Chicago Growth Partners
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Private equity |
| Predecessor | William Blair Capital Partners |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Leveraged buyout, growth capital investments |
Chicago Growth Partners—previously known as William Blair Capital Partners—is a private equity firm that focuses on leveraged buyout and growth capital investments within middle-market companies. Its portfolio spans sectors including education, business services, healthcare, and industrial expansion.
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the firm was founded in 2004, evolving from William Blair Capital Partners which originated in 1982. Collectively, both entities have secured close to $1.8 billion through nine distinct funds. The primary team was responsible for managing six funds under the William Blair Capital Partners name, with the last fund, William Blair Capital Partners VII, closing in 2001 at $403 million.
History
Established in 1982 as the investment division of William Blair & Company, William Blair Capital Partners was actively involved in leveraged buyouts throughout the 1980s.
In 2004, senior executives completed a spinout from William Blair to create Chicago Growth Partners. This move was designed to broaden access to institutional investors beyond the limitations imposed by their connection to the investment bank.
This separation mirrored similar departures by private equity groups from large investment banks such as JPMorgan Chase (CCMP Capital) and Citigroup (Court Square Capital Partners), among others.
By August 2006, plans to raise William Blair Capital Partners VIII—aiming for roughly $250 million—were discontinued. Subsequently, the remaining team launched Seyen Capital and Emerging Market Technology.
In April 2008, Chicago Growth Partners successfully closed its second independent fund with commitments totaling $500 million. The firm initiated fundraising for a third fund between $400 million and $500 million starting in late 2012 but ceased these efforts by May 2014.
External links
- Chicago Growth Partners (company website)