B Vertical SaaS; Education
Pear Deck is on a mission to improve teachers’ lives by making rich, active teaching easy. The company’s SaaS platform is used by school districts, schools, teachers, and students throughout the country. Founders are all former educators.
Riley Eynon-Lynch
Co-Founder and CEO
Riley Eynon-Lynch
Co-Founder and CEO
Why did you choose to partner with Growth Street?
Growth Street’s culture and values align perfectly with Pear Deck. We are thrilled to welcome them to the Pear Deck family. The partnership will allow us to accelerate growth, invest in product, optimize go-to-market, and remain focused on our primary mission of helping teachers engage all of their students, every day.
How has Growth Street helped?
Growth Street helped us choose specific focus points for business success and held us accountable to our goals. They also connect us with a wider industry network, help us with perspectives we don’t have within our own team, and, in a pinch, will negotiate with tough salespeople for us ;)
What inspired you to start your own company?
I found a problem shared by a lot of other people, and I thought I could make a good solution to it. It was too exciting not to start, and I’m lucky enough to be in a position that I could just follow my enthusiasm!
Who is better at ping pong, Nate or Steve?
I doubt they’d ever finish a game – when Nate is on track to win I bet Steve just raises the goal!
Team
Things about me
- I believe curiosity is key to professional success and personal fulfillment. I love partnering with and learning from curious entrepreneurs.
- I am involved in Juma Ventures, a great non-profit/social enterprise; its mission is inspiring.
- I played golf competitively growing up and was the co-captain of the Columbia University golf team.
- Given the opportunity, I am happy to name the entire 1986 New York Mets roster, including the coaching staff.
- Nate and I are pretty evenly matched in ping pong. A lot of our best business ideas come in the middle of very close matches.
Steve co-founded Growth Street Partners with Nate Grossman. Together, Steve and Nate currently sit on the Boards of Pear Deck, ChildCareCRM, Visual Lease, Hotel Effectiveness, and Suralink. Steve has extensive experience investing behind founders of vertical-focused B2B SaaS and technology-enabled services companies.
Prior to Growth Street, Steve was a Partner at Mainsail Partners, a growth equity firm based in San Francisco. Steve was previously a Board member at PayLease (sold to Francisco Partners), Netchemia (sold to PeopleAdmin), 3PL Central, Ncontracts, and nCourt (subsequently sold to Providence Equity). While a Board member, three of the companies successfully completed add-on acquisitions: Netchemia-SchoolSpring, Ncontracts-Strohl, and 3PL Central-iTracker. Prior to Mainsail, Steve led investment sourcing for Vector Capital, a multi-billion dollar technology private equity firm, where he helped to source three platform investments. He began his career as an investment banker at Credit Suisse First Boston and Merrill Lynch.
In 2018, Steve joined the Board of Juma Ventures, a San Francisco-based non-profit and social enterprise, to help at-risk youth. He earned a BA from Columbia University.
- I got my master’s degree in Social Psychology. I love learning about how people make decisions and how seemingly small cues can have outsized impacts.
- I believe strongly in the Growth Mindset. I want to work with entrepreneurs who are driven by learning.
- I am the third oldest of six siblings. At any given time one of us is almost definitely on a tennis court.
- I never lose to Steve in ping-pong.
Nate co-founded Growth Street Partners with Steve Wolfe. Together, Nate and Steve currently sit on the Boards of Pear Deck, ChildCareCRM, Visual Lease, Hotel Effectiveness, and Suralink. Nate has extensive experience investing behind founders of vertical-focused B2B SaaS and technology-enabled services companies.
Prior to Growth Street, he was on the investment team at Mainsail Partners, a growth equity firm based in San Francisco. While at Mainsail, Nate sourced the firm’s platform investments in Ncontracts and 3PL Central and 3PL Central’s add-on acquisition of iTracker. He was a Board Observer at 3PL Central.
He lives in San Francisco and volunteers as a youth mentor at Huckleberry Youth Programs. Nate received a BA and MA from Stanford University.
Things about me
- A Midwest native, I grew up in Minnesota (go Twins!) and attended college in Iowa (go Bulldogs and Hawkeyes!).
- I believe that entrepreneurs are the backbone of America, and I find fulfillment helping them grow and scale their businesses.
- I am an avid outdoors enthusiast, and you will frequently find me taking part in hiking, camping and general wilderness adventures.
- I traditionally opt for a canoe paddle over a ping pong paddle. But when I do play, I aim to be on Nate’s team for doubles.
Ben began his career as an operator. First, he worked for CDS Global, a subsidiary of the Hearst Corporation, in Product Marketing, Product Management, and Corporate Strategy, where he helped drive the company’s digital transformation and industry/product diversification initiatives.
In 2011, Ben joined PayLease, a private equity-backed company as head of Product Management and Marketing. He ran the organization’s strategic planning function and led the integration of the company’s acquisition of Ocius in 2015. During his tenure, he served as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Utility Management and Conservation Association (UMCA) and was a key part of the executive leadership team during PayLease’s sale to Francisco Partners in 2014 and Vista Equity Partners in 2017.
Ben has known Growth Street’s co-founders since his early PayLease days, and he joined Growth Street Partners in 2019 to assist with portfolio operations.
Ben earned his BA from Drake University and MBA from the University of Iowa.
- Having grown up with a fascination for the sciences, I’m continually amazed by how applicable the mental models of mathematics, biology, and the scientific method are to operating a business.
