Is an approach from ROC Partners an offer?

No. An approach is an expression of interest, not an offer — it commits you to nothing. Offers come much later, usually in writing as an indicative offer or term sheet, and only after both sides have chosen to engage.

Do I have to reply straight away?

No. There is no clock on your side of the conversation. A considered reply a week later reads better than a rushed one the same afternoon, and a genuine buyer will still be there. You set the pace.

Should I share my financials with ROC Partners?

Not in a first conversation. An early, low-specificity approach rarely warrants sharing numbers. If the conversation gets serious, information changes hands progressively and under a signed NDA — at a pace you control.

How do I know if ROC Partners is serious?

Read the approach itself: who sent it (a partner or CEO signals more intent than an analyst template), how specific it is about your actual product, customers, or numbers, and whether there is a concrete reason they are reaching out now. Generic praise that could have been sent to a hundred companies usually means a routine sweep.

Do I need an advisor before responding?

Not to acknowledge an email. But before sharing anything material — numbers, customer names, growth plans — a second opinion from someone whose only job is to represent you tends to pay for itself. An advisor can read the approach, tell you how much interest it really signals, and keep your options open.

What happens if I just ignore it?

Usually nothing bad — an unanswered email doesn't close any doors, and a genuinely interested buyer will follow up. What you give up is information: understanding why they reached out now can tell you a lot about how your business is being seen, even if you have no intention of selling.

← Who is ROC Partners?

If you’ve been approached

ROC Partners approached me — what now?

An acquirer reaching out can feel like a big moment, and it’s normal to be unsure what it means or how to respond. An approach is not an offer, and it doesn’t commit you to anything — it’s the start of a conversation you get to run at your own pace.

The most useful thing to do first is slow down and understand what kind of approach this actually is. The rest of this page walks through who ROC Partners is, how to read the signals, and the practical moves that keep your options open.

Who they are, in short

ROC Partners is a Sydney-headquartered private markets investment manager with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Hong Kong and New York, and around 60 employees. Established in 2014 via a management buyout of Macquarie Investment Management Private Markets (MIMPM, founded 1996), it manages approximately A$9 billion in AUM across private equity (primary fund investments, secondaries, co-investments, direct growth equity and food & agriculture), private credit and real assets (agricultural infrastructure) for institutions, superannuation funds, family offices and high-net-worth investors.

Read the full profile of ROC Partners

What they look for

Sector focus: Growth equity: healthcare, environmental services, education, telecommunications, food and beverage, and IT/business services. Food and agriculture: operational food assets, agricultural infrastructure assets and carbon abatement projects (JV with C6 Investment Management) across the food and agriculture value chain, targeting robust asset backing, high barriers to entry, clear market leadership and strong management teams.
Geography: Direct investing focuses on Australia (growth equity) and Australia/New Zealand (food and agriculture); the broader multi-strategy fund platform operates from Sydney, Melbourne, Hong Kong and New York across the Asia-Pacific region.
Ownership: Publicly describes itself as a long-term partner to founders and senior leadership teams, building on a business' prior success to drive growth and create a path to a seamless exit via private or public markets; no explicit majority/minority stake percentage is stated (see majority_minority_preference).
Target revenue: Growth equity: actively seeking Australian companies with revenue of at least AU$5.0 million. Food and agriculture: actively seeking Australian/New Zealand companies with revenue of at least AU$15 million.
Capital model: Deploys capital through commingled funds targeting specific strategies and separately managed accounts for larger clients; offers Roc Summit, described as Australia's first multi-strategy evergreen (open-ended) private equity fund, alongside dedicated Growth Equity and Food & Agriculture direct-investment platforms — the Growth Equity platform includes the Victorian Business Growth Fund, managed on behalf of institutional/sophisticated investors in partnership with the Victorian Government, Aware Super and Spirit Super.
Capital: Approximately A$9 billion in total AUM across private equity, private credit and real assets (as at 31 December 2025); ~AU$9.5 billion deployed since inception (November 1995) across more than 600 investments in funds, secondaries, co-investments and direct investments, combined across the Macquarie Investment Management Private Markets predecessor and Roc Partners (as of 30 September 2025). Food and agriculture assets alone are valued at more than A$1.8 billion (having deployed ~$975m in equity); real assets (agricultural infrastructure) are valued above A$2.6 billion, having deployed more than A$900m in equity.
Founder ownership: States founders and senior leadership teams as trusted long-term partners who continue to drive the business post-investment; an explicit part of its growth-equity investment approach ('Founders and senior leadership teams count on us as a trusted partner to create long-term value').

