Kudu invests in Escalate Capital Partners

• Austin-based Escalate was founded in 2005 by Managing Directors Tony Schell and Ross Cockrell
• Raymond James served as financial advisor to Escalate
• Kudu was founded in 2015 and is backed by White Mountains Insurance Group Ltd and MassMutual

Kudu Investment Management has made a minority investment in Escalate Capital Partners, a private credit and equity investor in the software, services, and healthcare sectors. No financial terms were disclosed.

Kudu is a provider of permanent capital solutions to independent asset and wealth managers worldwide.

Austin-based Escalate was founded in 2005 by Managing Directors Tony Schell and Ross Cockrell. Chris Julich, the firm’s third investment partner, joined in 2008. Escalate has invested more than $1 billion in the U.S. software, services, and healthcare sectors and has raised more than $850 million from institutional and individual investors. Escalate has invested in over 100 companies, including Homeaway/VRBO, Phreesia, SailPoint, and Virtustream.

“Partnering with Kudu is an important step in the evolution of the firm,” Escalate co-founder Schell said in a statement. “Kudu’s investment positions Escalate for continued long-term success. Our strategy is to support management teams with funding that helps accelerate growth and is less dilutive than equity. We continue to see exciting opportunities in the market.”

Since 2018, New York-based Kudu has invested in 20 asset and wealth managers headquartered in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Australia.

Raymond James served as financial advisor, and Polsinelli was legal counsel to Escalate. Seward & Kissel LLP served as legal advisor to Kudu.

Escalate Capital Partners has more than $1 billion of invested capital.

Kudu was founded in 2015 and is backed by White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. and MassMutual.