Private equity and diversified investment firm
Sterling Partners
- HeadquartersChicago, IL S1
- Founded1983 S2
- Websitesterlingpartners.com
- Last verifiedOctober 20, 2026
At a glance
| Deal types | Platform, Add-on, Minority, Growth S2 |
|---|---|
| Sectors | Education, Healthcare Services, Consumer & Food |
What Sterling Partners buys
Sterling Partners is a Chicago investment firm founded in 1983. Its private equity business began raising institutional funds in 2000 and used them mostly to buy control of founder-run middle market companies in healthcare services, education and business services. It still manages those legacy funds, but new deals use Sterling's own capital, sometimes with outside investors on a single deal, which leaves it open on size, structure and industry.
New investments come in three forms: buyouts where the firm has a research edge or a network, growth and early-stage capital alongside founders, and companies it starts from scratch with experienced operators. A-Rent Test Equipment, founded in 2019 by a former Sterling executive in residence and sold in 2026, is an example of the last kind. Sterling can take control or a minority stake, and it also uses preferred equity and debt. It publishes no revenue or EBITDA ranges. Its newest platform, Nantucket home services company Brant Point Building, points to interest in residential services, and a smaller company could also join a platform such as Spartan Education Group.
Recent deals
Announced in the 24 months before October 20, 2026.
| Date | Company | Type | Sector | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | A-Rent Test EquipmentElectrical test equipment rental and calibration company sold to Bregal Sagemount; Rising Point Capital was a co-owner | Exit | Source | |
| Jan 2026 | MellomanicPortfolio company Stationhead merged with Mellomanic to form a combined live music fan platform | Investment | Software & SaaS | Source |
| Jan 2026 | Aviator Air Flight SchoolFlight school added to Spartan Education Group's pilot training network | Add-on | Education | Source |
| Sep 2025 | Brant Point BuildingNantucket concierge home care, maintenance and contracting company; deal closed July 3, 2025 | Platform | Source |
Portfolio by sector
From the firm's portfolio page S4.
Avathon Capital
- Shorelight
- Hudson Global Scholars
Business Services
- Cerebro Capital
Consumer
- Black Rifle Coffee Company
- Fancy Sprinkles
- Forbidden Root
- SusieCakes
Education
- InGenius Prep
- Keypath Education
- Lecturio
- OpenClassrooms
- Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology
- Escape Studios
- Health Careers International (HCI Australia)
- Cintana
Healthcare Services & Technology
- Datacubed Health
- EyeCare Partners
- Platinum Dermatology Partners
- Stella Center
- Upstream Rehabilitation
Software & SaaS
- Stationhead
Other
- Brant Point Building
Greymont’s take
How Sterling Partners fits a seller
Sterling fits founders who want a flexible partner more than a standard fund playbook. Because it invests its own money one deal at a time, it can shape the deal around the owner: control, a minority stake or preferred equity. Its pace is modest, with one new platform and one add-on on its news page in the last two years, so an owner should not expect a fast, fund-driven auction. The best fits are education, healthcare services, consumer brands and, after the 2025 Brant Point deal, residential home services.
An owner should ask early who is funding the deal, since outside capital is raised deal by deal, and whether Sterling plans to hold the business long term or sell it in a few years, as it did with A-Rent.
Questions owners ask
Does Sterling Partners still raise private equity funds?
Its site says it manages seven legacy funds but now makes new private equity investments with internal capital outside those funds, investing alongside outside capital on a deal-by-deal basis.
What has Sterling Partners invested in recently?
In July 2025 it backed Brant Point Building, a Nantucket company that inspects, maintains and repairs homes for owners who are often away, and said it would keep looking at residential services and property management businesses.
Will Sterling Partners take a minority stake?
Yes. The firm says it makes control, non-control, preferred equity and debt investments, in businesses ranging from early-stage, high-growth companies to mature, profitable ones.
Has Sterling Partners sold a company recently?
Yes. In September 2026 Bregal Sagemount bought A-Rent Test Equipment, an electrical test equipment rental and calibration company founded in 2019 by a former Sterling executive in residence and co-owned with Rising Point Capital.
Sources
- S1Sterling Partners home page Accessed October 20, 2026
- S2Sterling Partners: About Accessed October 20, 2026
- S3Sterling Partners: Solutions (private equity approach) Accessed October 20, 2026
- S4Sterling Partners: Portfolio, current companies Accessed October 20, 2026
- S5Sterling Partners: News Accessed October 20, 2026
- S6Brant Point Building Announces Strategic Investment by Sterling Partners (September 4, 2025) Accessed October 20, 2026
- S7PE Professional: Bregal Sagemount acquires A-Rent Test Equipment (September 2026), linked from Sterling's news post Accessed October 20, 2026
Compiled by Greymont Advisors from public sources, including the firm’s own website and press releases. Greymont is not affiliated with Sterling Partners. Figures are as reported on the dates shown and may have changed. Request a correction