HiGro Group is a New York-based private equity firm investing in business services companies at the intersection of human expertise and technological capability. We partner with founders navigating the shift from legacy operations to technology-enabled delivery — creating value through operational transformation, strategic consolidation, and commercial network access that accelerates growth.
The most compelling investment opportunities are rarely the most visible ones. HiGro was built on the conviction that promising companies — businesses with strong fundamentals, loyal customer relationships, and exceptional teams — are frequently underserved by capital providers who lack the sector depth, operational expertise, or long-term orientation to recognize and unlock their potential.
We partner with founder-led and family-owned businesses where our combination of direct access, institutional infrastructure, and active value creation can make a measurable difference. Our role is not simply to provide capital — it is to provide the partnership, process, and platform that transforms a promising company into a preeminent one.
We do not approach our work as transactions. We approach them as long-term partnerships — with a commitment to building businesses that endure well beyond any single investment cycle.
01
Direct Access & Fair Partnership
HiGro builds relationships with business owners and their advisors well in advance of a transaction — often 12 to 24 months before a process begins. We welcome introductions from intermediaries and work transparently with all counterparties. What distinguishes our approach is not exclusivity, but depth: by the time we reach a transaction, we understand the business, the owner's objectives, and the transition structure that works for all stakeholders.
02
Differentiated Sector Expertise
Our partners bring deep, hands-on experience across business services — combining direct operating roles with Wall Street-caliber investment banking expertise in software and technology. This dual perspective gives us a nuanced understanding of the technology transitions reshaping service industries today, and the conviction to act where others hesitate.
03
Technology-Driven Value Creation
HiGro's value creation model targets service businesses navigating the shift from legacy operations to technology-enabled delivery. We invest at the moment of transition — where human expertise and technological capability intersect — then deploy operational infrastructure, strategic acquisitions, and commercial network access to accelerate that transformation at scale.
04
Workforce-Forward Impact
HiGro invests in businesses where technology enhances — rather than replaces — the workforce. We prioritize companies that are preparing their people for the demands of a more automated economy: upskilling field technicians, professionalizing service delivery, and creating durable employment in industries where human judgment remains irreplaceable.
Sector Focus
Business Services, Powered by Technology
We invest at the intersection of human expertise and technological capability — where service businesses leverage technology to scale, differentiate, and dominate their niches.
Operationally established service providers with proven business models and strong, loyal customer bases.
The opportunity to apply AI, data analytics, and modern technology to improve operations, enhance customer value, and drive sustainable growth.
Skilled labor forces and management teams with potential for meaningful investment, development, and long-term growth.
Market Verticals
Investment Categories
Professional Services
Knowledge-based service providers built on specialized expertise, professional credentials, and deep client relationships. High barriers to entry through licensing, certifications, and reputation.
AccountingLegal
ConsultingTechnology Solutions
Skilled Labor Services
Technical service businesses requiring specialized training and hands-on expertise. Deliver essential operational support with strong customer relationships and high switching costs.
Mechanical & ElectricalHVAC
PlumbingField Services
Mission Critical Services
Services essential to customer operations, health, and safety. Create sticky relationships and high switching costs due to their criticality and operational dependence.
HealthcareLinen
RemediationFacilities Management
Our Portfolio
Recent Transactions
Active · 2026
ProPencity
New York, NY · Established 2026
A business process outsourcing platform purpose-built for state and local government clients — modernizing citizen services, records management, and administrative operations through technology-enabled delivery.
Active · 2026
Scan-Optics
Manchester, CT · Acquired 2026
A 55-year-old pioneer in intelligent information management and digital transformation. Acquired as a transformational bolt-on to Daida — adding 20+ patents, an AI-powered platform, and a national government and enterprise client base.
Active · 2025
Professional Linen Companies
New York, NY · Established 2025
A platform investment consolidating linen management and commercial laundry services for hospitality clients, leveraging route optimization and operational systems to drive efficiency and national scale.
Grow People. Grow Companies. Grow Communities.™
HiGro welcomes introductions from business owners considering a transition, M&A advisors and intermediaries representing promising companies, and institutional and family office investors seeking differentiated private equity exposure.
Our Approach
A disciplined path to transformation
HiGro deploys a disciplined, analytical approach to every investment — building relationships with business owners well before a transaction, structuring deals that align incentives across all stakeholders, and creating value through operational partnership, strategic growth, and platform consolidation.
