New York · Growth–Late Stage
Also known as Leeds Equity Advisors Llc
Investment thesis
Leeds Equity Partners is a family of private equity funds investing exclusively in the Knowledge Industries. Founded in 1993, the firm targets middle-market opportunities primarily in North America and has managed over $4.8 billion across seven private equity funds. Its 25-plus years of exclusive sector focus give it strategic insight, business assessment capabilities, and conviction throughout the investment process. Leeds pursues control investments, select structured minority investments, leveraged buyouts, buy-and-builds, founder transitions, corporate carve-outs, and public-to-private deals, typically for companies able to utilize $40M or more of equity capital. It provides patient, customized capital and partners closely with management teams to drive strategic growth and aligned interests among stakeholders.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 25, 2026.
What they invest in
from 18 of 38 portfolio companiesEdTech ×14Future of Work ×5SaaS ×5AI & Machine Learning ×4Enterprise Software ×4Data & Infrastructure ×2Fintech ×2HR Tech ×2
HQs:United States×7
Investments · 38 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathSaaS adaptive learning and assessment software for higher education, publishers, test-prep providers, certification associations, and healthcare providers.
Data-driven software solutions enabling higher education institutions to manage the entire student lifecycle.
Co-investorsVeritas Capital
Archer Review provides exam preparation and tutoring for pre-nursing, nursing school, NCLEX, nurse practitioner, CCRN, and medical exams, including question banks, video lectures, readiness assessments, and live reviews.
EdTechHealthtech
Enterprise information management and cloud archiving company for regulatory, legal, security and business intelligence needs.
BARBRI offers bar exam preparation courses for law graduates and legal professionals studying for U.S. bar exams, including the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) and the NextGen UBE across all U.S. jurisdictions.
EdTechLegalTech
Co-investorsFrancisco Partners
Big Blue Marble Academy (BBMA) operates childcare and preschool centers serving children from 6 weeks old through the pre-kindergarten years.
ConsumerEdTech
Provider of mission-critical software solutions for higher education institutions to manage the student lifecycle.
CeriFi consolidates professional development — licensing, continuing education, credentials, and compliance training — into a single partnership spanning ten specialist brands.
EdTechEnterprise SoftwareSaaS
Crucial Learning develops corporate training courses and assessments focused on communication, accountability, influence, and productivity skills for workplace performance.
EdTechFuture of WorkHR Tech
Market intelligence platform for the global data center and network infrastructure industry.
SaaS provider of planning, assessment, engagement, and compliance solutions to higher education institutions.
eLuma provides credentialed special education and behavioral health providers to K-12 school districts, delivering services such as speech-language therapy, school psychology, counseling, and specialized instruction for IEP and 504 requirements.
Digital HealthEdTechMental Health
Operator of private-pay schools across the US educating students from preschool through high school.
engage2learn provides an adaptive instructional support system for K-12 public school districts, combining AI tools, live coaching, and targeted intervention to support teachers, coaches, and administrators.
AI & Machine LearningEdTechSaaS
Shannon Buerk(Founder & CEO)
Provider of peer-to-peer engagement, collaboration, and subscription information services for C-suite executives.
Ex Libris, a Clarivate company, develops cloud-based library software for academic institutions and public and national libraries, including the Alma library services platform, Primo discovery service, Rialto collection development, and Leganto.
Cloud ComputingEdTechSaaS
Co-investorsFrancisco Partners
End-to-end SaaS platform for managing legal GRC processes including discovery, privacy, and risk management.
Financial technology and information services platform providing research, news, and data analytics in the credit space.
Operator of private middle and high schools offering one-to-one, mastery-based individualized instruction.
Cloud-based Student Information System and Training Management System software for online learning.
Strategic marketing company focused on higher education (formerly Datamark).
INTO University Partnerships helps universities recruit and enroll international students through a global partner network, offering AI-powered admissions, on-campus pathway programs, transnational education, teacher training, and market analytics.
AI & Machine LearningEdTech
Learnosity provides assessment APIs and SDKs that let development teams embed question authoring, test delivery, scoring, and reporting into their own software products.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEdTech
Co-investorsBattery Ventures
Operator of private-pay Montessori-based schools in the US educating students from preschool through 8th grade.
Provider of ethics and compliance education, learning technology, data analytics, and strategic advice.
Sales performance consulting and training firm known for its Strategic Selling and Conceptual Selling programs.
Co-investorsGryphon
Largest operator of private-pay, nonsectarian K-12 schools in the United States.
