Key Takeaways
- • Niobrara Capital Partners launched as a New York-based middle market private equity firm focused on technology and technology-enabled services in North America and Europe, targeting businesses with EBITDA between $15MM and $100MM.
- • The firm's founding partners include Managing Partner Chip Schorr, Todd Bradley, and former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, with a planned initial team of approximately fifteen professionals.
- • Niobrara's first transaction is a $175MM control equity investment in Polar Semiconductor, which is paired with CHIPS Act support from the U.S. Government and the State of Minnesota.
- • The Polar investment is intended to help Polar double its capacity and meet demand for power semiconductor devices and sensors.
Summary
Niobrara Capital Partners has launched as a middle market private equity firm focused on strategic investments in technology and technology-enabled services across the ecosystem, according to a Business Wire announcement. Headquartered in New York with a planned initial team of roughly fifteen professionals, the firm says it will target companies benefiting from technology mega trends that it expects to drive economic transformation across industries and disrupt existing business models. Niobrara also intends to pursue partnerships with founders, families and Fortune 500 companies.
The firm is led by Managing Partner Chip Schorr, who the announcement describes as an established technology private equity investor. Schorr is credited with pioneering technology buyouts through the carve-out of Fairchild Semiconductor nearly three decades ago, and has completed over 30 platform investments and 100 acquisitions across software, fintech, IT services, semiconductors and cloud services. He is joined by Todd Bradley, former lead Operating Partner for One Equity Partners and a longtime technology operating executive with experience at Tibco and Hewlett-Packard, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who will help navigate the global landscape of technology investing.
Niobrara will invest either as a control partner or as a minority partner with meaningful control rights in businesses with EBITDA between $15MM and $100MM, operating in North America and Europe. Its first announced transaction is a $175MM control equity investment in Polar Semiconductor. According to the release, the investment is paired with significant commitments from the United States Government through the CHIPS Act and from the State of Minnesota, and will help Polar double its capacity and meet strategic demand for power semiconductor devices and sensors.
The firm is led by Managing Partner Chip Schorr, who the announcement describes as an established technology private equity investor. Schorr is credited with pioneering technology buyouts through the carve-out of Fairchild Semiconductor nearly three decades ago, and has completed over 30 platform investments and 100 acquisitions across software, fintech, IT services, semiconductors and cloud services. He is joined by Todd Bradley, former lead Operating Partner for One Equity Partners and a longtime technology operating executive with experience at Tibco and Hewlett-Packard, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who will help navigate the global landscape of technology investing.
Niobrara will invest either as a control partner or as a minority partner with meaningful control rights in businesses with EBITDA between $15MM and $100MM, operating in North America and Europe. Its first announced transaction is a $175MM control equity investment in Polar Semiconductor. According to the release, the investment is paired with significant commitments from the United States Government through the CHIPS Act and from the State of Minnesota, and will help Polar double its capacity and meet strategic demand for power semiconductor devices and sensors.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.