# Next Wave Partners

Next Wave Partners is a Private Equity based in London, United Kingdom.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Private Equity
- **Headquarters:** London, United Kingdom
- **Region:** Europe
- **Address:** 87-89 Baker Street, London, W1U 6RJ, United Kingdom
- **Founded:** 2007
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** nextwavepartners.co.uk
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-wave-partners

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Next Wave Partners is a UK-based private equity fund manager. Founded in 2002, the firm raised its first external fund in 2007 and its second fund in 2010. Next Wave Partners has over £100 million in funds under management and targets investments of £2 million to £20 million in Northern European SMEs and lower mid-market companies in the business, consumer, and environmental services sectors.

## Sectors

- Business Services
- Consumer Services
- Industrial Tech
- Media & Entertainment
- Cybersecurity
- Mobility & Transportation
- Education

## People

- Jonathan Brod — Managing Partner
- Dean MacKenzie — Managing Partner

## Questions

### Who makes investment decisions at Next Wave Partners?

Managing partners Jonathan Brod and Dean MacKenzie lead the firm. They work with investment manager Greg Leathem and draw on senior adviser Nick Watkins. The team combines financial, strategic, and operational expertise, and the firm states it integrates ESG considerations into all mainstream investment decisions.

### How does Next Wave Partners source deals?

Next Wave targets four specific situations: owner-manager succession, non-core corporate carve-outs, technology-driven disruption in mature industries, and backing exceptional entrepreneurial teams. The firm also maintains an international network of like-minded growth-capital investors across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, which it uses both for deal sourcing and to support portfolio companies' cross-border expansion.

### What is Next Wave's typical hold period and exit strategy?

The core strategy targets a four- to five-year hold, but the firm also manages a Patient Capital portfolio where holds have ranged from two years to more than a decade. Exit routes include full or partial sales to trade, strategic or financial buyers, and IPOs. Exit planning is embedded from the first meeting ahead of an investment, with management teams expected to contribute to the exit strategy through regular board discussions.

### Does Next Wave Partners do fund commitments or only direct deals?

Next Wave invests directly into platform companies and supports them with follow-on capital for bolt-on acquisitions. Its portfolio companies have completed over 30 bolt-on acquisitions. The firm's international network functions as a co-investment and knowledge-sharing group, but there is no public indication that Next Wave acts as a fund-of-funds or commits to third-party managers.

### What investment stages does Next Wave Partners target?

The firm focuses on growth-stage and buyout opportunities in established UK businesses with demonstrable and sustainable profitability. It invests in expansion, late-stage growth, management buyouts, carve-outs, and complex restructuring situations, targeting companies with an enterprise value of £25–100 million and deploying £15–75 million per platform.

## Related profiles

- [New York Venture Partners](https://altss.com/profile/new-york-venture-partners)
- [North-East Venture](https://altss.com/profile/north-east-venture)

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

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