Provider of continuous professional development, training, and education for cybersecurity practitioners; maintains Kali Linux.
Co-investorsSpectrum EquityTen Eleven
OptionMetrics provides historical end-of-day options price data, implied volatility calculations, and Greeks through its IvyDB databases, covering equity, index, and futures options across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific markets since 1996.
Data & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareFintechNew York City, US
Co-investorsEquality Asset Management
Project Management Academy provides live, instructor-led exam preparation courses for project management certifications such as the PMP, along with training in Agile, Business Analysis, and Lean Six Sigma.
EdTechFuture of Work
Prosci is a change management firm that helps organizations plan and execute complex transformations—such as ERP and AI adoption—through consulting, training, research-backed methodology, and membership programs.
Enterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSaaS
RealPage provides an AI workforce for the multifamily real estate industry, with AI agents that coordinate and execute tasks across leasing, operations, resident engagement, and portfolio management.
AI & Machine LearningFintechPropTechSaaSRichardson, US
Stephen T. Winn(Executive Officer, Director)Steve Winn(Founder)inWilliam P. Chaney(Executive Officer)Ashley Glover(Executive Officer)W. Bryan Hill(Executive Officer)David G. Monk(Executive Officer)
Co-investorsBattery VenturesBonfire VenturesCamden PartnersVolition Capital
Ross University operates medical and veterinary schools offering professional degree programs for aspiring doctors and veterinarians.
EdTech
Scaled Agile provides SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework), a set of practices, certifications, and training for implementing Agile at scale in large, complex enterprises.
EdTechEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkBoulder, US
Dean Leffingwell(Director)Craig Rutherford(Executive Officer)Andrew Jemilo(Executive Officer, Director)Francis Kelly(Executive Officer)
Co-investorsRubicon Technology Partners
Provider of recruiting, vendor-on-premise staffing, and end-to-end supplier management solutions.
Provider of training, communities, events, and subscription information solutions; formed from BLR and UCG Compliance.
TalentNeuron provides workforce intelligence and strategic workforce planning tools that combine an organization's internal talent data with external labor market data covering skills, competitors, and hiring trends.
Data & InfrastructureFuture of WorkHR Tech
TouchMath offers a multisensory math instruction program based on the Science of Mathematics to support student learning.
EdTech
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesRealPage · reuters.com · Apr 24, 2025
Fund performance · per public LP disclosures · 6
as of Dec 2024| Fund | Vintage | Committed | Net IRR | TVPI | DPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leeds Equity Partners Co-Invest I, L.P.LPs: Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds | 2024 | — | — | 1.00x | — |
| Leeds Equity Partners VIII, L.P.LPs: Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds, New Mexico Educational Retirement Board | 2024 | — | -18.6% | 0.81x | 0.00x |
| Leeds Equity Partners VII, L.P.LPs: Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds, New Mexico Educational Retirement Board | 2021 | — | 9.5% | 1.20x | 0.00x |
| Leeds Equity Partners VI, L.P.LPs: Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds | 2017 | — | 19.8% | 2.20x | 1.10x |
| Leeds Equity Partners V, L.P.LPs: New York City Employees' Retirement System, Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds, Teachers' Retirement System of the City of New York +1 more | 2007 | — | 18.2% | 2.51x | 2.41x |
| Leeds Equity Partners IVLPs: Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island | 2003 | — | 4.3% | 1.31x | 1.31x |
Source: public limited-partner disclosures (CalPERS, CalSTRS). Net IRR / TVPI / DPI as reported by the limited partner; a fund's early-year IRR is an interim estimate (J-curve).
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Leeds made?
- Leeds has 38 tracked investments.
- What stage does Leeds invest at?
- Leeds invests at the Growth, Late Stage stages.
- What is Leeds's typical check size?
- Leeds typically writes checks of $40M.
- What sectors does Leeds focus on?
- Leeds focuses on Cybersecurity, Data & Infrastructure, EdTech, Enterprise Software, Fintech, Future of Work, GovTech, Healthtech, HR Tech, LegalTech, Marketplaces, Media & Entertainment, Mental Health, PropTech, SaaS.
- Where is Leeds located?
- Leeds is headquartered in New York, US.
- Does Leeds lead rounds?
- Yes, Leeds leads investment rounds.
- Who does Leeds co-invest with?
- Leeds most often shares deals with Battery Ventures, Francisco Partners, Spectrum Equity, among 11 tracked co-investors.
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