Opportunities Reviewed Annually
Annual deal flow assessed across business services — a disciplined and selective process
500+
Ownership Conversations Annually
Direct engagements with business owners actively exploring a transition
100+
Fortune 500 & Gov't Introductions
Commercial connections made for portfolio companies through HiGro's network
75+
Portfolio Support Hours Annually
Direct operational engagement hours delivered to portfolio companies — hands-on partnership, not just oversight
2,000+
Our Criteria
Investment Parameters
Platform Investment
Transaction Size
$30M – $100M
Revenue
$15M – $50M
EBITDA
$3M – $10M
Add-On Acquisition
Transaction Size
$1M – $10M
Revenue
$1M – $20M
EBITDA
$500K – $5M
Transaction Structures
Control
Majority Buyout
Alignment
Earn-Out
Continuity
Rollover Equity
HiGro structures transactions to align incentives across all stakeholders. Earnout provisions, equity rollovers, and management co-investment are standard tools — not exceptions — because we believe the best outcomes are built on shared commitment to what comes next.
How We Operate
The mechanics of transformation
01
Relationship-Driven Origination
HiGro builds direct relationships with business owners — often 12 to 24 months before they are ready to transact. We welcome introductions from investment bankers, advisors, and intermediaries, and we work collaboratively and transparently with all parties. What distinguishes our approach is depth of preparation: by the time a transaction begins, we understand the business, respect the owner's legacy, and have earned the right to be a trusted partner in what comes next.
02
Management Partnership
HiGro invests in the people who built the business. In the first 90 days post-close, we work alongside existing leadership to conduct a structured operational assessment, align on priorities, and build a value creation plan together. We bring institutional process and external resources — management brings the relationships, domain knowledge, and operating continuity that no outside team can replicate.
03
Fortune 500 Network Deployed Post-Close
HiGro's network is a post-close commercial accelerant. We actively connect portfolio companies with Fortune 500 procurement relationships, creating revenue opportunities that would take years to develop independently. This capability is a direct and measurable contributor to organic growth across our platforms.
04
Platform Building Through Strategic Consolidation
HiGro's primary value creation lever is platform building — acquiring founder-owned businesses in fragmented sectors where institutional infrastructure is absent. Six bolt-on acquisitions across eight platforms demonstrate a repeatable model: identify businesses with strong fundamentals, integrate efficiently, and exit a materially larger and more defensible enterprise than the one acquired.
The HiGro Value Creation Path
1
Identify & Engage Proactively
→
2
Acquire & Align with Founders
→
3
Assess Operations & Build Value Creation Plan
→
4
Scale via Organic & Add-On Growth
→
5
Position for Premium Exit
→
Our Impact
Workforce-forward by design
HiGro invests in businesses where technology enhances — rather than replaces — the workforce. We prioritize companies preparing their people for the demands of a more automated economy: upskilling field technicians, professionalizing service delivery, and creating durable employment in industries where human judgment remains irreplaceable.
Workforce Across Portfolio
Skilled tradespeople, credentialed professionals, and operational talent employed across HiGro's active platforms
500+
Placement in LMI Zones
Our active platforms operate in four federally designated Low- to Moderate-Income (LMI) communities, directing job creation and investment to where it matters most
4
Founder & Family Transitions Supported
Succession outcomes structured to preserve legacy, protect employees, and reward the people who built the business
8
Communities Served
U.S. communities where portfolio operations create jobs, training pipelines, and economic activity
12 states
The Thesis
Grow People. Grow Companies. Grow Communities.
The most durable returns in business services are built on the same foundation as the most durable communities: skilled people doing meaningful work.
HiGro's investment thesis is workforce-forward by design. We back business services companies where technology amplifies human expertise rather than displacing it — where field technicians, credentialed professionals, and operational talent become more productive, more compensated, and more central to the value the business creates.
This is not a side commitment. It is the core of how we underwrite, how we operate, and how we measure success. Grow People. Grow Companies. Grow Communities.™ is the order in which value compounds.
How Impact Compounds
Four ways we invest in the workforce
01
Technology That Augments, Not Replaces
We invest where automation amplifies human judgment — dispatch systems that route work to the right technician, AI tools that free professionals from rote tasks, and data infrastructure that makes frontline workers more effective. Our platforms create more skilled jobs, not fewer.
02
Upskilling and Career Mobility
Post-close, we invest in structured training, certifications, and internal advancement pathways. Field technicians become team leads. Operators become managers. Service delivery is professionalized — and the people delivering it move up alongside the platform.
03
Founder & Employee Continuity
Many of our partnerships begin with a founder considering succession. We structure transactions that honor legacy, retain leadership, and protect the employees who built the business — through earnouts, equity rollovers, and management co-investment that align incentives across every level.
