ECY Partners is a private equity firm focused on lower-middle market consumer and business services companies. We take a thematic approach to partnering with growth-oriented founders and management teams to achieve optimal and sustainable outcomes
EfficienCY: achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort
EfficaCY: the ability to produce a desired or intended result
Our Approach
We are thematic investors focused on fundamental trends that drive outsized results with proven and repeatable platform expansion initiatives.
Convenience, Wellness & Modernization
Consumer trends that drive long-term, systematic behaviors
Increase of Women in the Workforce
Infrastructure to support female workforce participation, which has doubled since 1950 yet continues to face structural barriers
Tech-Enablement in Traditional Industries
Modernization of traditional businesses through technology optimization
Specialization & Outsourcing
Enhance competitive differentiation and efficiency in an increasingly interconnected and fast-paced global economy
Target Attributes
We seek to invest alongside owners and management teams who want to maintain a significant equity position and are looking for a value-add equity partner.
Key Characteristics
Sectors
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> $10 million of sales
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Engaged founders / management teams
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History of profitable growth
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Open to a majority control transaction
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Consumer Products
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Consumer Services
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Business Services
Team
ECY was founded by a private equity investor who has dedicated her career to investing in lower-middle market companies alongside engaged founders and management teams.
Managing Partner
Maggie Prager
Maggie has 16+ years of private equity experience, over the course of which she has advised 14 platform investments and served on 11 company boards.
Maggie has served as a Director at Paine Schwartz Partners, a middle market private equity firm focused on food & agriculture with $5.7B AUM, and Bregal Partners, a lower-middle market private equity firm focused on consumer and business services with $1.3B AUM. Previously she was a Principal at TZP Group, a lower-middle market private equity firm focused on business and consumer services with $1.7B AUM, where she spent 8 years and joined the initial team deploying its first fund. Prior to TZP Group, Maggie was an Associate at Summit Partners and started her career in investment banking at JPMorgan.
Maggie holds an A.B. in Economics with Certificates in Finance and Theater from Princeton University, and an M.B.A. from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University where she was a Center for Research in Technology & Innovation Scholar.
Investment Adviser
Tiffany Obenchain
Like Maggie, Tiffany has spent the vast majority of her investing career focused on lower-middle market companies. She is currently a Partner at NextWorld Evergreen, a $335M growth equity fund focused on investing in consumer brands with sales of $20-100M. Previously, she was a Managing Director at Insignia Capital Group, a $358M private equity fund focused on business services and consumer companies valued at $50-250M. Prior to Insignia, she held progressively more senior positions at Lake Capital, a lower-middle market firm that managed $1.3B dedicated to business service enterprises. She started her career in investment banking at JPMorgan.