AI as a value-creation lever,
underwritten.
We use AI to take real cost out of a business, or to hold SG&A flat while revenue grows, so more of every dollar of growth reaches EBITDA. We size it in diligence and build it in the portfolio.
Where the value shows up
Cost reduction
Remove the manual work buried in finance, operations, customer support, and sales support. The savings are measured against today’s cost base, not against a projection.
SG&A leverage alongside growth
Grow revenue without growing the back office at the same rate. The team you have handles the volume of the business you are building toward, and the margin widens as the top line grows.
Before close and after it
Diligence projects
Before close: an assessment of where AI can realistically move the target’s cost base.
- Function-by-function view of where the work is and what it costs
- Savings and leverage sized so they can sit in the model, not the appendix
- What it takes to capture them: systems, data, people, timeline
Portfolio company work
After close: we build it with the management team, starting from the company’s knowledge base.
- A ranked plan scored on return, difficulty, and adoption risk
- Implementation against the company’s real systems and data
- Results tracked against the value-creation plan the board signed off on
From both sides of the table
We have underwritten value-creation plans as the sponsor and delivered them as the operator.
Seven years in private equity, from analyst to the youngest VP in the firm’s history. Diligenced hundreds of LBOs, growth investments, and take-privates, deployed over $1B, and advised the boards of portfolio companies including Neiman Marcus, Mytheresa, NVA, and Aspen Dental.
Co-founded a consumer brand platform and ran it as Head of M&A, then CFO, then interim CEO, to roughly $60M in annual sales. Acquired 11 brands, raised about $80M of equity and $15M of debt, and led the shift to profitability. Leveraged AI to enable a 7-figure cost reduction.
Evaluating a deal, or holding one?
Tell us about the company and where the cost sits. We will tell you honestly what AI can move, and what it can’t.
contact@mindfortress.com