Francisco Partners

Office address: One Letterman Drive Building C, Suite 410 San Francisco, CA 94129
Website: www.franciscopartners.com
Year established: 1999
Company type: technology investment firm
Employees: 150+
Expertise: private equity, credit, communications technology, consumer technology, education technology, ERP and business intelligence, financial technology, healthcare, security and infrastructure, semis and systems, tech-enabled services, vertical market software
Parent company: N/A
Key people: Dipanjan Deb (CEO), Ezra Perlman (co-president), Deep Shah (co-president), David Golob (CIO), Tom Ludwig (COO), Chris Adams (partner), Jason Brein (partner)
Financing status: N/A

Francisco Partners is a technology investment firm based in California, with offices in London and New York. The company focuses on providing flexible capital and strategic support to growth-oriented technology companies through its private equity and credit funds. With over 150 employees, FP has raised $45 billion in capital and completed more than 155 primary investments and 310 portfolio acquisitions.

History of Francisco Partners

Francisco Partners was founded in August 1999 by Dipanjan Deb, Sanford Robertson, David Stanton, Neil Garfinkel, and Benjamin Ball in Menlo Park, California. In 2000, FP made a notable move by purchasing 90% of Advanced Micro Devices' communications division for $375 million. Two years later, they invested $800 million to acquire 90% of Global eXchange Services, a cloud-based B2B firm.

By 2012, the firm had grown its capital base to $7 billion and focused solely on technology companies across various sectors, including semiconductors and electronics. In 2015, Francisco Partners made a significant investment in Betterment, helping to accelerate the fintech's development and innovation during a critical phase of its expansion. Recent high-profile deals include the acquisition of Sumo Logic for $1.7 billion in 2023 and a $6.5 billion all-cash agreement to buy New Relic.

Products and Services of Francisco Partners

Francisco Partners offers a wide range of capital solutions for technology companies, including:

• private equity investments: providing capital to companies across various stages, from growth to mature businesses
• credit funds: offering flexible financing solutions through structured credit options tailored to company needs
• sector specialization: focusing on industries like healthcare, cybersecurity, and enterprise software to leverage deep market knowledge
• operational support: partnering with management teams to enhance efficiency, innovation, and scalability
• growth capital: delivering flexible funding structures that support company expansion while minimizing equity dilution
• buyouts: acquiring and investing in companies to drive strategic growth and operational improvement
• turnarounds: helping companies in distress restructure operations and return to profitability

By partnering with driven businesses, the firm helps unlock new opportunities and supports their long-term growth with minimal equity dilution. Francisco Partners’ flexible approach allows companies to explore ventures they may not have considered before.

Culture at Francisco Partners

Francisco Partners upholds a dynamic workplace where the staff is encouraged to take initiative, collaborate, and contribute their perspectives, regardless of their position. The firm values meritocracy, promoting a culture of continuous learning, personal growth, and teamwork. Employees are expected to bring a commitment to excellence and integrity, while benefiting from a rewarding and purpose-driven career experience:

• health and wellness: comprehensive health coverage, dental insurance, and low co-pays for medical services
• retirement planning: 401(k) program with company contributions and financial planning support
• time off: vacation, sick days, paid holidays, and family leave, including maternity and paternity leave
• professional development: tuition assistance and career growth opportunities
• work-life balance: company-sponsored social events, sabbaticals, and flexible work arrangements

FP implements environmental, social, and governance (ESG) elements into its investment decisions, aiming to invest responsibly while driving returns for investors. The firm continually evolves its ESG practices throughout the investment lifecycle and within its own operations. Francisco Partners believes it is essential to deliver positive outcomes for both investors and society through responsible investments and business practices:

• sustainable investing: embedding ESG factors into investment processes to identify risks and opportunities, overseen by a dedicated ESG committee
• diversity and inclusion: committed to fostering diverse talent by supporting initiatives like the Thirty Percent Coalition and the Modern Leadership Initiative
• community engagement: offering charitable giving and volunteer programs, including paid leave for employee volunteering activities and a global volunteer day

Francisco Partners values curiosity, transparency, humility, and integrity in driving performance for investors. The firm emphasizes the growth and success of its employees as essential to long-term success. They encourage an entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to push boundaries while remaining passionate about shaping the future of technology.

About Francisco Partners CEO Dipanjan Deb and Key People

Dipanjan Deb serves as the CEO and co-founder of FP and serves on the boards of companies like GoodRX, BeyondTrust, and New Relic, among others. Before this, he was a principal at Texas Pacific Group, VP at Roberston, Stephens & Company, and an associate at McKinsey & Company. Deb earned his MBA from Stanford University and a BS from UC Berkeley.

The leadership team at Francisco Partners is comprised of experienced professionals who play key roles in steering the firm’s success, including:

• Ezra Perlman serves as co-president, based in San Francisco, and sits on the boards of Avalon, bswift, Edifecs, Merative, QGenda, and Renaissance
• Deep Shah as co-president, based in London, leads European investments and serves on the boards of ByBox, GainSystems, and iconectiv
• David Golob as chief investment officer, based in San Francisco, serves on the boards of Lucidworks, Redis Labs, and Betterment
• Tom Ludwig as COO, based in Indiana, oversees operations and serves on the board of Orchard
• Chris Adams as a partner, based in San Francisco, serves on the boards of AndHealth, GoodRX, and Redsail
• Jason Brein as a partner, serves on the boards of Accela, BARBRI, Civitas Learning, Discovery Education, and MyFitnessPal

The Future at Francisco Partners

Francisco Partners seeks to develop its influence through strategic deals, such as the upcoming sale of telecommunications leader iconectiv to Koch Equity Development. This transaction will allow iconectiv to pursue new growth opportunities under Koch’s ownership, while maintaining its current leadership. With this and other investments, FP demonstrates its commitment to supporting technology companies' long-term success.

In October 2024, they partnered with Clearlake Capital to complete the acquisition of Synopsys Software Integrity Group, now rebranded as Black Duck Software. This deal positions Black Duck to continue leading in application security, with a focus on innovation in emerging technologies like AI. Francisco Partners aims to assist the newly acquired firm’s growth and solidify its strength in cybersecurity through strategic guidance.