Private Equity

We work with smaller private equity groups, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and wealthy families to help them source, evaluate, and transition investments. Our team brings expertise in M&A advisory, business valuations, and debt capital raises, supported by deep experience in governance, strategy, legal, finance, and operations.

Our services are designed to preserve and grow family and institutional wealth across generations. Whether the goal is to acquire, divest, or recapitalize a business, we provide tailored solutions that protect reputation, legacy, and employees while unlocking long-term value.

We offer transaction support from end-to-end: fast closings where required, structured partnerships for patient capital, and the creation of tax-efficient vehicles for joint ventures or family investment platforms.

With a network that spans entrepreneurs, family businesses, and capital markets professionals, we provide clients with direct access to opportunities and insights across industries. Our perspective is informed not only by financial expertise, but also by the operational knowledge of families and firms that have successfully built and sustained businesses for over a century.

Minerva Valuations

Who We Serve

Independent Sponsors

Deal-by-deal capital partners who need a trusted valuation and diligence team to move quickly and credibly with investors and lenders.

Search Funds & Self-Funded Searchers

Individual buyers acquiring a first business, from self-funded searches to investor-backed traditional search structures.

Family Offices & UHNW Families

Multi-generational capital seeking direct investments, co-investments, and patient-capital structures outside traditional fund vehicles.

Small & Emerging PE Funds

Lower middle-market funds that need independent, defensible valuation work to satisfy LPs, lenders, and audit requirements.

Operating Partners

Executives stepping into a CEO or operating role backed by an investor group, needing diligence and transition support.

Sellers & Family Businesses

Founders and owners evaluating a sale, recapitalization, or partial exit who want an independent view of value before engaging buyers.

4 Ways to Buy a Business

Self-Funded Search – Personal funding, $500K–$10M businesses, 60–100% ownership, role as Owner-Operator.
Traditional Search – Investor-backed, $10M+ targets, 5–20% ownership, board control, exit in 5–7 years, role as CEO.
Independent Sponsor – Self-funded with outside investors, $10M+ deals, 5–20% ownership, multiple deals, role as Chairman/President.
Operating Partner – Investor-sponsored, flexible size, 0–5% ownership, no debt guarantee, role as CEO.

EBITDA Zones – At a Glance

<$2M – 3–5x multiple, founder-led, SBA + seller financing, seller exits, sales-driven.
$2–5M – 4–6x+, small funds/independent sponsors, founder + lieutenants, regional bank debt + equity, seller stays involved, ops-driven.
$5–10M – 5–8x, PE funds, built-out teams, SBICs/mezz financing, seller strategic, M&A-driven.
$10M+ – 6–10x, established PE funds, multi-layered C-suite, banks/credit funds w/ leverage, seller rarely retained, balance-sheet driven.

How We Help at Each Stage

Sourcing & Screening – Initial market read, comparable transactions, and go/no-go valuation ranges.
Valuation & Diligence – Independent business valuation, quality of earnings support, and normalization of financials.
Deal Structuring – Purchase price mechanics, earnouts, seller notes, and capital stack advisory.
Post-Close Support – Purchase price allocation, goodwill impairment testing, and ongoing portfolio/fund valuations.

What We Offer

Private Equity & M&A Services

Buy-Side & Sell-Side M&A Advisory

End-to-end deal support, from sourcing and screening through negotiation and close.

Independent Business Valuations

Defensible valuations for financing, lender/SBA requirements, and investment committee review.

Quality of Earnings Support

Normalized EBITDA analysis and financial diligence to validate the numbers behind a deal.

Deal Structuring & Negotiation

Purchase price mechanics, earnouts, rollover equity, and seller financing structures.

Debt Capital Raise Assistance

Introductions and support across SBA lenders, regional banks, mezzanine, and credit funds.

Post-Acquisition Advisory

Purchase price allocation, goodwill impairment testing, and portfolio/fund valuation support.

Why Minerva

An Independent Partner at the Table

Genuinely Independent

We advise on and value transactions — we don't run a competing fund. Our analysis is never colored by a stake in the outcome.

Credentialed Rigor

CFA, CBV, and ABV-credentialed valuation work underpins every engagement, from a first screen to court-ready testimony.

Operator's Perspective

Our team has sat on boards and in management seats, bringing operational judgment to every valuation and deal we touch.