Our story
Paving the path for searchers since 2009
Find and grow a great company with start-to-finish help from the leading firm that has defined the search fund space for more than a decade.
Search entrepreneurs bet on themselves. We bet on them.
Our legacy is built on the foundation of partnering with ambitious individuals on their path to entrepreneurship through acquisition. How can we help you amplify your potential?
Statistics that speak for themselves
200+
Search funds Backed
120+
Operating companies
7
Funds
$1.25B
Committed Capital
Our values
Who we are
From day one, Pacific Lake has been grounded by these guiding principles—instilled in our team members and searchers alike.
01
Entrepreneurial
We're motivated by building great businesses that are led by world-class leaders. As your needs evolve, so do we.
02
Fiercely collaborative
Entrepreneurs choose to partner with us to tackle the exciting and challenging problems in front of them. We never take it for granted.
03
Relationships first
Our entrepreneurs are at the heart of everything we do, whether they need a trusted adviser, an all-day whiteboard strategy partner, or just someone to listen.
04
Intellectually honest
We’re not afraid to ask the hard questions while working side by side and helping you grow. Sometimes candid dialogue opens the door to the best path forward.
05
Fun
At the end of the day, we truly love what we do — and we have fun doing it.
Our story
The story of Pacific Lake
Pacific Lake was co-founded by Coley Andrews and Jim Southern in 2009, after the two met when Coley was pursuing his MBA (and a career in search) at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Our roots date back as far as 1984, when Jim became a successful searcher under the mentorship of the pioneer of search, Irv Grousbeck. By the time Jim met Coley, he'd successfully exited the business he acquired and turned his efforts towards investing in and advising the next generation of searchers. He found in Coley a passionate and energetic partner to build the first institutional investment firm dedicated exclusively to the support of search fund entrepreneurs.
Today, with two offices in Boston and the Bay area, and over 25 full time team members, Pacific Lake remains a leading investor in talented entrepreneurs and the largest, most experienced search investment firm in the country.
Our roots date back as far as 1984, when Jim became a successful searcher under the mentorship of the pioneer of search, Irv Grousbeck. By the time Jim met Coley, he'd successfully exited the business he acquired and turned his efforts towards investing in and advising the next generation of searchers. He found in Coley a passionate and energetic partner to build the first institutional investment firm dedicated exclusively to the support of search fund entrepreneurs.
Today, with two offices in Boston and the Bay area, and over 25 full time team members, Pacific Lake remains a leading investor in talented entrepreneurs and the largest, most experienced search investment firm in the country.
Since Pacific Lake was founded in 2009, we have paved the path for entrepreneurs. Our approach is grounded in decades of experience.
We build businesses — and relationships.
Across our team, the people of Pacific Lake are dedicated to making your search journey a success.
We build businesses — and relationships.
From our investment team to our value creation team to operations, the people of Pacific Lake are dedicated to making your search a success.
Looking to buy and build an extraordinary business?
