Is an approach from Venture Growth 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 Venture Growth 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 Venture Growth 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 Venture Growth Partners?

If you’ve been approached

Venture Growth 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 Venture Growth Partners is, how to read the signals, and the practical moves that keep your options open.

Who they are, in short

Venture Growth Partners (VGP) is a privately funded, long-duration holding company founded by General Partners Edward Finn and John Liston, headquartered in Victoria, with one General Partner based in Queensland. It deploys its own capital, not a third-party managed fund, and states it does not answer to external investors. VGP currently owns six Australian businesses: ABC Licence Training (ABC First Aid), Boococks Butchery, EzFurn, Marrow Meats, Safety Corp and Skills Network. It has also exited three former holdings. It sold down its interest in Curtain Hardware Australia to Hunter Douglas between 2023 and 2025, sold ClearWaste to Remondis in 2025, and sold Quickcheck to Bella Capital in June 2026.

Read the full profile of Venture Growth Partners

What they look for

VGP targets stable, durably profitable Australian small businesses in any sector — its published financial screen is earnings, not explicitly labelled EBITDA, of roughly $1 million to $6 million. Geography is Australia only; every disclosed holding operates domestically. Ownership is majority-to-full acquisition — VGP consistently describes itself as acquiring businesses to own and operate, with no minority-stake option described anywhere on the site. The firm does not publish AUM, cheque size, target revenue, target ARR, target enterprise value or a platform/bolt-on preference in its public materials.

Sector focus: Sector-agnostic, performance-focused strategy: VGP targets stable, consistently and durably profitable Australian small businesses in any industry, evidenced in practice by a portfolio spanning drapery/window-furnishing hardware, vocational education, workplace-safety training, premium food & butchery, first-aid training, wastewater equipment services, commercial furniture wholesale, and fire-safety compliance services.
Geography: Australia only. VGP acquires Australian small businesses exclusively; the firm is headquartered in Victoria with a second office in Queensland, and every disclosed portfolio company operates in Australia.
Ownership: Full acquisition and ownership as a permanent-capital holding company — VGP consistently describes itself as acquiring businesses outright to 'own and operate long-term', not as a minority co-investor or passive fund manager.
Majority or minority: Majority/full ownership — VGP's own language is consistently 'we acquire' and 'own and operate' the whole business, rather than taking a minority stake; no minority-investment option is described anywhere on the site.
Target EBITDA: Consistent, durable annual profits ('earnings') of approximately $1 million to $6 million, described as the firm's primary financial screening criterion. The site uses the words 'earnings' and 'profit' rather than the specific term 'EBITDA'.
Capital model: Permanent, evergreen own-capital holding company — VGP explicitly states it 'invest[s] our own capital, not third-party managed funds' and is 'a private investment company funded by its founders' that does 'not answer to external investors'.
Hold period: Long-term / indefinite hold as a 'long duration Holdco' with no stated fixed exit timeline; in practice, several portfolio companies have nonetheless been divested opportunistically (Curtain Hardware Australia sold down to Hunter Douglas/3G Capital 2023-2025; ClearWaste sold to Remondis in 2025; Quickcheck sold to Bella Capital in June 2026).
Founder ownership: Founder/GP-funded: Venture Growth Partners was established and is personally capitalised by General Partners Edward Finn and John Liston, both experienced entrepreneurs; the firm states it deploys 'our own capital, not third-party managed funds'.

How they run acquisitions

VGP does not publish a stated acquisition process, diligence checklist, transaction timeline or expected response time. The firm's public contact page offers a general enquiry channel.

Reading the approach

Not every approach means the same thing. A serial acquirer 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 Venture Growth 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 Venture Growth 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 Venture Growth 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.

Get in touch Read the full guide: a firm approached me — what do I do?

The truth, first.

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