A thesis-driven, permanent home for owner-operated companies seeking hands-on successors

Who we are…

We believe a great company is built by owners for whom the work is personal — it’s their life’s project.

But even the most visionary owners reach a point where they need to pass the torch. The problem? Most capital dismantles what made the company great. It cuts costs, strips culture, and optimizes for the spreadsheet — not long-term greatness. We think differently.

At Forward Partner, we acquire companies with one goal: to preserve the essence of what made them exceptional—the people, the culture, the customer loyalty—and bring additional resources to scale them into something even greater. By working directly with their owners, we understand what success means to them, share our thesis for their company's future, and build from there.

Our industry thesis focuses on an overlooked business segment with the potential to shape industries over decades.

We're not interested in incremental gains or buy and flip. We build in perpetuity. Because the future belongs to those who think long-term — and act with conviction.

— Charlie Gascon, Founder

Experienced CEOs

Who worked at leading industrial services and technology companies

  • Charlie Gascon

    3x CEO: Ocean Corporation, Spoil Software, Power & Infra Solutions

  • Noah Riner

    2x CEO: NeuroInternational Healthcare and Partner at SFP

  • Alexander Schuil

    3x CEO: Briscoe Protective, World Wide Security and Vision Monitoring Services

  • Rob Cherun

    2x CEO. Stealth Monitoring and Legate Partners

  • Jay Davis

    2x CEO: Vector Disease Acquisition and Nashton Company

  • Will Thorndike

    1x CEO: Housatonic Private Equity

  • Kent Weaver

    2x CEO: Northern California Home Health Care Company and Granite Partners

  • Brad Brown

    Sr. Partner McKinsey & Company Data& Analytics practice

  • Mitch Cohen

    2x CEO: Chairman of Trilogy Search Partners and Managing Director of Hellman & Friedman

  • Kevin Oxendine

    3x CEO: Wistia, Havit Consulting and Partner at Pacific Lake Partners

  • Richard Venn

    Chairman of CIBC Investment Banking

Hands-on operators with an industry thesis

You cannot build anything great without focus and commitment.

We focus on partnering with businesses that we can grow ourselves as the day-to-day operators for the long term.

This is why we focus on very narrow industries in which we have experience and have thoroughly researched companies that we can help grow, in pursuit of the industry thesis we develop.

We go “all in” to operate your company

Only invest in industries we know

If you hear from us, we know your company

We do transactions on your terms, as partners

Thesis focused

Mission-critical services to industries facilitating the exchange of commodities and data.

Typically between $5-20M in ARR or $3-10M in operating profits.

High integrity

We will always be transparent with our intentions and thoughtful in understanding your needs.

We promise a valuation in days and a closing within weeks.

Flexible structures

We focus on market recapitalization and buyouts, holding 80%+ of the equity as your primary capital.

If we are a good fit for you, we will want to get to know you and shape your ideal plan for a transition with or without involvement post-close.

“An organization is like a party. You only want to invite people that bring the vibe up”

- Brad Jacobs, CEO of 7 Multi-Billions dollars public companies

Long-term capital and a permanent home for your business

We bring big business infrastructures to help a promising company and its team have a massive impact in the long term. Committing to protect its culture and team for decades to come.

  • Our team has scaled hundreds of industrial technology companies over the past three decades. From being founders with 1 employee to leading global Fortune 500, building managerial capabilities at scale is what we know.

    We bring access to a global network of top-tier executives while building up your team into future industry leaders with best-in-class capability-building programs.

  • Innovation is the outcome of the right strategy, processes, and culture—and our rigorous framework encompasses it all. The GoFWD Business System brings our innovation strategy, organization, talent, and culture to life. Our system of continuous improvement and the unique culture we bring to a company is what makes it all work.

  • PE, Growth Equity, and SaaS Rollups are share-renters who flip and aggregate businesses to benefit their own economics, often at the expense of your business's long-term health.

    Not us. We focus on permanent capital appreciation via long-term growth in companies. We hold investments over decades and prioritizing true value growth vs. exit arbitrate.