With its breathtaking landscapes, iconic national parks, and world-class ski resorts, Colorado’s natural beauty speaks for itself and the state’s appeal runs much deeper. Colorado is a powerhouse in industries like information technology, healthcare, and aerospace and defense, driving innovation and attracting top talent nationwide. Its rich natural resources also position it as a key player in both traditional fossil fuel production and the rapidly expanding renewable energy sector, making Colorado not just scenic, but strategic. Today, we will be discussing the top ten private equity firms in Denver and thoroughly detail their backgrounds and investment strategies.
At Dakota, we provide investment professionals with a centralized platform for private equity intelligence through Dakota Research. Our real-time insights, comprehensive manager coverage, and performance data empower investors to make informed decisions with confidence.
In this article, we’re spotlighting the top private equity firms in the San DIego metro area that are leading the charge in deal-making and market transformation. By the end, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of these firms, their investment strategies, and their impact on the private equity space.
1. KSL Partners
Overview: KSL Capital Partners is a globally recognized private equity firm with over 30 years of experience investing exclusively in the Travel and Leisure sector. Established in 2005 after its founders began investing in the space in 1992, KSL has built an exceptional track record with more than 190 investments worldwide. The firm’s differentiated advantage lies in its operator-first mindset, deep industry expertise, and a commitment to long-term, responsible stewardship. KSL collaborates closely with management teams to drive exceptional outcomes, combining strategic vision with hands-on operational support.
Focus: KSL employs a multi-pronged investment strategy across equity, private credit, and tactical opportunities, allowing it to deploy capital across the risk spectrum and adapt to market cycles. It targets outstanding businesses in the travel and leisure ecosystem, working with leadership teams to develop and execute ambitious growth plans; both organic and inorganic. KSL’s global platform, which spans North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region, enables it to leverage long-standing relationships and market knowledge to identify, structure, and scale investments that align with its mission to be the partner of choice in the global leisure sector.
2. Visioni Ridge Partners
Overview: Vision Ridge Partners is a sustainable real assets investor focused on unlocking value through the global transition to sustainability. With over a decade of experience, the firm identifies, develops, and transforms complex assets across energy, transportation, and agriculture to drive both environmental impact and financial returns.
Focus: Vision Ridge concentrates on opportunities within energy (including energy transition, storage, and renewable natural gas), transportation (such as EV charging infrastructure, commercial vehicle electrification, and maritime electrification), and agriculture (including sustainable crops, water infrastructure, and alternative proteins). The firm leverages differentiated sourcing, a repeatable investment framework, and hands-on engagement to create measurable and profitable impact across sectors being reshaped by decarbonization and evolving infrastructure demands.
3. Revelstoke Capital Partners
Overview: Revelstoke Capital Partners is a private equity firm focused on building leading companies in healthcare and related business services. With $4.8 billion in assets under management, the firm has executed 195 acquisitions and backed companies with over 40,000 employees. Revelstoke emphasizes partnership with management teams to drive disciplined growth and value creation, resulting in $15 billion of acquired enterprise value.
Focus: Revelstoke targets opportunities with strong management teams and clear growth potential, executing both control and minority investments. It typically invests $25–$350 million in companies with at least $5 million in EBITDA and a three-year operating history. The firm focuses on sectors such as behavioral health, healthcare IT, education, physician practice management, pharma services, hospice, home health, and veterinary services, among others. Revelstoke prioritizes both organic growth and acquisitions to build industry-leading platforms.
4. Rubicon Technology Partners
Overview: Rubicon Technology Partners is a middle-market private equity firm that exclusively invests in enterprise software companies. The firm partners with founders and management teams to accelerate growth and guide companies toward market leadership. With over $4 billion in committed capital, Rubicon brings operational expertise and a focused, software-only strategy to each investment.
Focus: Rubicon targets situations where its team can deliver strategic value through growth acceleration, operational improvement, and market expansion. Backed by a concentrated portfolio approach and decades of software investment experience, Rubicon has completed more than 20 platform investments and over 60 add-ons, helping scale enterprise software businesses through hands-on partnership and execution.
5. Bow River Capital
Overview: Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Bow River Capital is an employee-owned alternative asset manager with a diversified platform focused on the lower middle market. The firm manages $3.6 billion in assets and operates six distinct investment platforms: Private Credit, Private Equity, Defense, Real Estate, Software Growth Equity, and Bow River Evergreen Strategies. Its mission is to build a world-class investment platform spanning multiple asset classes and fund strategies. The team comprises 63 employees.