- My passion for working with rapidly growing businesses was sparked by the LEADER Project, where I had the opportunity to work alongside entrepreneurs in Haiti and Nepal.
- I’m a proud Canadian, Drake enthusiast, and Raptors fan, in that order.
- Unfortunately, none of the above translates well to the ping pong table.
Kevin is an Investment Associate and joined shortly after Growth Street closed its debut fund. In addition to evaluating investment opportunities, Kevin works closely with the founders and executives of Growth Street’s portfolio companies to help them scale their systems and processes.
Prior to joining Growth Street, Kevin was an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs. At Goldman, his responsibilities included market research in the technology, retail, and healthcare industries, financial analysis and modelling, and transaction process management.
Kevin earned his business degree from the Ivey Business School.
Dave Dutch
Senior Advisor, CEO Mentor
- I am an unapologetic Michigan State Spartans fan!
- I worked with Nate & Steve before they started Growth Street. I believe in them. l believe in their model. I love the type and size of companies that GSP partners with.
- I love working with Founders because each story is so unique, and they have done something special that most people only talk about.
- I value partnering with “doers” more than “talkers”.
Dave Dutch is a Senior Advisor at Growth Street Partners and the CEO of OrderMyGear. Prior to OrderMyGear, Dave was the CEO of PayLease, an online payments platform for property management companies, where Steve served on the Board. Dutch joined PayLease in 2011 from CDS Global, where he was executive vice president. Since joining PayLease, Dutch has led the sale of PayLease for the third time in six years to one of the nation’s top growth private equity firms. Under Dave’s leadership, PayLease had two meaningful transactions, including a sale to Francisco Partners and then Vista Equity. Dave attended the United States Naval Academy and then Michigan State University for his MBA.
Katie Bullard
Senior Advisor, Go-to-Market
- If I weren’t in tech, I’d be an interior designer. If you google, “Katie Bullard HGTV“, you’ll see evidence of my moonlighting career.
- I’ve worked as the right hand to three exceptional founders, and I love it because their passion and connection to the customer can’t ever be matched by another CEO.
- I love working with GSP because they take such a partner-oriented approach to everything they do! They aren’t just investors – they are your best allies.
- I’ve realized over time that the best leaders are the ones who realize that raising their game is about raising the games of others around them
Katie Bullard is a Senior Advisor at Growth Street Partners and was the President of DiscoverOrg / ZoomInfo from 2018-2019 and the Chief Growth Officer from 2016-2019. In addition, Katie is on the Board of ChildCareCRM, a Growth Street portfolio company.
At DiscoverOrg / ZoomInfo, Katie was responsible for leading the global marketing, product management, customer experience, and partnership functions. DiscoverOrg was on the Inc. 5000 list for 8 consecutive years and the Deloitte Fast 500 for 4 consecutive years.
Katie has over 15 years of experience at high-growth, investor-backed technology and data companies, and has a track record of consistently accelerating the growth and valuations of the businesses she works with – turning them into undisputed market leaders. Prior to DiscoverOrg / ZoomInfo, Katie served in executive leadership roles at Mitratech, Accruent, and D&B Hoover’s. She was named a 2018 Top 20 Women in Business to Watch by SLMA, and her marketing team earned the 2017 SIIA Marketing Team of the Year Award.
Things about me
- I believe numbers and facts are the basis of all good decisions. I enjoy working with entrepreneurs to help define and collect the numbers and facts they need to inform their intuitions.
- I enjoy working with people who question everything; there is something to learn from every outcome and opinion.
- I was a competitive cyclist through college and the president of the UVM cycling team.
- I am in the final stages of a three-year long ping pong bluff; now that they’re both overconfident, I plan to beat Steve and Nate the next time we play.
Jake has worked with Growth Street since the firm’s inception, working closely with Pear Deck, ChildCareCRM, Visual Lease, and Hotel Effectiveness. Jake’s responsibilities include helping the founders and their teams increase sales, marketing, and customer success performance through the design, implementation, and optimization of revenue-related systems and technologies. Jake has a deep understanding of Salesforce and Apex, Salesforce’s programming language, and holds several certifications from HubSpot and Google.
Prior to Growth Street, Jake was an inbound marketing specialist at New Breed Marketing, a leading HubSpot partner agency. He worked with some of HubSpot’s fastest growing SaaS clients helping them implement best practices. In addition, Jake consults for multiple high growth SaaS and eCommerce companies, helping companies scale from fewer than 20 employees to over 300. He has witnessed the benefits of implementing and optimizing the systems, sales processes, and marketing strategies to navigate the challenges (and seize the opportunities) of rapid growth.
Jake received his BS from the University of Vermont and currently lives in Burlington, VT with his soon-to-be-wife and dog.
- You can ask me anything you want about an LLC waterfall; I am an open book.
- I am an avid Bay Area sports fan, cheering on the Giants, Warriors, Niners, and my beloved Stanford Cardinal.
- Steve never accepted this challenge.
- My greatest accomplishment was captured on television.
- Nate and Kevin team up against Steve and me in epic ping pong doubles matches.
Lars serves as the Chief Financial Officer of Growth Street Partners. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the financial/operational functions in growth equity.
Lars previously spent eight years as CFO/Operating Partner at Mainsail Partners, where he worked closely with Steve and Nate. Previously, Lars worked with leading investment firms, including Golden Gate Capital and Storm Ventures. He is currently part-time, supporting a few other investment clients in the Bay Area.
Lars has a BS in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA Graduate School of Business.