ForthCo is a New Zealand private equity firm that builds more valuable businesses. We partner with owners and management teams, bringing capital, capability, and care. Our approach is disciplined and hands-on, shaped by decades of operating and investing across sectors and cycles. We aim to build a more productive, more sustainable New Zealand.
ForthCo is led by investors and operators with decades of experience in building and growing businesses. We’ve worked across sectors, cycles, and continents; always with a hands-on approach to partnership. Our team brings capital, capability, and care to create more valuable businesses.
Established companies with clear competitive advantages
Businesses that deliver reliable earnings
Enterprise Value between
$10 - $100m
Investing in businesses that give back to communities
At ForthCo, we believe that New Zealand has huge potential to be more productive, and that starts with the private sector. New Zealand’s small to medium enterprises (SMEs) make up almost half of our economy (by GDP), and this “hidden half” is not accessible to most investors.
Our approach is to invest in control stakes alongside founders and owners. Our investors buy units in specific businesses, and have the opportunity to build a diversified portfolio of direct investments over time. Private market returns are not correlated to public market returns.
ForthCo investment units are entitled to receive regular distributions and are listed on the Catalist platform. Both features (dividends and tradeability) are not typically found in private direct investment structures in New Zealand.
Our investors are wholesale investors, KiwiSaver funds, community groups, family offices. All have an economic and a social interest in investing here, where we stand.
We think boards are strategic partners for great businesses. We help with the development of growth strategies to quantify and focus on key opportunities. This might include supporting the development of sustainability frameworks, new product and service offerings, assessments of new market entry, negotiating strategic partnerships, and supporting management to identify and execute acquisition opportunities.
If required, we work with portfolio companies to manage the change in leadership that will sometimes follow a change in ownership. We help to build high performing teams, that work in collaboration with our ForthCo team, and build incentive systems that ensure alignment of objectives.
Our governance philosophy is based on having the right capabilities and connections (networks) required to meet your current and future opportunities and challenges. We have an extensive global network of experts and operators across industries who work with our portfolio companies as required.
Quality governance helps management make good business decisions. We help to implement robust governance and create reporting systems that provide company leadership with important and actionable information.
Leverage our extensive experience and networks in capital markets to ensure the business has the growth capital required to achieve its aspirations.
The ALT Growth Fund is an open-ended private markets fund for long-term investors. It gives direct access to high-quality mid-market businesses in New Zealand.
ALT Growth targets enduring companies with room to grow, using a focused, repeatable strategy. Built for high net worth and institutional investors, the Fund combines active ownership and long-term value creation.