04
Durable Employment in Local Communities
Business services jobs are inherently local. Our portfolio creates skilled employment in communities across twelve states — from technicians servicing healthcare equipment to professionals managing critical government records — where the work cannot be offshored and the economic impact stays where it is earned.
The HiGro Workforce Compounding Loop
1
Acquire Founder-Led Business with Skilled Workforce
→
2
Deploy Technology That Augments Frontline Talent
→
3
Upskill, Certify, & Advance Internal Talent
→
4
Add Bolt-Ons → More Roles, More Mobility
→
5
Exit a Larger, More Skilled, More Resilient Platform
→
Our Giving Back
Investing in people and communities
HiGro was founded on the belief that private capital can — and should — serve a purpose beyond financial returns. We pursue investments that create value for shareholders and for the broader communities our businesses serve: the employees, customers, and neighborhoods that make great companies possible.
This orientation is woven into how we source, how we operate, and how we measure success. We invest in companies that provide essential services, employ local workforces, and contribute to the economic health of their communities. We support civic organizations that strengthen the cities we call home. And we partner with investors who share the conviction that long-term value and broad-based impact are complementary — not competing — objectives.
1
Area of Focus
HiGro works to expand access to opportunity by advancing quality education and economic opportunity in the communities where we invest and operate.
8,600+
People Served Annually
Through our nonprofit partnerships, HiGro’s community network reaches thousands of New Yorkers — youth, families, and communities — each year.
Organizations We Support
SCAN-Harbor
Youth & Family Services
The largest youth service provider in Harlem, East Harlem, and the South Bronx — serving over 7,600 children and 1,000 families annually across 23 program sites, providing youth development, education, and family support services.
Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling
Arts & Education
Located in Upper Manhattan at the intersection of Harlem and Washington Heights, the Museum provides children and families a space to discover, create, and share art and stories — rooted in the cultural heritage of one of New York City’s most historic neighborhoods.
A network of 15 high-performing, free public charter schools educating over 5,300 scholars in New York, Las Vegas, and San Antonio. Founded in Harlem in 2005, Democracy Prep prepares students for success in the college of their choice and a life of active citizenship.
Our team brings together decades of experience across private equity, investment banking, and operations — united by a shared conviction that great businesses deserve great partners.
Team Culture
One unified culture of excellence, accountability, and achievement across every level of the firm
1
Partners Working Together
Led by two principals who initiated their careers together over 20 years ago
2
Transaction Experience
Cumulative value of advising and investing in sophisticated financial transactions
$75B+
Team
The HiGro team brings together decades of experience across private equity, investment banking, and operations — sourcing transactions, structuring deals, leading portfolio engagement, and driving the analytical rigor behind every investment decision.
“Operational excellence is the bridge between investment thesis and realized value.”
Team members coming soon.
Our Portfolio
14 transactions. One standard.
Each investment reflects our commitment to finding exceptional businesses in overlooked corners of the market — and building them into something preeminent.
Sector of Operation
One deliberate sector focus — Business Services Powered by Technology — applied consistently across every investment since 2016
1
Service Categories
Professional Services · Skilled Labor Services · Mission Critical Services
3
Founder-Owned Transactions
More than half of HiGro’s investments involved working directly with founders and families to identify the right outcome, structure, and path forward for their business
53%
States of Operation
The combined geographic footprint of HiGro’s portfolio companies spans the United States — from the Northeast to the West Coast
12
2026
Year Acquired
Bolt-On
📍 Clinton, NJ
Foveonics Document Solutions
We acquired a specialist cloud-based document management platform serving government agencies, adding proprietary software and a certified government client base to the Daida platform.
Foveonics Document Solutions is a provider of cloud-based document management software and services with deep expertise in government sector clients. The company's Electronic Document Management Solution enables government agencies to share, access, and manage digital files across records management, document imaging, and data migration. Acquired as a strategic bolt-on to strengthen Daida's government vertical and software capabilities.
Combined → Daida
2026
Year Acquired
Bolt-On
📍 Manchester, CT
Scan-Optics
We acquired a 55-year-old pioneer in document imaging and digital transformation — adding 20+ patents, AI-powered platform capabilities, and a national government and enterprise client base to Daida.
Founded in 1968, Scan-Optics is a nationally recognized leader in intelligent information management, digital transformation, document conversion, and business process optimization. With over 50 years serving government, higher education, insurance, and financial services clients across North America and Europe, the company brings deep technical expertise including its proprietary easy.forward™ platform powered by AI, machine learning, and robotic process automation. Acquired as a transformational bolt-on to Daida.
