Arjun Dutt

My colleague Brookfield Private Equity CEO Anuj Ranjan's recent Reuters Open Interest op-ed outlines that the AI revolution will be written in nuts and bolts - inside factories and supply chains, not just in code. For us, this is roll-up your sleeves work in real assets in the real economy. AI is a force multiplier - but only when it's embedded into uptime, productivity, demand planning and supply chain resilience. Owning essential industrial businesses is the start. The real value is built through hands-on operational transformation – modernizing, digitizing and executing at scale. https://lnkd.in/erx_xWxw This article was originally published in Reuters Open Interest (ROI)

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So many client conversations lately have a common refrain: “How do we unlock the full potential of AI?”  That’s why I’m excited to share our latest PwC perspective: How private equity survives AI. What stands out to me is how quickly AI is moving from experimentation to execution across the PE ecosystem:  ☑️ Deals: Smarter sourcing, sharper diligence, and faster conviction.  ☑️ Portfolio value creation: AI is driving real efficiency and growth. Innovative use of AI agents to create the "Finance Function of the Future" is just one example. The impact: faster expansion, smarter operations, and higher EBITDA ahead of exit.   ☑️ Fundraising & firm operations: Firms integrating AI into how they identify new prospects or run the business are already seeing lift in efficiency and speed. The conversation has shifted from “why AI” to “how fast can we scale it — and where does it create the most value?”   I’d love to hear your perspective:️ What’s one area where you’re still waiting to see real progress?  Read the full article here: https://pwc.to/3LGEVv0    #PrivateEquity #PE #PrivateCapital #AI #GenerativeAI Josh Smigel, Peter Pollini, Amy McAneny, Mark Watermasysk, Sanjay Subramanian, Bruce Hutchison, Nate Barnes

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Never stop learning...., especially from top mentors and organizations... After a few years in PE/VC industry, I signed up for the PE/VC course at University of Chicago, organization that currently has itself over USD 3 billion of investments in private equity and venture capital. The course is led by Scott Meadow, who shares his 40+ years of direct investment experience as a principal investor in firms and partner in PE/VC funds. The program is designed by the The University of Chicago Booth School of Business faculty, including Steven Kaplan, most quoted academic expert on how PE and VC funds work, and the author of the Kaplan-Schoar Index (see link in comments), used now as an industry standard, and reported by Preqin and others. The program brings together leaders from around the world, current and future start-up founders, PE/VC professionals, hedge funds and family office managers, and corporate officers acting as LP's. Every time I come to Chicago, I search for newest trends, deep understanding of business issues, but also for energy and inspiration coming from discussions with peers.

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🔔Announcing the 2025 Vertical SaaS 50!🔔 Today, Avid Ventures, Headline, and Bain Capital Ventures recognize 50 new emerging vertical SaaS companies. 🏭 This year, over a third of the honorees are solving problems in the physical world including Caspian, DocUnlock, and Revenue Vessel in logistics, Complement, DiploAI, and Forgepoint in manufacturing, Ichi in construction, and GridStrong, Lumora, and Strobe Power in electricity/utilities. 📝 As in prior years, several honorees are building in the broader professional service landscape including &AI, Crosby, and PointOne in legal, Mako AI in financial services, and Foundation, Novella, and Strala in insurance. 🩺 Most notably, we've seen an increase in healthcare companies like Charta Health, Ferry Health and RoVR as well as Zoomlogi in pharma, Corner Health and Duet in nurse practioner practices, ExaCare AI in senior care, Onos Health in behavioral health, Grove AI in clinical trials, and Lassie and Rondah AI in dental. If you are building a vertical SaaS company or have recommendations for our 2026 list please reach out - we'd love to hear from you!

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A sharp start-of-year note from Mitch Berlin on what leadership looks like in 2026: growth through uncertainty. He connects the dots between the M&A rebound, enterprise-wide transformation, and the next wave of AI value creation, then lands on a practical takeaway for boards and CEOs: stay flexible, keep momentum, and build resilience while pursuing expansion.

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The search fund model is built on alignment. But "usually" isn’t "always." While search funds are collaborative by design, collaboration doesn’t eliminate tension. Based on experiences from both sides of the table, our latest note explores the moments when incentives between ETA CEOs and investors naturally drift apart. Why this matters: It’s Structural: These aren't "bad actor" stories; they are inherent constraints of the model. It’s Predictable: Tensions surface when timelines, personal realities, or stakes shift. It’s Navigable: Understanding these frictions upfront builds empathy, clearer expectations, and better discussions. Grateful to collaborate with Alex Hodgkin, CFA, and A.J. Wasserstein on a topic that rewards honesty and dialogue over optimism alone. Read the full paper at: https://lnkd.in/e_eskQ9V #ETA, #SearchFunds, #Searchfund, #EntrepreneurshipThroughAcquisition, #Entrepreneurship, #CorporateGovernance, #InvestorRelations, #PrivateEquity, #YaleSoM, #Kellogg, #Booth

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Private equity’s value-creation playbook is evolving. Our view? The advantage isn’t shrinking, it remains strong but it’s shifting. While returns have become harder to capture, leading firms are unlocking value in new ways: Digital and AI are becoming default levers Revenue and operational strategies are more targeted There’s renewed focus on earlier execution and cross-portfolio scaling In our latest Boston Consulting Group (BCG) piece, we explore how PE is reshaping its playbook—and why it’s working. Read the article: https://lnkd.in/eAJ4hTgY

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M&A is a powerful growth lever, but it shouldn’t be a “quick fix” for your business. Read how to identify the right acquisitions that reinforce your strategic thesis and five-year plan in LLR Partners’ newest #GrowthBit: https://lnkd.in/eg87C8Ak

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I had the opportunity to speak to the CEOs of the startups funded by Shift4Good, which is investing in sustainable transportation. In full disclosure, I chair their impact committee. I argued that firms should think about scaling deep (building stronger relationships in existing communities), rather than simply thinking about scaling fast (wide geographical spread). Research by Suntae Kim and Anna Kim shows that scaling deep can build resilient organizations and communities. The standard Silicon Valley orthodoxy is to scale up and fast, which arises often because of investor pressures. Many people do not question this orthodoxy, and yet it comes at a cost. There are numerous firms that sit in a graveyard of companies that scaled too fast and failed. I could sense the skepticism from many of the CEOs. Yet, one CEO and cofounder, Sriram Kannan, of Routematic agreed with me. I had the privilege to talk to him again and he was able to articulate so clearly how the scaling deep model works, partly by contrasting how scaling deep model of Routematic contrasts to the scaling up model of Uber. The fundamental principles of scaling deep are: 1. Grow organically from profits, not from investor cash 2. Master one market before opening up others 3. Focus on relationships, not transactions I think my biggest epiphany was that scaling deep does not mean slow growth or weak profits. Routematic has been able to achieve 8-10% month-over-month growth in revenues and has largely been profitable since it began offering its transportation services. Uber took almost 15 years to be profitable. I captured these ideas in the Forbes article I posted today, which was fun to write and taught me a lot. This is one of the many ideas I am exploring to see how systems thinking is encouraging a different way of thinking--where businesses can contribute to and benefit from stronger communities and a natural environment. As always, I welcome your reactions and provocations. Ivey Business School at Western University, Innovation North, Network for Business Sustainability (NBS), Kavitha Ramachandragowda, Ameya Uchil, Sebastien Guillaud, Thierry de Panafieu, #systemsthinking, #ScalingStrategy #SustainableGrowth #StartupStrategy #ProfitableGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #ImpactInvesting #SustainableTransportation https://lnkd.in/gM74UmYM

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