Middle market private equity firm
Golden Gate Capital
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, CA S4
- Founded2000 S2
- Websitegoldengatecap.com
- Last verifiedOctober 22, 2026
At a glance
| Latest fund | Golden Gate Capital Fund VII, $1.5B (Jul 2026) S4 |
|---|---|
| EBITDA range | $20M to $50M S4 |
| Deal types | Platform, Add-on S2 |
| Geography | North America S4 |
| Sectors | Auto Services & Collision, Landscaping, Industrial & Manufacturing, Software & SaaS, Healthcare Services, Transportation & Logistics, Wealth Management, Education, Consumer & Food |
What Golden Gate Capital buys
Golden Gate Capital is a San Francisco private equity firm founded in 2000 that has raised about $20 billion of committed capital over its history. It runs three sector teams: consumer services, industrials, and technology and financial services. For Fund VII, which closed in July 2026 with more than $1.5 billion plus about $1 billion of expected co-investment, it targets control investments in North American companies with $20 million to $50 million of EBITDA.
The firm says most of its acquisitions have been add-ons to companies it already owns, and those platforms are where smaller owners usually meet it. Tidal Wave Auto Spa, a car wash chain with more than 330 sites, bought six washes in Georgia and Alabama in September 2026, and Virginia Green, a residential lawn care company, bought Turf Solutions in Delaware in May 2026. Golden Gate also owns Mavis Discount Tire, which runs thousands of tire, oil change and repair shops.
Recent deals
Announced in the 24 months before October 22, 2026.
| Date | Company | Type | Sector | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | Six car washes in Georgia and AlabamaBought and rebranded by Tidal Wave Auto Spa, taking it to 332 locations | Add-on | Auto Services & Collision | Source |
| Jul 2026 | Golden Gate Capital Fund VIIFinal close above $1.5 billion, with about $1 billion of co-investment expected on top | Fund close | Source | |
| May 2026 | Turf SolutionsDelaware residential lawn care company added to Virginia Green; the owner joined to help with the handover | Add-on | Landscaping | Source |
| Feb 2026 | Bob Evans RestaurantsFamily dining chain sold to 4x4 Capital | Exit | Consumer & Food | Source |
| Aug 2025 | DMC PowerAgreement to sell the power connector maker to Hubbell | Exit | Industrial & Manufacturing | Source |
| Jul 2025 | The Learning ExperienceMajority sold to Harvest Partners; Golden Gate kept a minority stake | Exit | Education | Source |
| Mar 2025 | Stonehill Environmental PartnersSale of the water recycling and disposal business for energy producers, started from scratch in 2021 | Exit | Environmental & Waste | Source |
| Nov 2024 | oneZeroInvestment in a trading technology platform alongside existing backer Lovell Minnick Partners; the founders stay the largest individual owners | Investment | Software & SaaS | Source |
| Nov 2024 | Brava Roof TileInvestment in an Iowa maker of composite roofing tiles; management stays as significant shareholders | Platform | Industrial & Manufacturing | Source |
| Nov 2024 | Iron Oak Energy SolutionsCovia Energy merged with Black Mountain Sand in an all-stock deal to form a proppant supplier | Investment | Industrial & Manufacturing | Source |
Portfolio by sector
From the firm's portfolio page S3.
Consumer
- All My Sons Moving & Storage
- Mavis Discount Tire
- PacSun
- The Learning Experience
- Tidal Wave Auto Spa
- Virginia Green
Industrials
- Advancion
- Brava Roof Tile
- Covia
- Vantage Elevator Solutions
- Vorto
Technology & Financial Services
- Ensemble Health Partners
- Mosaic
- Nassau Financial Group
- oneZero
- Parallel Advisors
- Pico
- Securly
- Vector Solutions
- Williston Financial Group
Past investments: Bob Evans Restaurants, DMC Power, Stonehill Environmental Partners
Greymont’s take
How Golden Gate Capital fits a seller
Golden Gate fits two kinds of sellers. Owners of companies with $20 million or more of EBITDA in its sectors can talk to it about a control sale, and founders often stay on: Virginia Green's founder remained CEO and a significant shareholder after the January 2024 recapitalization. Owners of car washes, tire and auto service shops, or residential lawn care businesses are more likely to sell to one of its platforms, Tidal Wave, Mavis or Virginia Green, which keep buying local operators.
The firm describes itself as patient capital, and its holdings bear that out: Mavis has been in the portfolio since 2017 and PacSun since 2011, and when it sold control of The Learning Experience in 2025 it kept a minority stake. An owner joining a platform should ask whether the local brand and team will survive, since Tidal Wave rebrands the washes it buys, and how a later sale of the platform would affect any equity they keep.
Questions owners ask
What size company does Golden Gate Capital target?
Its July 2026 Fund VII announcement says it targets control investments in North American companies with $20 million to $50 million of EBITDA. Smaller businesses usually fit as add-ons to one of its existing platforms.
Does Golden Gate own car wash or auto service businesses?
Yes. Its active portfolio includes Tidal Wave Auto Spa, an express car wash operator it backed in 2020, and Mavis Discount Tire, which runs more than 4,400 tire, oil change and mechanical service centers. Tidal Wave bought six washes in Georgia and Alabama in September 2026.
Does Golden Gate buy lawn care companies?
Through Virginia Green, yes. Golden Gate recapitalized the Richmond lawn treatment company with its founder in January 2024, and Virginia Green bought Turf Solutions in Delaware in May 2026, keeping that company's pricing and schedules for the season.
What is Golden Gate's latest fund?
Golden Gate Capital Fund VII held its final close in July 2026 with more than $1.5 billion of commitments. The firm expects to offer about $1 billion more to its investors as co-investment, for roughly $2.5 billion of investable capital.
Sources
- S1Golden Gate Capital home page Accessed October 22, 2026
- S2Golden Gate Capital: Our Approach Accessed October 22, 2026
- S3Golden Gate Capital: Portfolio (active companies and company pages) Accessed October 22, 2026
- S4Golden Gate Capital Announces Final Close of Fund VII (July 20, 2026) Accessed October 22, 2026
- S5Golden Gate Capital Partners With Founder and CEO Gil Grattan on Recapitalization of Virginia Green (January 3, 2024) Accessed October 22, 2026
- S6Golden Gate Capital: Tidal Wave company page Accessed October 22, 2026
- S7Golden Gate Capital: Mavis Discount Tire company page Accessed October 22, 2026
- S8Tidal Wave Auto Spa Acquires and Rebrands Six Locations in Georgia and Alabama (September 17, 2026) Accessed October 22, 2026
- S9Virginia Green Strengthens Delaware Presence Through Turf Solutions Acquisition (PR Newswire, May 5, 2026) Accessed October 22, 2026
- S10Golden Gate Capital: News Accessed October 22, 2026
Compiled by Greymont Advisors from public sources, including the firm’s own website and press releases. Greymont is not affiliated with Golden Gate Capital. Figures are as reported on the dates shown and may have changed. Request a correction