Founders buying from founders.
We started by building businesses from scratch. Now Searchlight backs the succession of Australian founder and family-owned businesses, facilitating the next phase of growth through hands-on ownership.
Owners tell us the same three things
The business is valuable, but it still needs an active owner.
I want to step back, not hand the keys to a stranger.
I want to be paid properly, and see it keep going.
Solving this is why Searchlight exists.
A different kind of buyer
Most buyers replace you, absorb your business into a big corporate structure, or strip costs while searching for "synergies". Searchlight does something different.
Two paths, your choice.
Owner-led business? A staged handover at the pace the business sets. Management already in place? We back your team and you can transition.
Hands-on, not hands-off.
Searchlight is an operating partner, helping build sales, systems, tech, and management depth. Working alongside the team, not as a replacement CEO.
Shared upside.
Rollover for owners and family who want to stay invested. Equity for the management team.
How it works
We partner
The transaction completes. Day to day, nothing changes.
We plan
A roadmap from owner-led to professionally managed.
We build
Growth, systems, and the team, side by side.
We hire
A CEO you help choose, often from your own team.
You choose
Board member, mentor, or a well-earned step back.
Milestones, not calendars. You move when the business is ready.
Explore the full approach →Established, profitable Australian businesses with $2M–$5M of annual profit, typically $10M–$50M in revenue and good cash conversion, in sectors where trust, compliance and service quality decide who wins:
Smaller businesses in these sectors are welcome as add-ons. Not sure if yours fits? Ask.
I’m Hugh Podmore. I built a 65-person B2B services company and sold it to private equity. Searchlight is the buyer I wish had existed when I was selling.
My story →Thinking about your next chapter?
No pitch, no obligation. A confidential conversation between founders.
Get in touch