Above: Spectrum raised a cool billion
$1 billion.
That’s the amount heavyweight Spectrum Equity amassed for what it’s calling Fund VII. Spectrum initially planned to raise $800 million but loosened its belts after the round was oversubscribed by several hundred million dollars, according to a press release.
Money from Fund VII hasn’t been spent, and the cash was raised sometime in June. Spectrum invests primarily in digital media, software, and Internet startups. The information was in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed last week, which showed that it pulled in $951 million from 80 investors for the fund, Reuters reported.
Spectrum touts themselves this way in a posting on their website:
“Founded in 1994, we have raised six private equity funds totaling $4.7 billion of capital exclusively focused on the information economy. We seek opportunities to invest $25-$100 million in growth companies with sustainable and defensible business models—strong recurring revenue, significant operating leverage, strong cash flow margins, and franchise customer loyalty.”
“As Spectrum celebrates its 20th anniversary, we are well positioned to leverage our industry depth, dedicated origination capabilities and skill set for both minority and control growth equity opportunities,” said Spectrum managing director Chris Mitchell.
Some of the companies in Spectrum’s portfolio include GrubHub, SurveyMonkey, Finalsite, ITA Software (which Google owns), Net Health, and Ancestry.com, which was sold by its founders to Permira, a private European-based equity fund, for $1.6 billion in 2012.
Spectrum closed its sixth fund in 2010, raising $680 million.
