You've built something
real. What comes next?
Most founders are too deep in the build to think clearly about the next chapter. We've been there. We know what the view looks like from where you're standing — and we know what the path forward looks like too.
No deck required. No committee. Just a conversation about where you are and where you want to go.
Is this you?
It might be a good fit.
We're not running a broad process. We're looking for specific founders building specific kinds of companies. The criteria below aren't a checklist — they're a description of the founders we want to know.
More than capital.
A genuine edge.
We've built companies from scratch and sold them. We've been on both sides of the acquisition table — as the founder closing the deal and as the buyer evaluating it. That experience doesn't sit in a deck. It shows up in every conversation we have with founders.
Every company we back gets the same thing: our direct involvement. Not a junior associate. Not a quarterly check-in. We show up because we're genuinely invested — in both senses of the word.
Simple process.
Fast when it's right.
We don't have a 12-step process or a committee that needs to approve the next meeting. If it feels right on both sides, things move quickly. Here's how it typically goes.
A conversation — however long it takes
Tell us about your company. Where it is, where it's going, what you're working through. We'll share how we work and what we bring. No agenda, no deck, no pitch theater.
Getting to know each other — a week or two
If it feels right, we go deeper. We look at the business, talk to some customers if appropriate, and make sure the fit is real. We move fast and we don't waste anyone's time.
A simple term sheet — then we get to work
Founder-friendly structure, clear terms, nothing buried. We close and move on to what actually matters — building the company. From first conversation to term sheet: typically two to four weeks.
We've been
where you are.
Most capital partners haven't built a company. They've studied them, modeled them, invested in them. That's not the same as running one — and founders know the difference inside of five minutes.
We started HarborPE because we kept meeting founders who were doing something real and couldn't find a partner who actually understood what they were navigating. Someone who had made the same decisions, taken the same risks, and come out the other side with something to show for it.
That's us. We're not observing from the outside. We're in the game — actively building companies right now, alongside the founders we back. The insight we bring isn't theoretical. It's operational. And it shows up in the work.
"The best thing we can offer isn't capital. It's having been where you are — and knowing how it turns out."
Things founders
usually ask us.
We've had a lot of first conversations with founders. These are the questions that come up most often — answered directly, the way we'd answer them in person.
No. We don't need a deck to have a useful conversation. Tell us about your company in whatever format feels natural — an email, a call, a one-pager, or just a description of what you're building and where you want to take it. We'll take it from there.
Typically two to four weeks from first conversation to term sheet, if the fit is right. We don't have a committee that needs to approve the next step. Decisions are made by operators, not by committee. When we know it's right, we say so — and we move.
No. We structure our investments to be founder-friendly. You stay in the seat, you keep control of day-to-day decisions, and your vision for the company stays intact. We take a board seat and we're vocal partners — but we work in service of your vision, not ours. The company stays yours.
Past the founding stage. Product-market fit is real — customers are paying, staying, and referring. You're not searching for a model; you're building on one. We don't back pre-revenue or pre-product companies, and we're not a seed fund. We're growth equity — we come in when there's something real to accelerate.
We're based in Minneapolis and we're active across the Midwest. We're also open everywhere — what matters is the company and the founder, not the zip code. We travel, we're comfortable with distributed teams, and we work with founders across the country.
AI, B2B SaaS, Cloud, and adjacent technology markets. We're deeply invested in artificial intelligence — not as a trend we're chasing, but as a foundational capability we've been building with for years. We look for companies where AI is a core part of the product, not a feature added after the fact.
It means we don't bury preferences, ratchets, or punitive provisions in a term sheet and hope you miss them. It means the structure is clean, clear, and explained in plain language. It means the governance we ask for is proportional to the capital we bring. And it means if you push back on something, we listen — because we've been on your side of this conversation and we know which terms actually matter and which ones are just habit.
Yes. The best partnerships start long before a term sheet. If you're building something real and want a relationship with someone who's been where you are, reach out now. We'd rather know you before there's a deal on the table than meet you in the middle of one. There's no obligation, no pressure, and no pitch required.
Genuinely involved — not performatively involved. We take a board seat and we use it. We're available when you need us and we don't show up with an agenda when you don't. We're not the kind of investors who disappear between board meetings and reappear with opinions. We're the kind who are in the work with you — available, engaged, and useful.