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Union Street Partners
Union Street Partners is a San Francisco-based multi-family office founded in 2005 by John W.
Union Street Partners
Union Street Partners was founded in 2005 by John W. Madden, whose family built wealth through real estate development and private equity. The firm operates as a multi-family office serving a small group of families with shared investment philosophy, rather than a single-family office or institutional asset manager. The firm allocates capital across real estate direct investments, buyout and growth equity funds, infrastructure projects, and private credit strategies. Union Street Partners takes a patient approach, holding assets for extended periods. Confirmed positions include investments in middle-market private equity funds focused on industrial and healthcare services, alongside direct real estate holdings in the Western United States (public record). The geographic footprint centers on North America, with emphasis on the West Coast. Union Street Partners maintains a lean team structure with roughly 15 professionals, primarily based in San Francisco. The firm has not disclosed adjacent philanthropic vehicles or operating company holdings. No recent publicly reported deals or team changes from the last 24 months have been identified, suggesting a deliberate low-profile posture. The firm's structural differentiator is its multi-family office model combined with a focus on direct real estate, a structure that allows multiple families to collaborate on large-scale deals while retaining individual control. Unlike many family offices that follow a fund-of-funds model, Union Street Partners emphasizes direct ownership and active management of real assets.
General information
Firm type
Multi Family Office
Year founded
2005
AUM
$500 million - $1 billion (Altss estimate)
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
San Francisco
Corporate office
San Francisco, CA, United States
Principals
John W. Madden
Managing Partner
Thomas P. Madden
Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Union Street Partners?
John W. Madden serves as Managing Partner and leads investment decisions at Union Street Partners. The firm's investment committee includes both family principals and external advisors, though the specific composition is not publicly disclosed.
How does Union Street Partners source proprietary deal flow?
Union Street Partners relies on a network of relationships built over decades in real estate and private equity. The firm does not operate a dedicated sourcing team, but instead leverages introductions from existing partners and family connections to access off-market transactions.
Is Union Street Partners structured as a single family office or does it operate more like a venture firm?
Union Street Partners is structured as a multi-family office serving a small group of families. It does not operate as a venture firm with external limited partners; rather, it manages internal family capital alongside select co-investment opportunities.
Does Union Street Partners participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Union Street Partners engages in both fund commitments and direct investments. The firm allocates to private equity and venture capital funds while also pursuing direct real estate deals. Fund commitments tend to focus on middle-market strategies, while direct investments concentrate on real estate.
What investment stages does Union Street Partners typically target?
Union Street Partners focuses on later-stage and value-oriented investments. In real estate, it targets institutional-quality assets. In private equity, it commits to buyout and growth funds rather than early-stage venture. This preference for non-speculative capital deployment reflects the family's long-term orientation.
Which sectors does Union Street Partners explicitly avoid?
Union Street Partners has not publicly stated any sector exclusions. However, based on its known portfolio, the firm appears to avoid early-stage venture capital, high-risk technologies, and public equities, favoring real assets and private strategies.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
The underlying wealth at Union Street Partners originates from real estate development and private equity. The Madden family, which founded the firm, built wealth through these sectors, and the firm's investment approach reflects that heritage by maintaining a focus on hard assets and direct ownership.
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.
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