Investment Criteria
We constantly monitor and analyze shifts in demographics, spending patterns, and lifestyle trends to identify compelling investment opportunities. We then question ourselves and ask: can we add value? That may be with key customers, brand teams, technologies, talent acquisition or other operating expertise; sometimes it’s knowing what’s around the next corner. If the answer is yes, we will find a way to structure our investment to work for everyone.
Authenticity
It’s not just a buzzword – the brand has to have it. A business model has to be sustainable; it has to be real. A company’s team should be authentic, in actions and approach – we know we are.
Formalizing the “Informal Network”
For the past 25 years, the Principals have relied upon an informal network of companies, executives, entrepreneurs and unfunded sponsors to generate proprietary transaction flow. A large number of those contact points are investors in Mistral and have an economic incentive to provide leads, advice, and expertise to the Fund.
Innovation
In a highly competitive investment environment, we pride ourselves on our ability to recognize structural or psychological paradigm shifts in our industries of interest ahead of our peers and identify niche companies capable of capitalizing on such trends. As importantly, we are highly creative in the way we invest.
Flexibility
Our flexible mandate allows us to pursue leveraged buy-outs, recapitalizations, growth investments, acquisition financings, and carve outs from larger corporations. We work with like-minded financial and strategic partners to make both control/majority and minority investments.
Transaction Size
Given our unique group of limited partners, we have the flexibility to invest varying levels of equity in each transaction, from growth investments as small as $1 million and as large as $15 million, to larger buyouts ranging from $25 to $50 million. We can pursue larger transactions in collaboration with our Limited Partners, and we will also consider smaller investments in special situations. Our venture arm has the ability to invest as little as $100,000 (however we do not invest in pre-revenue companies).
Strong Management Teams
We believe the key to our success is identifying, building and partnering with strong management teams to lead and execute on our combined vision of the businesses we invest in. To that end, we align both our short– and long-term interests with management teams and provide meaningful ownership in our businesses.