Clearlake Capital Group

Co-founders José E. Feliciano and Behdad Eghbali lead the firm's investment strategy. They chair Clearlake's Investment Committee and remain active in sourcing and portfolio oversight. The firm's sector heads report through this partnership structure.

Clearlake's Operations, People, and Strategy (O.P.S.) framework provides in-house operational expertise to portfolio companies. This capability often positions the firm as a preferred buyer for corporate sellers seeking a partner to improve separated business units. A significant portion of deal flow originates from repeat relationships with corporations executing divestitures.

Clearlake concentrates on software, industrials, and consumer sectors in North America. The firm does not publicly target early-stage venture capital, real estate, or infrastructure as standalone strategies. Its stated focus remains on mature businesses undergoing operational or financial transitions.

No. Clearlake is an institutional asset manager raising blind-pool private equity funds from limited partners. It is not affiliated with any single family's wealth. The firm's founders come from investment backgrounds at Tennenbaum Capital Partners and other institutions, not from managing family wealth.

Clearlake raises closed-end private equity funds with standard ten-year terms. Clearlake Capital Partners VI closed at over $7 billion in 2021. The firm supplements flagship funds with co-investment vehicles and has occasionally raised continuation funds to hold assets beyond the standard fund life.

Clearlake invests directly in operating companies through control and non-control equity positions. The firm does not operate as a fund-of-funds or make primary commitments to other managers. Deal structures include management buyouts, public-to-private transactions, and growth equity.

The O.P.S. group embeds operating professionals into Clearlake's portfolio companies, often placing interim executives or augmenting management teams. This operational bench allows the firm to invest in founder-led businesses planning leadership transitions. Clearlake treatment of specific CEO appointments remains deal-specific and confidential.