Combined → Daida
2026
Established
Platform
📍 New York, NY
ProPencity
We established a new platform purpose-built to serve state and local government clients with technology-enabled business process outsourcing.
ProPencity is a business process outsourcing platform designed for state and local government clients. Headquartered in New York City and acquired in 2026, ProPencity delivers operational support and process management services tailored to the unique requirements, compliance demands, and service standards of public-sector agencies.
Active
2025
Established
Platform
📍 New York, NY
Professional Linen Companies
We identified a fragmented, operationally intensive sector ripe for professionalization and built a new platform at the intersection of hospitality services and technology-enabled logistics.
Professional Linen Companies is a leading provider of linen management and laundry services to hospitality providers and commercial clients. HiGro's investment establishes a platform to consolidate a highly fragmented market, leveraging technology and operational systems to drive efficiency and national scale.
Active
2025
Established
Platform
📍 Houston, TX
XCF Global, Inc. (Nasdaq: SAFX)
Through Focus Impact BH3, we helped bring the first pure-play sustainable aviation fuel producer to the public markets — a company decarbonizing global aviation.
XCF Global, Inc. (Nasdaq: SAFX) is one of the few publicly traded renewable fuels companies in the United States focused primarily on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The company was formed through the business combination of XCF Global Capital and Focus Impact BH3 Acquisition Co., listing on Nasdaq in 2024. XCF's New Rise Reno facility commenced SAF production in early 2025, with a long-term offtake agreement with Phillips 66 and additional plants planned across Florida and North Carolina.
Exited
2024
Established
Platform
📍 Sacramento, CA
DevvStream Corp. (Nasdaq: DEVS)
Focus Impact Acquisition Corporation — HiGro's first SPAC — completed its mission: taking DevvStream public on Nasdaq as the first carbon credit generation company on a major U.S. exchange.
DevvStream Corp. (Nasdaq: DEVS) is a leading carbon credit project co-development and generation firm specializing in technology-based solutions. The company completed its business combination with Focus Impact Acquisition Corp. in November 2024, listing on the Nasdaq with access to up to $43 million in additional capital. DevvStream's platform spans nature-based, biochar, and renewable power credits, with a pipeline of over 140 technology-based projects worldwide.
Exited
2023
Established
Platform
📍 New York, NY
BHAC / Focus Impact BH3 Acquisition Co.
We launched a second SPAC vehicle focused on the energy transition, deploying the same dual-mandate model that proved the thesis with Focus Impact Acquisition Corporation.
Focus Impact BH3 Acquisition Company (Nasdaq: BHAC) is a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by Focus Impact Partners, designed to identify and combine with companies advancing the energy transition and decarbonization. The vehicle led to the successful Nasdaq listing of XCF Global, a leading sustainable aviation fuel producer, in 2024.
Platform
2021
Established
Platform
📍 New York, NY
Focus Impact Acquisition Corporation
We co-created a purpose-built capital vehicle to prove that financial returns and social impact are not mutually exclusive.
Established in 2021, Focus Impact Acquisition Corporation is a joint venture SPAC created with Auldbrass Partners, Focus Impact Partners LLC, and The Honorable Governor Wes Moore — targeting companies that achieve strong financial returns alongside a measurable social-forward mission.
Platform
2021
Year Acquired
Bolt-On
📍 Lake Success, NY
Integra Paperless
We expanded the Daida platform into the Northwest, deepening document digitization capabilities and geographic scale.
An enterprise content management company with significant Northwest presence. Daida acquired Integra to expand its regional footprint and deepen capabilities in document digitization and workflow automation.
Combined → Daida
2020
Year Acquired
Bolt-On
📍 Grimes, IA
Imagetek
We partnered with a founder ready to step back, acquired through succession planning, and added education and insurance sector depth to the Daida platform.
Imagetek is an enterprise content management company primarily servicing the education and insurance sectors. A founder-owned and operated company, HiGro assisted with succession planning and acquired the business through DRS Imaging. Now part of Daida.
Combined → Daida
2019
Year Acquired
Bolt-On
📍 Wilmington, OH
EMSAR
We doubled CSA's national technician density overnight, transforming response times and service capacity across the Healthcare sector.
EMSAR is a national independent service organization providing equipment service and repairs to the Healthcare industry. A strategic add-on to CSA Services, EMSAR expanded service footprint and technician coverage, leading to faster response times and improved outcomes for clients nationwide.
