815 Independent Sponsor Deals Analyzed
Greg Brown is a Professor of Finance at UNC Kenan-Flagler and Founder of the Institute for Private Capital. On July 15, 2026, he published the first large-scale study of independent sponsor performance, covering 815 deals. Investor-reported transactions generated a 2.86x average gross TVPI and 29.3% gross IRR, outperforming matched non-IS PE deals by 0.73x TVPI and 11.4% IRR on average, with no statistically significant increase in downside risk.


More recent episodes

Steak & Sizzle with a Side of Fundless
Bruce Lipian coined "independent sponsor" at a NYC conference. Learn how the deal-by-deal model thrives in lower-middle market PE with creativity over capital.

50% Carry on 50x MOIC
Jim Tapp left corporate life for M&A after meeting a wealthy business owner. Now he runs an independent sponsor shop with his sons, including a 50x MOIC software exit.

Winning Big by Doing Minority Recaps
Erik Miller of Perspective Equity Partners shares how 30 years in finance shaped his founder-first approach to minority investments and building trust over control.