Buy-and-build private equity firm

Growth Catalyst Partners

At a glance

Assets under management$1B (as of Mar 2026) S2
Latest fundGCP III, $360M (Sep 2024) S7
Deal typesPlatform, Add-on S3
GeographyUnited States, United Kingdom, Europe S1
SectorsAccounting & Professional Services, Education, Insurance Brokerage

What Growth Catalyst Partners buys

Growth Catalyst Partners, with offices in Chicago and Rowayton, Connecticut, buys control of information, marketing and tech-enabled services companies in the US, UK and Europe. It reports more than $1 billion of assets as of March 2026, three funds, 15 platforms and over 140 acquisitions. Its method is to combine several small owner-run businesses, often at the same moment, into one larger company led by an experienced executive, then keep adding to it. It says nearly all of its deals come directly rather than through auctions.

GCP calls itself middle market but publishes no revenue or EBITDA range, and the companies it buys are often small. The two agencies merged to form Third in March 2026 had about 70 staff between them, Execweb was about four years old when bought, and HoneyQuote says it has added 15 smaller agencies since GCP invested. A small company is most likely to meet GCP as an add-on to a platform such as GovExec, CyberRisk Alliance, Journey or HoneyQuote, or as one piece of a new combination.

Recent deals

Announced in the 24 months before November 5, 2026.

DateCompanyTypeSectorSource
Oct 2026d8 GroupFederal business development consultancy added to GovExec; the founder keeps leading it as a separate divisionAdd-onAccounting & Professional ServicesSource
Aug 2026HoneyQuoteCoastal personal lines insurance brokerage; announced with a significant GCP equity commitment and 15 agency purchases already donePlatformInsurance BrokerageSource
Apr 2026Equine NetworkSold to CVC's Global Sport GroupExitSource
Apr 2026The Opus GroupSold to EagleTree CapitalExitAccounting & Professional ServicesSource
Mar 2026Third (Orca and Sapphire Studios)New social commerce platform formed by merging two US agencies, with about 70 staff at launchPlatformAccounting & Professional ServicesSource
Jan 2026Scruffy Dog Creative GroupUK design and fabrication studio added to JourneyAdd-onSource
Jan 2026Caring.comNational senior living referral site added to SilverAssistAdd-onSource
Dec 2025Dimension StudioUK virtual production studio, already a GCP company, moved under JourneyAdd-onSource
Nov 2025ChannelPro NetworkFramingham, Massachusetts media and events business for MSPs, added to CyberRisk AllianceAdd-onSource
May 2025ExecwebNew York executive network founded in 2021, added to CyberRisk AllianceAdd-onSource
Feb 2025The Company We KeepAsia-Pacific event agency added to Opus before Opus was soldAdd-onSource
Feb 2025Federal Business CouncilGovernment agency events producer added to GovExecAdd-onSource
Dec 202459 and VMI StudioNew York and London creative studios added to JourneyAdd-onSource

Portfolio by sector

From the firm's portfolio page S4.

Select Platform Companies

  • Shift Paradigm
  • CyberRisk Alliance
  • TrueFire Studios
  • GovExec
  • SilverAssist
  • Journey
  • Sigma7
  • Data Society Group
  • HoneyQuote
  • Third

Select Platform Companies (part of Journey since December 2025)

  • Dimension

Past investments: Equine Network, The Opus Group, The Stable, Beachfront

Greymont’s take

How Growth Catalyst Partners fits a seller

GCP suits owners of small, specialized information, events, data or marketing businesses who would rather join a larger group than run an auction. Because the firm sources deals directly, the first call may come from GCP or from one of its platform chief executives, and a sale may be part of a merger with another company rather than a stand-alone purchase. Founders can keep real roles: d8 Group's founder still leads it as a separate division, and the founders of Orca and Sapphire Studios took senior positions at Third.

GCP does sell. It exited Opus and Equine Network in April 2026 and says it aims for large strategic and private equity buyers. An owner who rolls equity should ask how long the fund expects to hold the platform, what role the owner keeps after a merger, and how the rolled stake is valued against the other founders.

Questions owners ask

How small a company will Growth Catalyst Partners buy?

It publishes no minimum. It calls itself middle market, but it says it hunts in fragmented markets of small, specialized companies. Recent purchases include Execweb, founded in 2021, and the two agencies that formed Third with about 70 staff combined.

Has GCP bought US companies recently?

Yes. Recent US deals include d8 Group (October 2026), HoneyQuote (announced August 2026), Third (March 2026), Caring.com (January 2026) and ChannelPro Network (November 2025). Scruffy Dog and Dimension Studio, added to Journey, are UK companies.

Does GCP take majority control?

Yes, its stated approach is control investing, and GCP III was raised for control-oriented buyouts of established, profitable businesses. Founders and managers often invest alongside it: HoneyQuote says its leadership made significant co-investments with GCP.

Who does GCP sell its companies to?

Its strategy page points to large strategic buyers and other private equity firms. Recent exits went to EagleTree Capital (Opus) and CVC's Global Sport Group (Equine Network), and earlier ones to Seedtag (Beachfront) and Accenture (The Stable).

Sources

  1. S1Growth Catalyst Partners home page Accessed November 5, 2026
  2. S2Growth Catalyst Partners: The Firm Accessed November 5, 2026
  3. S3Growth Catalyst Partners: Investment Strategy Accessed November 5, 2026
  4. S4Growth Catalyst Partners: Portfolio Accessed November 5, 2026
  5. S5Growth Catalyst Partners: News Accessed November 5, 2026
  6. S6Growth Catalyst Partners: News Archive Accessed November 5, 2026
  7. S7GCP III final close at $360 million hard cap (September 9, 2024) Accessed November 5, 2026
  8. S8Orca and Sapphire Studios Combine to Form Third (March 26, 2026) Accessed November 5, 2026
  9. S9HoneyQuote Partners with Growth Catalyst Partners (August 31, 2026) Accessed November 5, 2026
  10. S10GovExec company news Accessed November 5, 2026
  11. S11Shift Paradigm: About Accessed November 5, 2026
  12. S12SilverAssist media page Accessed November 5, 2026

Compiled by Greymont Advisors from public sources, including the firm’s own website and press releases. Greymont is not affiliated with Growth Catalyst Partners. Figures are as reported on the dates shown and may have changed. Request a correction

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