Mission One

Cat Trail's mission is to balance its goals of optimizing financial returns and influencing environmental or social advancement through strategic investment management.

Investment Size

Engaging in $1 - 10 million investments, Cat Trail takes a sole investor role, leads a syndicated round, or assumes a limited partner position (LP) in funds or businesses demonstrating above-average return potential. Cat Trail maintains flexibility with respect to the form its investment will take; ultimately minimum return requirements and deal risk drive participation. Cat Trail does participate in both debt and equity placements.

Merchant Banking like approach

Cat Trail's merchant banking approach contrasts significantly with traditional private equity firms. Given the demands of the merchant bank approach, Cat Trail maintains no more than 1-2 companies in its portfolio at any one time. This focused and active investment approach creates fundamental differences which surface once capital has been deployed. Traditional private equity groups practice passive board participation, unlike Cat Trail's hands-on corporate involvement where and when appropriate. The model of the merchant bank provides value through the close relationship, both financially and strategically, with each of its investments. Cat Trail looks to partner with the pricipals, aligning all participants financial interests. The businesses Cat Trail seeks to partner with operate in diverse markets, but share common characteristics:

• Organizational values and aspirations that are well conceived
• A commitment to societal obligations beyond traditional stakeholders
• Market leadership capability in product offerings, distribution channels, cost position, and/or technology
• The ability to realize channel dominance or lead a well-defined niche business
• A history of, or short duration to, profitability
• Opportunity to achieve above industry average gross and operating margins
• Low, fixed overhead or ability to achieve operating leverage over the short term
• A strong, committed management team interested in partnering and sharing risk
• Diverse customer base, product offerings, and/or market channels
• Opportunity to grow organically or through acquisition
• Industries with high barriers to entry and replication costs exceeding acquisition costs