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Has SMEVentures approached you? Here’s what to do.
Acquirer profileAustralia
Who is SMEVentures?
SMEVentures is a private equity firm based in Australia.
Firm facts
SMEVentures
- Type
- private equity firm
- Headquarters
- Sydney, Australia
- Website
- smeventures.com
Industries
Last verified 2026-09-26
How they work
SMEVentures is a Sydney acquisition platform pairing entrepreneurs with established businesses in Australia and New Zealand. It helps fund and execute buyouts, then the acquiring entrepreneur becomes the full-time chief executive. Family offices and individual investors provide patient capital to support continuity for retiring owners, staff and customers.
SMEVentures reviews introductions confidentially, assesses cash flow and management continuity, and works through negotiation, due diligence and funding. The seller typically supports a handover for several months. The acquiring entrepreneur then operates the company as CEO while SMEVentures and investors provide board support.
- Capital model
- Family offices and individual investors fund entrepreneur-led acquisitions. Typical deals combine equity, bank debt and seller financing, subject to negotiation.
- Geography
- Australia and New Zealand.
- Hold period
- Patient ownership with an ideal holding period described as forever. The searcher page separately expects the entrepreneur to operate the business for 5–10 years.
- Majority or minority
- Owner-operators selling 90–100% of the business.
- Ownership
- The acquiring entrepreneur becomes the full-time CEO, supported by SMEVentures and investor board members; existing management usually remains through the transition.
- Platform or bolt-on
- Initial entrepreneur-led platform acquisitions and follow-on bolt-ons; the official acquisition cards identify MultiSkills Training and Kollect Group as bolt-on deals.
- Sector focus
- B2B services and niche manufacturing, with a preference for straightforward, asset-light service businesses.
- Target EBITDA
- A$1.5 million to A$7 million on the adviser page; the business-owner page gives A$1.5 million to A$6 million.
- Enterprise value
- The adviser page says most deals are A$3 million to A$40 million, while its criteria checklist allows up to A$50 million.
- Target revenue
- Generally A$5 million to A$50 million in sales on the business-owner page.
Their portfolio
Showing 8 of 8 known holdings — coverage is still partial.
Company
Sector
What they do
- ACE TrainingSectorEducationWhat they doACE Training provides heavy machinery, construction and heavy vehicle training in Victoria. SMEVentures backed Rob Gaunt’s acquisition of the registered training organisation.
- SectorIndustrials & manufacturingWhat they doCustom Transport Equipment manufactures trailers and truck bodies for heavy transport customers. Its Australian-built products include drop decks, tiltslides, supertilts and custom designs.
- SectorSoftware & IT servicesWhat they doeMerge IT provides managed IT services in the Northern Territory. SMEVentures partnered with Steve Orell to acquire the business in 2023, after which he became its full-time CEO.
- SectorProfessional & business servicesWhat they doGrima Recycling collects and recycles commercial and industrial paper, cardboard and plastics in Sydney. It supplies bins, compactors and balers and provides document destruction services.
- MultiSkills TrainingSectorEducationWhat they doMultiSkills Training provides vocational courses in civil construction, machinery operation and high-risk work. It was acquired as a bolt-on to the ACE Training investment led by Rob Gaunt.
- SPL Security SolutionsSectorReal-estate servicesWhat they doSPL Security Solutions provides locksmith services, electronic security systems and architectural door hardware. It serves homes, businesses and government customers across southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales.
- TWS Energy ControlsSectorIndustrials & manufacturingWhat they doTWS Energy Controls designs and manufactures instrument transformers for metering and protection. The New Zealand business supplies utilities, manufacturers and consultants across Australia and New Zealand.
- WF Energy ControlsSectorIndustrials & manufacturingWhat they doWF Energy Controls supplies control and measurement products for electricity distribution businesses and their customers. It operates from Rydalmere in New South Wales alongside the TWS Energy Controls investment.
Sources
- smeventures.com · portfolio page
- smeventures.com · website
- smeventures.com · research
- smeventures.com · research
- smeventures.com · research
- linkedin.com · research
The truth, first.Data as at 2026-09-26