Updated:
Focus Impact Partners
Focus Impact Partners was founded by Howard Sanders, the former Citi Holdings managing director who launched secondary-focused Auldbrass Partners in 2011.
Focus Impact Partners
Focus Impact Partners was founded by Howard Sanders, the former Citi Holdings managing director who launched secondary-focused Auldbrass Partners in 2011. The firm operates from New York and has assembled an advisory bench that includes former Two Sigma private-investment CIO Wray Thorn, ex-NetApp CFO Ron Pasek, and former ADP COO Tom Perrotti. Its website describes a dual mission: generating financial returns while steering capital to businesses that create positive outcomes for employees and customers. The firm concentrates on direct and SPAC-led investments across ClimateTech, Energy Transition & Renewables, and consumer-oriented services. Its two current Nasdaq-listed SPACs execute the strategy: Focus Impact Acquisition Corp. completed a business combination with DevvStream Holdings, a carbon-credit generation platform, in November 2024, listing DevvStream as the first publicly traded carbon-credit company on a major U.S. exchange (per firm website, November 2024). A second vehicle, Focus Impact BH3 Acquisition Co., entered into a definitive agreement with sustainable aviation fuel producer XCF Global Capital in March 2024. Beyond climate, the firm deployed growth capital into Skiptown, an innovative pet-services and social experiences platform, alongside Meaningful Partners (per firm website, date undisclosed). Team size and total deployment are not publicly disclosed. The firm maintains two active SPACs — Focus Impact Acquisition Corp. and Focus Impact BH3 Acquisition Corp. — each structured to take a private, sustainability-oriented company public. Its November 2024 close of the DevvStream combination represents its most recent operational milestone, while its advisory network includes leaders from institutional investors (Two Sigma, Invesco), operating companies (ADP, NetApp), and philanthropic foundations (Robin Hood Foundation, Roy & Patricia Disney Family Foundation). What distinguishes the firm is its dual-SPAC architecture paired with a secondary-markets lineage. Sanders' earlier venture, Auldbrass Partners, executed over $5 billion in secondary transactions across 500 fund interests before the Focus Impact brand emerged, giving the team a sourcing posture that blends public-listings expertise with institutional secondary-market discipline — a structure few mission-oriented firms replicate.
General information
Firm type
Private Equity
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
New York
Corporate office
New York, NY, United States
Principals
Howard Sanders
Founder and Managing Member of Auldbrass Partners
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What is Focus Impact Partners' relationship with Auldbrass Partners?
Focus Impact Partners was founded by Howard Sanders after he launched Auldbrass Partners in 2011 as a spin-out from Citi Holdings. Auldbrass focused on secondary private-equity transactions and completed over $5 billion in deal volume across 500 fund interests. Focus Impact represents Sanders' shift toward primary, direct, and SPAC-led investing in companies he labels 'socially forward.'
How does Focus Impact use SPACs to execute its strategy?
The firm sponsors two Nasdaq-listed SPACs — Focus Impact Acquisition Corp. and Focus Impact BH3 Acquisition Corp. Each vehicle is designed to identify a private, mission-aligned company and take it public through a business combination. The first closed in November 2024 with DevvStream Holdings, a carbon-credit generation firm; a second definitive agreement with sustainable aviation fuel producer XCF Global Capital was signed in March 2024.
What does 'socially forward' mean to Focus Impact Partners?
The firm defines 'socially forward' companies as businesses that generate positive outcomes for their employees, customers, or communities while also targeting competitive financial returns. Its investments span carbon credit generation, sustainable aviation fuels, and innovative consumer platforms like Skiptown, a pet-services and social-experiences brand.
Does Focus Impact invest directly or only through its SPACs?
Beyond the SPACs, Focus Impact makes direct growth-equity investments. It completed a strategic growth investment in Skiptown alongside Meaningful Partners, a consumer-focused private equity firm. The firm characterizes its role as providing capital and operational expertise to accelerate growth at portfolio companies.
Who makes investment decisions at Focus Impact Partners?
Howard Sanders, founder and managing member, leads the firm. The team draws on an advisory network that includes former Two Sigma private-investment CIO Wray Thorn, ex-Invesco head of private equity Carl Stanton, and operating executives spanning technology, finance, and philanthropy. Specific internal decision-making processes have not been publicly described.
What sectors does Focus Impact target?
Confirmed sector focuses include ClimateTech, Energy Transition & Renewables, and consumer platforms with a social component. The DevvStream and XCF Global transactions anchor the carbon and sustainable-fuel exposure, while Skiptown represents a consumer-services thesis. The firm has not publicly listed sectors it explicitly avoids.
How is the firm's governance separate from its SPACs?
Focus Impact Partners, LLC operates as the private investment entity, while the two SPACs — Focus Impact Acquisition Corp. and Focus Impact BH3 Acquisition Corp. — are separate publicly listed vehicles with their own boards and governance structures. The firm took over sponsorship of BH3 Acquisition Co. from Crixus BH3, adding a second listed platform under its control.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
Need institutional-grade insight on private equity firms?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: