Safeguard your legacy.
Sell your business to a fellow entrepreneur.
SMEVentures comprises a small team of entrepreneurs each looking for a business to buy and run. We understand that your business is your baby, and our unique approach is designed to preserve and honour the legacy you have built by providing reliable continuity and capable stewardship for your business.
I’m a business owner looking to sell my business.
I’m an aspiring entrepreneur looking to buy and grow a business.
A fresh approach
Entrepreneurs
Our approach is designed and led by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs. Post-acquisition, one of us will operate your business full-time for years to come. After all, operating great businesses is what we love to do.
Legacy
We buy great businesses to keep them great. We have no intention to rebrand, relocate, close down, or gut the businesses we acquire. We appreciate the importance of legacy, and we aim to be good caretakers of that legacy.
Patient capital
Our investors are well-capitalized family offices and individuals who understand the world of SMEs. They back entrepreneurs like us to buy and operate promising businesses. The ideal holding period? Forever.
Industry
We generally like straightforward businesses in asset-light service industries, preferably business-to-business (B2B).
Size
A business generating $1.5 - 6 million EBITDA is right in our sweet spot. This usually means $5 - 50 million in sales.
Team
Our solution makes a lot of sense for the retiring owner-operator with a management team willing to stay on.
Recent acquisitions: ACE Training & MultiSkills Training
Rob Gaunt's entrepreneurial journey led him from South Africa to becoming the CEO and owner of ACE Training and MultiSkills Training in Victoria, Australia. After immigrating at age eight, he embarked on a career that culminated in leadership roles across continents, including CEO of Marine Rescue Technologies in the UK. Acquiring ACE Training in 2021 and MultiSkills Training in 2022 through a partnership with SMEVentures, Rob has positioned his enterprises as the leading providers of civil construction training in the region, showcasing his commitment to excellence and innovation in vocational education.
Recent acquisition: Grima Recycling
In partnership with SMEVentures, distinguished army veteran and INSEAD MBA Ryan Bernsmann acquired Grima Recycling, taking the helm as its full-time CEO. His journey from commanding military operations to spearheading a Fortune 500 company's investment portfolio sets him apart as a dynamic leader. Now, as the CEO of Grima Recycling, Ryan is applying his extensive experience in leadership, project management, and value-driven operations to continue the company's legacy of excellence in the recycling industry.
Recent acquisitio: eMerge IT
In 2023, Steve Orell, an accomplished Duke MBA, tech founder, and finance leader, partnered with SMEVentures to acquire eMerge IT, stepping in as its full-time CEO. With a history of leading and inspiring teams across various high-impact roles, Steve's diverse expertise and humble leadership are now driving eMerge IT forward. His background as a co-founder and in finance positions him uniquely to lead the company towards new achievements in the IT sector, embodying the entrepreneurial spirit and analytical decision-making that distinguish him in the field.
Jason Hew
Much of my childhood was spent with relatives who owned and ran small businesses. I admired their optimism, hustle and values-centric approach to business that has shaped my own career to this day.
This passion for entrepreneurship has thus far rewarded me with incredible experiences as an operator and investor in high-growth companies. I’ve led teams, managed transformational transactions and most importantly, gotten my hands dirty.
I’ve now partnered with SMEVentures to fulfill the next leg of my entrepreneurial journey, to buy, operate and grow a business into something meaningful in the years to come.
jason.hew@smeventures.co | +61 482 091 317
Fewer than 15% of family businesses in Australia have a formal succession plan.
— KPMG 2021 Family Business Survey
Let’s talk.
Perhaps you’re ready to retire or simply move on to your next project. Either way, it would be great to hear from you and see whether there’s a fit.
hello@smeventures.com
+61 (0)280 114 183