Combined → CSA
2018
Year Acquired
Platform
📍 Springfield, NJ
DRS Imaging Services
We transformed a 60-year-old family-owned document business into a multi-acquisition Enterprise Content Management platform — now rebranded as Daida.
HiGro recapitalized the company to implement a transformational growth strategy through strategic acquisitions, broader geographic reach, and product expansion. Since acquisition, DRS evolved into a leading ECM provider serving Healthcare, Education, Finance, and Government verticals.
Active
2018
Year Acquired
Bolt-On
📍 Denver, CO
Doculynx Imaging
We added West Coast reach and leading document management software to the DRS platform in a single disciplined acquisition.
A leading IT Services provider focused on document management. HiGro acquired Doculynx to maximize its software offering and expand West Coast geographic presence under the DRS Imaging Services platform. Now operating as part of Daida.
Combined → Daida
2016
Year Acquired
Platform
📍 Austin, TX
CSA Services
We took a Hewlett Packard spin-out and built a national technical services platform serving Healthcare, Laboratory, and Critical Power sectors.
Partnering with Jacmel Growth Partners and a family office, HiGro led a buyout to recapitalize the company and create a succession opportunity for a talented management team. CSA Services is a leading provider of outsourced technical repair and maintenance services to mission-critical industries across the country.
Exited
Insights
Perspective from the market
HiGro's point of view on the trends, opportunities, and dynamics shaping business services, technology, and the lower middle market.
Market Perspective
The Lower Middle Market's Structural Advantage in a Volatile Environment
While mega-cap PE firms compete on price in an increasingly efficient market, the lower middle market offers something rare: entry valuations at roughly 1.1x revenue versus 2.8x for larger deals, combined with genuine operational upside. For firms with the expertise to professionalize founder-led businesses, this remains one of the most compelling risk-adjusted opportunities in private equity today — and the spread has only widened as capital continues concentrating at the top of the market.
April 2026 · HiGro GroupRead article →
Operational Excellence
Why Professionalization — Not Just Capital — Drives Lower Middle Market Returns
The firms outperforming in the LMM share one trait: they treat operational transformation as the primary value creation lever, not financial engineering.
March 2026 · HiGro GroupRead article →
Strategy
Buy-and-Build in Business Services: Getting Integration Right
Add-on strategies dominate PE activity in 2026, but synergies are rarely automatic — the 100-day integration plan is where value is won or lost.
February 2026 · HiGro GroupRead article →
Market Perspective
PE Exits Climbed Over 50% in 2025 — What That Means for the LMM in 2026
As exit markets recover and strategic acquirors become more active, lower middle market platforms with institutional-grade infrastructure are positioned to benefit most from the re-opening cycle.
January 2026 · HiGro GroupRead article →
Operational Excellence
Technology-Enabled Business Services: The PE Sector That Keeps Outperforming
Professional services businesses with recurring revenue, technology enablement, and niche specialization continue to attract premium valuations — and for good reason.
December 2025 · HiGro GroupRead article →
Strategy
What Founders Really Want From a PE Partner — And How to Deliver It
Entry multiples and deal structure matter less to founders than most sponsors assume — trust, cultural continuity, and employee care drive alignment.
November 2025 · HiGro GroupRead article →
Workforce Development
The Future of Work in Business Services: Why Technology Amplifies Labor
Technology is reshaping business services, but not by replacing people. The sponsors winning this cycle understand that human judgment is the product — and software's role is to make that judgment more productive, not obsolete.
October 2025 · HiGro GroupRead article →
Workforce Development
Upskilling the Frontline: The Operational Case for Investing in People
The workforce gap in business services is not a shortage of people — it is a shortage of professionalized training systems. The sponsors that close that gap inside their portfolios capture a structural source of margin that competitors cannot replicate with capital alone.
September 2025 · HiGro GroupRead article →
Workforce Development
Economic Opportunity Through Place: Why LMI Zones Are a Strategic Advantage
Four of HiGro's active platforms operate in federally designated Low- to Moderate-Income communities. This is not accidental — it is a deliberate thesis that place-based employment creates durable economic value and investment returns that compound alongside community outcomes.
August 2025 · HiGro GroupRead article →
Follow Our Thinking
We share our perspective regularly on LinkedIn
Market observations, portfolio updates, and views on business services, technology, and the lower middle market — directly from the HiGro team.
Whether you're a founder exploring a transition, an advisor representing a client, or an LP seeking differentiated lower middle market exposure — we welcome the conversation.
C
1345 Ave of the Americas
New York, NY 10105
Contact Information
Email
info@higrogroup.com
Headquarters
1345 Avenue of the Americas 33rd Floor New York, New York 10105
