K1 Investment Management
K1 is a Los Angeles-based private equity firm founded in 2010 by Neil Malik, Hasan Askari, and Taylor Beaupain, all former employees of Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors. Since its inception, K1 has established itself as one of the world's leading private equity firms dedicated to the enterprise software sector, with a clear focus on mission-critical software publishers, i.e., solutions at the heart of their customers' vital processes, characterized by a high level of recurrence and retention.The firm targets profitable companies generating less than $50 million in recurring revenue, which it actively supports in the industrialization of their Software as a Service (SaaS) model, commercial acceleration, and consolidation of their segment through targeted external growth strategies.
K1 currently manages nearly $20 billion in assets and is deploying its sixth fund, "K6," which is expected to reach a final size of $6.3 billion, following the success of K5 ($4.6 billion raised in 2020). The team has more than 100 professionals, including 83 investment and operations experts, and invests primarily in North America (≈80%), Europe (≈15%), and Australia/Israel (≈5%).
An established player in software buyouts in the North American lower mid-market
Over the past 15 years, K1 has built an institutionalized platform in the North American lower mid-market segment, historically dominated by smaller and often riskier players. Since its creation in Los Angeles, the firm has invested exclusively in B2B software publishers in this segment, with a clear and consistent positioning that has enabled it to build recognized sector expertise. With an excellent track record, K1 is now established as a leading partner for software buyouts in the lower mid-market, both in North America and internationally.
A proven model, resilient to economic cycles
K1's performance is based on value creation that is primarily operational, focused on organic growth, financial discipline, and profitability. Upon taking control, the firm implements rapid profitability improvement programs to help portfolio companies achieve, on average within three years, the "Rule of 40," an indicator combining organic growth and margin that is the benchmark in the SaaS publishing world.Low debt levels and the mission-critical nature of the software financed enable K1 to post an extremely low loss rate and stable, resilient performance across economic cycles.
A structured Buy & Build strategy, deployed systematically
K1 applies a rigorous and replicable external growth strategy (Buy & Build), focused on software publishers with recurring revenues and strong retention rates. Each company in the portfolio is subject to a detailed transformation plan, executed according to a proven internal methodological framework, structured around the main operational levers:• Sales and marketing development
- Product improvement and technological excellence
- Financial structuring and reporting optimization
- Strengthening human capital and post-acquisition integration
This method, applied consistently, enables K1 to accelerate the growth of its companies and bring them up to the standards of the world's leading software publishers, ultimately making them natural targets for strategic buyers or specialized software funds in the upper mid-market or large cap.A notable feature is that K1's sourcing machine is not only used to identify new platforms, but is also made available to portfolio companies. It enables them to quickly identify and execute ambitious external growth programs, drawing on K1's network and analytical capabilities.
An integrated functional organization, designed as a SaaS platform
K1 has structured its organization in the same way as software publishers: each stage of the value chain—sourcing, execution, due diligence, and value creation—is handled by a dedicated team, integrated into a cross-functional and collaborative model.• The sourcing team, made up of specialized professionals, identifies
upstream opportunities outside the process.
- The operational team ("K1 Ops") directly supports portfolio companies in key areas: finance, sales, product, and recruitment.
- Portfolio management is standardized using proprietary tools, ensuring consistent visibility and rigorous monitoring.
This structured model enables K1 to industrialize execution and replicate its strategy on a large scale, well beyond the limits of the traditional private equity model, where each deal partner remains solely responsible for the entire investment cycle.
