Our Approach

Our Approach
SG’s investment thesis is straightforward. Success has been built by founding and investing in easily understood businesses that serve large, global addressable markets. SG was founded by entrepreneurs who understand that success is rarely achieved in a straight line and that building leading companies demands great flexibility, innovation, speed and scale. SG’s investment approach can be condensed into four guiding principles:

Hands-On Approach

SG’s Operations Group “OG” is involved in operating each of our portfolio companies. The Group works with our investment teams and portfolio company managers to help our businesses become more productive, competitive and efficient. The OG senior professionals have an average of 19 years of operating experience with deep expertise in value-critical areas ranging from go-to-market strategies to financial controls. The OG’s strategic advice, operational know-how, and joint purchasing and cross selling programs have helped drive revenue growth, profit expansion and expense controls across several of our portfolio companies. Also, where appropriate, the OG steps into interim operating roles.

Long-Term Perspective

SG takes a research-oriented investment approach. Once a thesis is developed and invested, SG waits for the full value of the thesis to unfold, which can sometimes take years. Taking a long-term view allows us to focus solely on identifying the best investment opportunities around the world and allocating capital to build strong companies with world-scale potential.

Concentration, Not Diversification

The greatest entrepreneurs in history focused on identifying large market trends and working diligently to build a business backwards from customer requirements. We don’t believe in opportunistic investments, only in building the leading company in select segments where SG has deep operating and domain expertise.

Dual Use

Customers buy solutions, not tools, products or services. SG believes that if an offering is designed correctly, it considers: a) how to provide a complete solution to a large customer problem and b) how the offering can address multiple use-cases and market segments up front. Achieving market leadership in a first market segment by providing a whole product (“solution”) should allow it to be efficiently leveraged into adjacent market segments and rapidly reach category critical mass and a dominant leadership position. SG focuses on companies that have the capability to deliver complete solutions and are well positioned to sell them to multiple market segments in both commercial and government customer bases.