Thoma Bravo veteran joins Nexa Equity as partner to boost software investments

By Milana Vinn

(Reuters) -Thoma Bravo veteran investor Peter Stefanski has joined Nexa Equity as a partner, a move aimed at helping the software-focused private equity firm target more founder-led businesses in AI.

Stefanski, who is joining Nexa after 14 years at Thoma Bravo, most recently as a partner on its flagship fund, said he sees an opportunity to work with founders of software companies more closely.

“I'm excited by the unique model around concentrated investing, and ... as an investor, provide adequate time and attention to every single one of your companies,” Stefanski said.

The hiring is part of a broader team expansion at Nexa. Blake Shott has also joined as a principal from Sumeru Equity Partners, and Conor Barber has been appointed the firm’s fourth dedicated operating partner with a focus on technology and artificial intelligence.

The expansion is backed by fresh capital, as Nexa Equity recently closed its second fund, Nexa Equity Fund II, at $390 million. The firm was founded in 2021 with a focus on backing founder-led software-as-a-service companies that have between $5 million and $20 million in annual recurring revenue.

Stefanski said the firm sees a significant opportunity in identifying promising AI companies early.

Nexa Equity was founded in 2021 by Vlad Besprozvany and focused on control and significant minority investments in lower middle-market software and fintech companies.

"We look to partner with founders who have found product market fit and have really high caliber companies," said Besprozvany.

At Thoma Bravo, Stefanski led several high-profile buyouts in the application software sector, including the firm’s investments in J.D. Power, a data analytics and consumer intelligence company, as well as Medallia, a customer experience platform, and enterprise software firms Planview and QAD.

(Reporting by Milana Vinn in New York, editing by Deepa Babington and Diane Craft)