Sumit Rajpal, former Global Co-Head of the Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division, announced the launch of GrowthCurve Capital (“GrowthCurve”). As a control-oriented private equity investor, the firm will capitalize on both Mr. Rajpal’s experience building businesses from the ground up and the team’s deep functional expertise to empower management teams to build for growth.
The firm launches with a diverse team of 20 proven investors and seasoned functional executives, along with ten accomplished advisors, many of whom have worked with Mr. Rajpal over his career. Tapping this broad range of backgrounds, GrowthCurve seeks to differentiate itself by harnessing the power of technology and AI, enabled with human capital, to drive sustainable growth and long-term value creation in its portfolio companies.
“I am excited to announce the formation of GrowthCurve and to bring together some of the most talented people I have known and worked with during my career,” said Mr. Rajpal, CEO and Founder of GrowthCurve. “The private equity market has matured significantly over the past three decades. As the source of returns shifts from financial engineering to sustainable operational improvement, we see an opportunity to take this strategy a step further. We have chosen to build a platform across three interdependent functions – AI, digital transformation, and human capital. There has been an incredible democratization of AI and digital capabilities over the past decade, and we believe that the time has come to use the power of these capabilities, in combination with deliberate investments in human capital, to drive growth and create sustainable value in portfolio companies.”
Mr. Rajpal added, “We are delighted to bring together an exceptional and diverse team at GrowthCurve. At the heart of our approach is a new model for company-building that combines in-house functional expertise and deep investment experience in one integrated organization working in partnership with management teams. Complementing our entrepreneurial team, we have assembled a world-class Strategic Advisory Board to support the growth of this new venture.”
GrowthCurve seeks control-oriented investment opportunities, primarily in the financial and information services, healthcare, and technology sectors, emphasizing companies that are information-rich with strong growth potential. The firm incorporates environmental, social, and governance considerations into all aspects of its investment process.
GrowthCurve’s Founder and CEO, Sumit Rajpal
Prior to founding GrowthCurve, Mr. Rajpal had a 20-year career at Goldman Sachs, where he was the Global Co-Head of the Merchant Banking Division (MBD) and the Global Co-Head of the Corporate Equity investing businesses. Mr. Rajpal also served as the Co-CIO of Goldman Sachs’s flagship private equity funds, including West Street Capital Partners VII. Prior to that, Mr. Rajpal was head of Goldman Sachs MBD’s global Financial and Information Services investing business and led the initial build-out of Goldman Sachs’s digital consumer platform, Marcus by Goldman Sachs. He was named partner in 2010.
After he retired from Goldman Sachs in early 2020, Mr. Rajpal served as a Senior Policy Advisor to the SEC Chairman on areas of the financial markets impacted by COVID-19. In addition, he co-authored an SEC report titled, U.S. Credit Markets: Interconnectedness and the Effects of the COVID-19 Economic Shock.
Mr. Rajpal earned a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Bombay, India, a postgraduate Management Accountant Certification (Grad. CWA), and a postgraduate in Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India.
Founding Team
GrowthCurve’s senior investment team combines a group of proven investors leading three investment areas and four operating executives with deep expertise in the firm’s chosen functional areas:
- Mark Uhrmacher, Head of Digital Transformation – Executive Director, EY Parthenon; former SVP Technology, Hearst1
- Matthew Popper, Head of Financial and Information Services Investing – Previously Managing Director, Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division
- Michael Finke, Chief AI Architect – Previously Founder and CEO of M*Modal, a healthcare AI firm
- Ronnie West, Head of Human Capital – EVP and Chief People Officer, IHS Markit; former Chief People Officer, Ipreo2
- Sajjad Jaffer, Head of Data Analytics & Machine Learning – Previously Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Two Six Capital, a data science firm for private equity
- Sanjay Swani, Chief Investment Strategist and Head of Technology Investing – Previously Partner, Tailwind Capital; former Partner, Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe
- Vignesh Aier, Head of Healthcare Investing – Previously Managing Director, New Mountain Capital3
Mr. Swani brings over 20 years of private equity investment experience across GrowthCurve’s investment sectors. As Chief Investment Strategist of GrowthCurve, he will help set the overall direction of the firm’s investment strategy.
In addition, the founding team consists of a group of highly talented investment professionals and executives, many of whom have previously worked closely together and with Mr. Rajpal:
- Andrea McGuirt, Vice President – Previously Vice President, Palladium Equity Partners
- Arnab Khasnobis, Associate – Previously Associate, Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division
- Evan Fierstein, Senior Associate – Previously Investment Associate, L Catterton
- Kate Peachway, Principal – Previously Senior Investment Professional, BlueMountain Capital
- Magnus Helgason, Principal – Previously Vice President, Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division
- Michael Gaviser, Head of Strategy & Business Development – Previously Head of Business Development, Navab Capital Partners; former Managing Director, KKR
- Rehana Wijenayake Murphy, Chief Operating Officer – Previously Business Manager & Investor Relations, Warlander Asset Management
- Simon Allan, Vice President – Previously Senior Associate, Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division
- Susan Yan, Chief Financial Officer – Previously Managing Director, Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division4
In addition, GrowthCurve will work with leading industry executives, who will partner with the investment team to develop and execute specific investments in their core areas of expertise:
- Gerry McCarthy, Lead Operating Executive, Healthcare – Previously Chief Executive Officer, eSolutions; former President, TransUnion Healthcare
- Mark Cantin, Lead Operating Executive, Insurance Distribution – Previously President of Field
Operations, QBE North America; former Chief Marketing Officer, USI Insurance
- Irina Shevelenko, Operating Executive, Insurance Distribution – Previously Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at QBE North America; Director of Business Development at USI Insurance
Strategic Advisory Board
GrowthCurve’s Strategic Advisory Board is comprised of highly accomplished executives and thought leaders who provide deep industry perspectives and serve as broad, value-added resources to the firm and its portfolio company management teams:
- Andrew Prozes – Former CEO of LexisNexis
- Barbara Novick – Co-Founder and Former Vice Chairman, BlackRock
- James Peck – CEO of NielsenIQ; Former CEO of TransUnion
- Jeff Sanders – Vice Chairman, Co-Managing Partner, Global CEO & Board practice of Heidrick & Struggles
- Julie Dodd – Former COO, CSO, and General Manager of Ultimate Software
- Julie Klapstein – Former CEO, Availity
- Mihir A. Desai – Professor of Finance, Harvard Business School; Professor of Law, Harvard Law School
- Siddharth “Bobby” Mehta – Former CEO, TransUnion
- Tobias van der Meer – CEO of Hastings Group
- William Pieroni – CEO of ACORD; former COO of Marsh
About GrowthCurve Capital
GrowthCurve Capital is a private equity firm focused on building world-class businesses by leveraging data, analytics, and machine learning, combined with a comprehensive approach to human capital, to accelerate growth and drive value creation. Founded by Sumit Rajpal, former Global Co-Head of the Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division, the firm focuses on control-oriented private equity investments primarily across the financial and information services, healthcare, and technology sectors. For more information, please visit www.GrowthCurveCapital.com and follow the firm on LinkedIn.
1 Will join GrowthCurve on June 14, 2021.
2 Will join GrowthCurve upon close of current employer’s merger with S&P Global.
3 Will join GrowthCurve on June 7, 2021.
4 Will join GrowthCurve upon completion of garden leave on June 1, 2021.
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