M33 Growth, a venture and growth stage investment manager based out of Boston, has raised $180 million for its debut fund, M33 Growth I L.P.
Led by a team of three industry vets, the growth equity firm plans to partner with founders and CEOs in order to help companies accelerate growth and reach “escape velocity.” The firm is named after Mach 33, the speed at which an object breaks out of the gravitational pull of the Earth.
Focused on “an important part of the market that is underserved,” M33 aims to target bootstrapped, high-growth companies located outside of traditional startup hubs. The firm’s ideal partners are located in the software, healthcare and services sectors, generate over $5 million in revenue, and are profitable with a steady growth trajectory. M33 seeks to differentiate itself with founders and CEOs who are eager to break through as the leader in their market by offering capital alongside operational experience and an understanding of the business building process.
The M33 founders plan to apply their experience and deep networks to fuel the sales and marketing engines of their portfolio companies, and will seek to make acquisitions and build value through data assets.
M33 Growth was co-founded by managing directors Brian Shortsleeve, Gabe Ling and Mike Anello, who have worked together for nearly a decade. Prior to M33 Growth, Shortsleeve served as the Chief Administrator and Acting General Manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). Handpicked for his role by Governor Charlie Baker in 2015, Brian was tasked with gearing MBTA on the path to long-term fiscal sustainability. He spent 14 years in consulting and investing at Bain & Co., H.I.G. Capital, and most recently General Catalyst. Before co-founding M33, Ling was a partner at General Catalyst, leading growth stage investments in companies across software, business services, healthcare services and IT. Anello most recently served as vice president at Valor Equity Partners and has leadership experience at various firms including Axium Software and General Catalyst.