Focus: Bow River Capital targets investments across private equity, private credit, defense, real estate, and software growth equity. Its private equity strategy centers on lower middle market buyouts. The private credit platform delivers customized debt capital solutions. Its defense strategy focuses on national security-oriented opportunities. The real estate arm emphasizes value-add and opportunistic property investments. Software growth equity targets scalable software companies, while the evergreen strategy leverages permanent capital vehicles for long-term value creation.
6. Excellere Partners
Overview: Excellere Partners is a private equity investment firm focused on building enduring value through a collaborative approach with entrepreneurs and management teams. With more than 15 years of experience, the firm emphasizes partnership, operational excellence, and strategic growth. It has completed 31 platform partnerships and 92 total transactions, demonstrating a successful track record in supporting businesses through organic and acquisition-driven strategies.
Focus: Excellere focuses on a concentrated group of industries—Healthcare, Business Services, and Industrial Growth. Its strategy is defined by a commitment to leadership, agility, consistency, and value-added collaboration. This approach allows Excellere to bring deep industry insight, foster agile decision-making environments, support transparent and collaborative growth, and become a more impactful and supportive partner to its portfolio companies.
7. Resource Capital Funds
Overview: Resource Capital Funds (RCF) is a global private equity firm specializing in mining and metals investments. With over 25 years of experience, RCF partners with investors, operators, and innovators to mobilize capital into critical minerals and mining assets. The firm is recognized for producing strong returns while promoting continued advancement in energy, security, technology, and industrialization worldwide.
RCF has completed over 230 portfolio investments across 55+ countries and 35+ commodity types. Their portfolio includes more than 180 fully realized investments and over 25 mines brought into production, underscoring their hands-on expertise and global reach.
Focus: RCF targets a wide array of mineral and mining opportunities with an emphasis on sustainability and energy transition. Their investment focus includes: Energy Transition Metals, Industrial Metals, Precious Metals, Steel Materials, Innovation and Services, and Other Strategic Commodities. RCF aligns its strategy with the evolving global demand for critical minerals that support clean energy infrastructure. It places a strong emphasis on ESG principles, recognizing the growing complexity of ESG frameworks and the need for responsible mining practices to meet future global infrastructure needs.
8. Mountaingate Capital
Overview: Mountaingate Capital is a Colorado-based, growth-focused private equity firm that partners with founders and entrepreneurial companies to accelerate growth and build industry leaders. The firm has over 15 years of experience, has collaborated with more than 50 founder-entrepreneurs, and operates under a philosophy of deep cultural and strategic alignment.
Focus: Mountaingate targets four core sectors: value-add specialty distribution, business and industrial services, tech-enabled and data-driven digital marketing, and higher-margin specialty manufacturing. The firm supports transformational growth by scaling capabilities, expanding technologies and services, and fostering geographic reach, with a firm emphasis on shared success and collaborative partnerships.
9. Platte River Equity
Overview: Platte River Equity is a Denver-based private equity firm founded in 2006, focused on partnering with lower middle market businesses. The firm brings a combination of deep operational experience and industry knowledge to its investments. With a team of more than 20 professionals, Platte River has raised $1.7 billion in equity commitments and made over 75 acquisitions. Their approach emphasizes building strong, enduring partnerships with management teams to support transformational business growth.
Focus: Platte River’s strategy is rooted in applying the executive, board-level, and investor experience of its leadership across a diverse range of successful companies. The firm targets businesses where it can leverage this background to drive growth and long-term value creation through strategic insights, operational improvements, and capital support.
10. Delta-V Capital
Overview: Delta-v Capital is a growth equity firm focused on investing in leading software and internet infrastructure companies. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Boulder, CO and Dallas, TX, Delta-v provides flexible capital solutions and strategic support to growth-stage companies. With approximately $ 1.3 billion in assets under management they position themselves as active partners who bring operational expertise and deep domain knowledge to help businesses scale efficiently.
Focus: Delta-v specializes in backing high-growth businesses within the software and internet sectors, particularly where companies have proven revenue models and are seeking to accelerate growth, expand geographically, or explore new markets. They provide both primary and secondary investments, offering liquidity to shareholders as well as capital for growth. Their typical investment profile includes capital-efficient businesses with a clear path to scale and leadership potential within their categories.
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