# Emerald Lake Capital Management

Emerald Lake Capital Management is a Private Equity based in Santa Monica, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Private Equity
- **Headquarters:** Santa Monica, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Santa Monica, CA, United States
- **Founded:** 2018
- **Assets under management:** $2B+ (per the firm)
- **Website:** emeraldlakecapital.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/emeraldlakecapital

## Regulatory record

- **CRD number:** 300395
- **SEC file number:** 801-114785
- **Registration status:** APPROVED
- **Latest Form ADV filing:** 2026-04-27T05:00:00.000Z
- **Reports private funds:** Yes
- **Private funds reported:** 0
- **IAPD record:** https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/300395

## About

Emerald Lake Capital Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser in Santa Monica, CA, registered since 2019. The firm manages $3.1 billion in regulatory assets. It has 15 employees and 14 investment advisers.

## Sectors

- Packaging
- Defense
- Power Distribution & Control Systems
- Industrial Tech

## People

- Chris Sanzone — Portfolio Company Executive (Inno-Pak)
- Travis Slocumb — Portfolio Company Executive (Pacific Defense)
- Scott Vaughn — Portfolio Company Executive
- Rob Logan — Portfolio Company Executive
- Mark Buckland — Portfolio Company Executive
- Rick Lu — Portfolio Company Executive
- Phil Kerr — Portfolio Company Executive
- Chris Curtis — Portfolio Company Executive (Mission Critical Group)

## Questions

### Who founded Emerald Lake Capital Management, and what is their background?

The firm was founded in 2018 by a team of investors who previously worked together at Ares Management. Their individual names are not publicly listed on the firm's website, which emphasizes the collective track record and shared investing experience that predates the 2018 launch. The website's meta description and about page explicitly state the firm was founded by 'former Ares Management investors.'

### How does Emerald Lake source its investment opportunities?

Emerald Lake employs a relationship-first sourcing model that often involves cultivating partnerships with executives and founders over multiple years before a transaction. Several portfolio company executives report that the firm distinguished itself by building trust and understanding their businesses deeply before formal deal discussions. The firm's website highlights that this approach is central to its competitive positioning in the middle market.

### How much capital does Emerald Lake manage, and what is its fund structure?

Emerald Lake's own website states it manages 'more than $2 billion of equity capital.' The firm has not publicly disclosed a specific fund structure or whether it operates as a single committed fund vehicle, a series of co-investment pools, or a deal-by-deal capital arrangement. Its flexible approach and concentrated portfolio suggest it deploys capital on a platform basis across its target situations.

### Which companies are in Emerald Lake's portfolio?

The firm's website features several named portfolio companies through executive testimonials. Confirmed holdings include Inno-Pak, a packaging business; Pacific Defense, a defense-electronics company; and Mission Critical Group, a power distribution and control-systems platform. Other unnamed portfolio executives describe businesses in packaging acquisition and founder recapitalization situations.

### How does Emerald Lake differentiate itself from other middle-market private equity firms?

Emerald Lake differentiates through a culture-led, relationship-intensive model rather than competing on process speed or auction aggression. Its founding team's shared history at Ares Management provides a single-firm operating DNA, while its portfolio company executives describe the team as a strategic sounding board that provides M&A expertise and management talent sourcing. The approach favors long-term relationship building — in one case over a decade — before closing a transaction.

## Related profiles

- [Emerald Development Managers](https://altss.com/profile/emerald-development-managers)
- [Emerald Media](https://altss.com/profile/emerald-media)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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