1
Collaborative ownership
Majority stake with deep partnership. Operators keep the craft, and we add capital, structure, and scale.
Built to partner with operators. Built to illuminate what’s next.
We form complementary owner/operator partnerships that combine strategic foresight, operational depth, and technology with the craft of the people who built the business.
Our thesis
Honoring what founders built. Accelerating what comes next.
Lighthouse Equity Partners is an independent sponsor that acquires majority interests in lower-middle-market businesses and partners closely with existing management. We do not remake what already works. We modernize systems, sharpen go-to-market, and compound durable advantages.
$0.5 to $1.5M
Target EBITDA for majority acquisitions in owner-led service and operating businesses.
Partnership model
Our edge isn’t only what we buy. It’s who we build with.
A hands-on, long-term model designed to elevate owner-led companies without compromising the culture and craft that made them successful.
2
Tech & operations
Systematize front and back office where infrastructure is underbuilt, then make processes repeatable.
3
Value-driven growth
Support expansion through pricing, demand generation, market exploration, and operational focus.
4
Long-term vision
Commit to sustainable growth and shared success, respecting legacy while building durability.
5
Integrity first
Transparency, accountability, and professionalism in every partnership and every decision.
Investment guidelines
Where we look, and why.
These characteristics guide our evaluation and selection process. We look for owner-led businesses we can partner with to modernize operations, expand thoughtfully, and build durable value. While these are qualities we value, we remain flexible and open-minded to businesses that may not meet every one of them.
Strong owners and operators
We seek dynamic owners and operators who are passionate about elevating their businesses. Our strategy is to form strategic partnerships with these leaders, offering resources and expertise to modernize and grow.
Geographic focus
We focus on businesses within about a 90-minute radius of Fairfield County, CT, tapping into the vibrant economic landscape of the region.
Financial criteria
We target companies with EBITDA of about $1M and robust net profit margins near 20%. Ideal candidates have annual revenues between $3M and $5M, limited debt, and low capital expenditure needs. We pursue majority interests, typically around target EBITDA of $0.5M to $1.5M.
Tech and operational efficiency
We specialize in transforming businesses with underutilized or absent technology infrastructure, using systems and process to drive efficiency and growth.
Low seasonality
We prioritize businesses with year-round demand and revenue, supporting steadier and more predictable financial performance.
High recurring revenue
We value ongoing, regular customer engagement rather than reliance on one-off transactions, for more stable and sustained revenue streams.
AI resistance
We focus on sectors that require hands-on skilled labor or highly personalized services, where work is less prone to disruption by artificial intelligence.
Economic resilience
We invest in products and services that remain in demand across economic fluctuations, including services with inelastic demand that hold up when prices change, supporting long-term stability.
Climate-change advantaged
We look for businesses with increasing demand tied to adaptation and mitigation needs in a changing climate.
Selected experience
A record across real assets and operating companies.
- Stamford real estateGeneral Partner across residential, commercial, and mixed-use properties in Stamford, CT.
- Cannabis cultivatorStrategic investment in a Florida-based cultivation company.
- High-end boutiqueAcquired, operated, grew, and exited a women’s fashion boutique in Philadelphia.
Leadership
The people driving the next chapter.
Operating partners and advisors with depth across finance, marketing, technology, and medicine, aligned around building better companies.
George Nanos
Managing Partner
George brings a distinctive mix of strategic foresight and operational proficiency across finance, technology, real estate, and retail. As Managing Partner, his investment-management background steers the firm’s expansion and outcomes for partners and clients.
His career includes real estate investing and operations, retail acquisition and exit, and executive roles at Bridgewater Associates and Susquehanna International Group, where he drove turnarounds and transformative change. He holds a B.S.E. from the University of Pennsylvania (Computer Science and Economics).
Brad Rosenfeld
Advisor & Partner, Marketing & Strategy
Brad is a chief marketing and strategy executive with deep experience across SaaS, FinTech, and enterprise technology. He helps portfolio companies sharpen brand, positioning, and go-to-market systems so growth compounds without losing clarity.
His background includes serving as CMO & CSO at Biz2X and Biz2Credit and participation on the Wall Street Journal CMO Council, bringing operator-tested playbooks for demand generation, narrative, and market expansion.
Chris Nanos
Advisor & Partner, Consumer Marketing
Chris leads consumer-marketing strategy for premium and service brands, with particular strength in digital channels and direct-to-consumer growth. He partners with operators to modernize acquisition, retention, and brand experience.
His leadership includes Nestlé ReadyRefresh and a tenure as CMO of Direct Wines, with experience translating complex consumer businesses into disciplined, measurable growth engines.
Colin Bennett
Advisor & Partner, AI & Automation
Colin has fifteen-plus years building AI, product, and data systems that help companies scale without sacrificing quality. He focuses on practical automation, where technology removes friction while people remain central to the craft.
His work spans Google, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, and Uber, giving LEP portfolio companies access to modern operating infrastructure and a clear path from underbuilt systems to repeatable process.
Dr. Georgine Nanos, MD, MPH
Advisor
Dr. Georgine Nanos is a board-certified family physician and owner of Kind Health Group in Encinitas, California. She brings a clinician’s discipline to partnership conversations, especially where health services, patient experience, and operational quality intersect.
With twenty-plus years of practice across primary care and advanced therapies, she advises on care delivery, trust, and the human judgment that technology cannot replace.
Let’s partner
Ready to unlock the next chapter?
Whether you are a business owner exploring a majority partnership, an intermediary with a fit, or an investor seeking aligned opportunities, we want to hear from you.