o15 Capital Partners (o15), a mission-driven alternative investment firm dedicated to providing growth capital to undercapitalized companies and communities, successfully closed its inaugural fund, o15 Emerging America Credit Opportunities Fund LP (the “Fund”), at approximately $370 million. The Fund’s capital, together with capital raised by o15 for related co-investment vehicles, totals nearly $400 million. The Fund received strong backing from a broad group of leading institutional investors, including public and corporate pensions, foundations, banks, and family offices.
“There is a growing, untapped opportunity today to invest in tremendous American lower middle market businesses – the true engine of our economy – that are underserved by the capital markets,” said Colin Meadows, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of o15. “Private credit strategies remain a crucial source of business financing, and by looking where other market participants are not, we are able to source compelling, proprietary deal flow while creating stronger local economies and more equitable communities.”
Founded in 2022 by Colin Meadows, Kenneth Saffold, and Brian Morris, o15 seeks to invest opportunistically in the private credit and equity tranches of companies operating in the healthcare, education, and business services sectors. These are sectors that have an outsized impact on under-resourced communities and where the team has significant prior investment experience.
“o15’s flexible mandate enables us to act as a one-stop capital provider and deliver creative financing solutions tailored to a company’s unique business plans and needs,” said Kenneth Saffold, Co-Founder and Managing Partner. “We also seek to leverage our extensive networks to bring strategic and operational expertise to ensure the entrepreneurs with whom we partner have the resources they need to scale and succeed long term.”
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, the o15 team has deep connectivity among the corporate and civic communities in the Southeastern U.S., providing the firm with a distinct advantage to working with and investing in businesses in the region. o15 combines its proprietary sourcing relationships with a rigorous investment process emphasizing capital preservation allowing its investors the opportunity to participate in the growth of emerging America.
“We are incredibly grateful for the confidence and support of our investors, who share our commitment to driving positive change and shared prosperity in local communities across the Southeast and nationally. We launched o15 because we knew that generating attractive investment returns while also supporting underserved entrepreneurs, communities, and businesses are not mutually exclusive. The close of our inaugural fund is validation of that belief,” said Brian Morris, Co-Founder and Managing Partner.