Reading the approach

Not every approach means the same thing. A private equity firm might be running a wide net, or might have a specific reason to want your business. Here’s how to tell the difference.

The signal

Routine BD outreach

Genuine acquisition intent

Who sent it
Routine BD outreachAn analyst or associate, often via a generic template or LinkedIn note.
Genuine intentA partner, principal, or the platform's CEO — someone who can actually transact.
How specific it is
Routine BD outreachPraises the sector and your growth in general terms; could be sent to a hundred companies.
Genuine intentReferences your actual product, customers, or numbers — they've done real homework.
What they ask for
Routine BD outreachA quick intro call to learn more and get to know you for the future.
Genuine intentA view on whether you'd consider a transaction, and often an early sense of scale.
Their timeline
Routine BD outreachOpen-ended relationship building with no particular urgency.
Genuine intentA concrete reason they're reaching out now — a fund mandate, a thesis, a nearby deal.
Where it leads
Routine BD outreachAdded to a pipeline and periodically checked in on.
Genuine intentToward an indicative offer, diligence, and a process — if you engage.

Neither is bad, and neither is a commitment. The point is to read the approach for what it is before deciding how much time and information to give it — an early, low-specificity note rarely warrants sharing numbers, while genuine interest is worth understanding properly.

The moves that protect your position

Whatever the intent, a few simple habits keep you in control of the conversation and your information.

Reply politely and keep the door open — you lose nothing by being courteous.
Ask who they are, why now, and what stage of interest this is.
Take your time; a serious buyer will wait for a considered response.
Get your own read on what the business could be worth before discussing price.
Loop in an adviser who represents you, not the buyer, before sharing anything sensitive.

Don’t

Don't name a price first, or react to a number floated casually on a call.
Don't share detailed financials or customer data before there's an NDA and real intent.
Don't negotiate against yourself by signalling how keen — or how nervous — you are.
Don't let a single unsolicited approach turn into an exclusive, one-buyer conversation.
Don't agree to a binding timeline or exclusivity just to keep them interested.

Common questions

Is an approach from ROC Partners an offer?: No. An approach is an expression of interest, not an offer — it commits you to nothing. Offers come much later, usually in writing as an indicative offer or term sheet, and only after both sides have chosen to engage.
Do I have to reply straight away?: No. There is no clock on your side of the conversation. A considered reply a week later reads better than a rushed one the same afternoon, and a genuine buyer will still be there. You set the pace.
Should I share my financials with ROC Partners?: Not in a first conversation. An early, low-specificity approach rarely warrants sharing numbers. If the conversation gets serious, information changes hands progressively and under a signed NDA — at a pace you control.
How do I know if ROC Partners is serious?: Read the approach itself: who sent it (a partner or CEO signals more intent than an analyst template), how specific it is about your actual product, customers, or numbers, and whether there is a concrete reason they are reaching out now. Generic praise that could have been sent to a hundred companies usually means a routine sweep.
Do I need an advisor before responding?: Not to acknowledge an email. But before sharing anything material — numbers, customer names, growth plans — a second opinion from someone whose only job is to represent you tends to pay for itself. An advisor can read the approach, tell you how much interest it really signals, and keep your options open.
What happens if I just ignore it?: Usually nothing bad — an unanswered email doesn't close any doors, and a genuinely interested buyer will follow up. What you give up is information: understanding why they reached out now can tell you a lot about how your business is being seen, even if you have no intention of selling.

Want a second opinion?

If it would help to talk it through with someone whose only job is to represent you — not the buyer — that’s exactly what we do. A short, no-obligation conversation is often enough to know where you stand.

Approached by ROC Partners? Get a straight, unconflicted read before you reply.

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The truth, first.

General information, not legal, financial, or tax advice. Every situation is different — talk to an adviser about yours.