The PE Firms Moving First On AI Won't Just Create Better Returns
They'll redefine what "value creation" means for the next decade. While others are still figuring out AI, they're building portfolio-wide capabilities that win auctions and drive exit multiples.
Win Competitive Auctions
"We're not just capital. We bring AI transformation capability that builds competitive moats." That's what you tell founders while 8 other PE firms pitch generic operational excellence.
Build Portfolio-Wide Capability
40% of PE firms let each PortCo figure out AI independently. You'll have centralized capability—learnings from PortCo #1 deploy to PortCo #5 in a fraction of the time.
Exit At Premium Multiples
Strategic buyers pay more for companies with defensible AI capabilities. Not "we have AI" in the deck—real competitive advantages that show up in margins and retention.
40% of PE firms are stuck in decentralized AI models—each PortCo reinventing the wheel. Meanwhile, operational improvements now drive 47% of value creation. The firms that build centralized AI transformation capability first will become the PE partners European mid-market companies actually want.
Book A Confidential Portfolio Strategy Call
30 minutes. We'll map your portfolio's AI opportunity and show you how to position this as your competitive differentiator. No pitch—just intelligence you can use.
Book Your Call →While You Study AI, Your Competitor Just Built A Moat
They're not competing on one dimension anymore. They've figured out augmentation—and now they're beating you on cost, speed, AND quality simultaneously.
Margin Expansion
That Compounds
Serve market segments profitably that competitors can't touch. Enter territories locked by unit economics. Fund growth through efficiency gains that scale.
Velocity That
Creates Separation
Collapse innovation cycles from months to weeks. Ship new capabilities while competitors are still planning. Move so fast they can't react.
Service They
Can't Replicate
Provide personalized, responsive service at scale competitors consider impossible. Delight becomes defensible. Experience creates switching costs.
This isn't incremental improvement. Companies building the Triple Threat aren't competing in the same game anymore. Once a competitor builds these capabilities, they compound. Every quarter, the gap widens. By the time you react, they're 18+ months ahead.
See Where Your Portfolio Is Exposed
We'll analyze 3-5 of your portfolio companies and show you exactly where the Triple Threat opportunities are. Which PortCos are most vulnerable? Which have the highest potential? Where should you deploy first?
How This Works Across Your Portfolio
You're not buying consulting hours. You're building reusable capability that compounds. The second PortCo costs less than the first. The fifth costs a fraction of the original investment.
Portfolio Assessment
Assess multiple PortCos. Map AI opportunities across your portfolio. Prioritize deployment based on potential and readiness. Build strategic roadmap for value creation.
Value Creation Sprint
Prove it works at one PortCo. Build reusable playbooks. Show measurable impact. Create transformation templates ready for portfolio-wide deployment at reduced cost.
Portfolio Operating Partner
Centralized AI capability across your entire portfolio. Strategic oversight, quarterly CEO councils, priority deployment access, and continuous value creation support.
Every sprint creates reusable playbooks. You're not paying for bespoke consulting—you're building portfolio-wide capability that compounds. And when AI transformation shows up in your exit valuations, the investment pays for itself many times over.
Start With One PortCo. Prove The Model. Then Scale.
Run a Value Creation Sprint at your highest-potential PortCo. See measurable impact and have reusable playbooks ready for portfolio-wide deployment. If it doesn't deliver, you don't deploy further.
Book Your Sprint Planning Call →Limited PE partnerships available. Selective engagement to ensure exceptional results.
We're Only Taking 5 PE Partnerships in 2025
Portfolio-wide transformation isn't scalable consulting—it requires deep partnership. We'd rather do 5 exceptionally well than 20 mediocrely.
Here's What Happens If You Wait
How This Actually Works
We've designed this to be low-risk for you. Test, prove, then scale.
Discovery Call
We discuss your portfolio, where you're seeing competitive pressure, and which PortCos have the highest potential for AI transformation. No pitch. Just honest assessment.
Portfolio Assessment
We analyze 3-5 PortCos, map AI opportunities across your portfolio, and show you exactly where to deploy. You get the roadmap whether you work with us or not.
You Decide
Start with one PortCo. Roll out to the portfolio. Or build an ongoing partnership. You control the pace.
The PE Firms That Move First Won't Just Create Better Returns
They'll become the firms that European mid-market companies actually want to partner with. The ones that don't just bring capital—they bring the capability to build competitive advantages.
Will you be one of the firms that led this shift? Or one that reacted too late?
Reserve Your Partnership
Book a 30-minute confidential strategy call. We'll discuss your portfolio, map your AI opportunities, and determine if GRAIL should be your transformation partner.