Buying or selling a business
Target identification, valuation discipline, negotiation and execution — on either side of a transaction.
Capabilities
Capital and counsel, structured around the business
Kilverstone is a private holdings and advisory group. The six capabilities below describe how our principal capital and our counsel are deployed — separately or together, depending on what an owner actually needs.
01 — Principal investing
Direct equity in established, profitable businesses
We invest our own permanent capital into companies with durable positions and management teams worth backing — typically as a significant minority or majority partner.
What's included
- Buy-and-build platforms and bolt-on acquisition support
- Succession and partial liquidity for founders and families
- Significant minority or majority equity, structured to suit
- Long-term hold periods with no fixed exit clock
When to engage us
- An owner is stepping back, selling down, or planning succession
- A profitable business needs a partner — not a manager — for its next chapter
- Management wants growth capital without losing control of the business
What's included
- Minority equity for scaling companies with defensible moats
- Patient capital between funding rounds, without forced milestones
- Strategic and operational support from operators who have built companies
- Follow-on capacity for the businesses that earn it
When to engage us
- A business is profitable or clearly unit-economic, and needs time, not just cash
- Founders want a long-term backer rather than a quick flip
- You want a single aligned investor instead of a crowded cap table
02 — Venture & growth
Patient capital for the awkward, valuable middle
The space between early venture and the public markets is where most value is created — and where capital is most impatient. We bring structured minority equity and a long horizon.
03 — Real assets
Direct property and infrastructure-linked holdings
We hold direct interests in real assets chosen for durable income and capital preservation — the ballast beneath a private balance sheet.
What's included
- Direct commercial and residential property interests
- Infrastructure-linked and income-producing holdings
- Active asset management and selective redevelopment
- Long hold periods oriented to preservation over speculation
When to engage us
- A property or asset owner seeks a long-term, discreet capital partner
- An asset needs operational attention, not just a buyer
- You are restructuring a portfolio and want a patient counterparty
04 — Strategic advisory
Counsel that carries conviction — because our capital can follow it
We advise on the decisions that shape value: an acquisition, a sale, a refinancing, or a generational handover. Where it fits, our principal capital can stand behind the advice.
Financing and balance sheet
Refinancing, recapitalisation and structural decisions that protect optionality and the long-term health of the business.
Ownership transitions
Generational handovers, management buy-outs and ownership design that respect the people who built the business.
05 — Portfolio stewardship
Active governance, exercised with restraint
Ownership is a responsibility, not a watchlist. We support the businesses we back with governance, networks and operational help — while leaving day-to-day control firmly with management.
What's included
- Board participation and considered governance
- Strategic and financial planning support
- Senior hires, introductions and commercial relationships
- Reporting and controls that help, rather than burden, the operator
When to engage us
- A business wants an engaged partner on its board, not a passive cheque
- Management is building out governance for the next stage of growth
- You need experienced operators to lean on for the hard decisions
What's included
- Succession and next-generation planning for family-owned companies
- Ownership structure and governance design for founders
- Liquidity, diversification and reinvestment strategy
- A discreet, long-term sounding board for the questions that can't be asked elsewhere
When to engage us
- A family is preparing to pass a business — or its wealth — to the next generation
- A founder is diversifying for the first time after a lifetime of concentration
- You want counsel from owners and operators, not only advisers
06 — Family & founder counsel
A confidential sounding board for owners
The hardest decisions in a privately owned business are rarely technical — they are personal. We act as a discreet, owner-minded counsellor to the people who carry the responsibility.
Next step
Tell us where the business is — and where you want it to go
Most engagements begin with a single, confidential conversation. There is no obligation and no template to complete.