Five majority-owned software companies, and the founders who handed them to us. If you're considering selling, ask us to introduce you to any of them and we'll do it without being in the room.
Working with Curious was an incredibly smooth and straightforward process.
From the beginning, they demonstrated quick decision making and a level of transparency that made the entire experience seamless. Unlike many firms that acquire businesses to run out cash, Curious is passionate about the brands they take on. Their dedication to the business was clear, and I'm confident it's in great hands. I couldn't recommend them more highly.
Through the process of finding a new home for Avenue we spoke to tens of potential partners. From our very first meeting, Andrew and Curious stood out for their empathy for our story, curiosity (unsurprisingly!) and a builder's mindset that focused on potential and possibility.
More simply: they just got it. It was refreshing to start from a place of understanding and respect, rather than feeling like every aspect of the company's history and operations was under a microscope.
Watching what Curious has built has been validating in a lot of ways. UserVoice was 17 years of my life, and knowing it landed with someone who sees the long-term value in "overlooked" companies rather than just asset-stripping or quick flips means a lot.
The decades-long orientation is exactly right. The best software companies aren't always the ones chasing hypergrowth, they're the ones that solve real problems for real customers and build sustainable businesses around that.
We were specifically looking for a team with the operating experience to take the business to the next level. This is where the "Builders, not bankers" mantra of Curious was a perfect fit.
Not only did we find the right home for the Convox team, but we also knew that the business would continue to thrive and our customers would be in the experienced hands of operators who would invest in and improve the business and its products.
Four things came up in every conversation, and they're the four things we'd tell you to ask any buyer about, including us.
Quick decision making came up in every conversation. Founders notice when a buyer can answer in a day, because most can't.
Knowing where they stood at each stage, including when the news wasn't what they wanted. Ambiguity is the thing sellers find hardest.
Starting from understanding rather than putting every decision under a microscope. Seventeen years of work deserves a buyer who reads it as work.
Every founder wanted to know the company would still exist in the same shape. That's the thing permanent capital is actually selling.
Curious is a long-term holding company that buys and grows software companies with empathy.
Join the Curious Dispatch to receive our latest thinking, news, and opportunities within our portfolio.
