2024 Year In Review
At K1, we are in the business of transforming lives and industries
In 2024, K1 Achieved:
We believe that K1 is one of the largest investors in some of the smallest enterprise software companies. We focus on identifying emerging category leaders that have built innovative technology businesses and empowering them with operationally-focused growth strategies to help them scale.
2024 was a record-breaking year for K1 — a testament to the innovation, resilience, and collaboration across our portfolio.
We believe our single team, single office, and single strategy approach enables us to identify, build, and scale category leaders, aiming to deliver a once-in-a-generation impact across industries.
As we look to 2025, we remain committed to driving meaningful change for our companies, their customers, and the industries they serve.
K1 SNAPSHOT ALL-TIME
016k+
Active Portfolio Company Employees
3.5k+
Strategic Introductions
220+
Events Hosted
$6.24B
Debt Raised
12.3k+
K1 Event Attendees
250+
DEALS
K1 Values
These values are foundational to our ability to scale businesses, drive meaningful value creation, and deliver strategic outcomes we are able to achieve.
Passion
Persistence
Humility
Excellence
2024 in Numbers
Our portfolio companies are at the forefront of innovation, driving productivity for Fortune 500 and Global 2000 corporations.
By applying machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies, these businesses aim to leverage proprietary datasets to drive real-world efficiency gains and reimagine how modern employees interact with AI-powered software applications.
By finding businesses others overlook and implementing growth strategies that combine organic and inorganic innovation, we help them evolve into compelling market leaders.
FEATURED REALIZATIONS
I joined GoCanvas because I believed in K1’s strategic insights and operational experience. Their commitment to our vision was key to our success, and this milestone represents the power of our partnership and the extraordinary growth we’ve achieved together.
Viyas Sundaram
CEO, GoCanvas
Over
K1’s Initial Investment
Nearly
Revenue Growth
Generated
ARR in 2023
Over
2023 ARR
Multiple
In July, we exited GoCanvas, a category leader in field worker collaboration software, to Nemetschek Group (FRA:NEM).
Since K1’s initial investment in 2019, GoCanvas achieved remarkable growth, with revenue increasing nearly 4x during the investment period. Strategic acquisitions of DeviceMagic and SiteDocs expanded its market presence and enhanced its product offering.
The sale of GoCanvas represents a significant achievement for both K1 and GoCanvas, culminating in an all-cash deal with an acquisition multiple of over 11.5x 2023 ARR.
K1’s partnership was instrumental in transforming Axcient into a category leader in business continuity solutions, providing the strategic insight and operational support we needed to scale our technology and expand our market reach.
Rod Mathews
CEO, Axcient
In September, we completed the sale of Axcient, a leader in Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) solutions for managed service providers (MSPs), to ConnectWise, a Thoma Bravo portfolio company. Since K1’s initial investment, Axcient achieved substantial growth, with annual recurring revenue increasing by 7.5x.
This growth was fueled by customer-focused innovation and strategic acquisitions of Anchor, Cloudfinder, and Replibit, which enhanced Axcient’s market presence and solidified its position as a leader in the BCDR space.
This transaction highlights K1’s experience in transforming software companies into strategic assets that attract leading buyers, building long-term value through innovation and operational excellence.
In October, we completed the strategic sale of Irwin, a leading provider of investor relations and capital markets software to FactSet (NYSE: FDS | NASDAQ: FDS), a global financial digital platform and enterprise solutions provider.
Since K1’s initial investment in 2021, Irwin has grown revenue by 4x through the introduction of new products like Irwin IQ, expansion into the European market, and key partnerships with organizations such as FactSet and the New York Stock Exchange.
This growth built upon Irwin’s position as a leader in the investor relations software market, and Irwin has become a trusted solution for companies and their advisors to streamline investor engagement and relationship management.
The sale of Irwin marks K1’s seventh realization in 2024, and the third sale to a strategic buyer this year.
FEATURED PLATFORM INVESTMENTS
In August, we completed our acquisition of MariaDB, a leading provider of enterprise database software. This strategic investment positions MariaDB to further expand its global presence and continue delivering innovative, scalable solutions that help power mission-critical applications for nearly 700 active customers.
With clients including Deutsche Bank, RedHat, and Samsung, MariaDB’s products are trusted across industries, including banking, telecommunications, healthcare, and e-commerce, for their reliability in managing transactional, analytical, and mixed workloads.
In conjunction with the acquisition, MariaDB announced the appointment of Rohit de Souza as CEO. Rohit brings extensive leadership experience in global organizations, having previously held senior roles at Actian and Micro Focus.
In July, we invested in Board Intelligence, a London-based AI-powered platform focused on driving better board decision-making through innovative governance software. This strategic partnership aims to accelerate Board Intelligence’s growth through product development, international expansion, and acquisitions, further strengthening its position as a leader in the governance technology space.
Trusted by over 40,000 leaders from 3,000 organizations, including Generali, Schroders, Nationwide, Zurich Insurance Group, Aston Martin, and the National Health Service, Board Intelligence’s platform enables secure document collaboration and more effective governance. Their AI-powered report-writing tool, Lucia, is designed to streamline board report creation, empowering management teams to deliver concise and impactful insights.
FEATURED ADD-ON ACQUISITIONS
GarY Specter
CEO, SIMPRO
In November, Simpro, a global provider of field service management solutions, acquired BigChange, a UK-based innovator in job management software.
This acquisition strengthens Simpro’s ability to deliver an end-to-end approach to field service optimization by integrating BigChange’s experience in areas like vehicle tracking, mobile workforce management, CRM, and advanced scheduling.
Together, the combined platform supports diverse customer needs across industries such as facilities management, building maintenance, and fire and security services, while enhancing operational efficiency.
This spring, TokenEx merged with IXOPAY, creating a new category leader in global payments optimization.
By combining TokenEx’s data tokenization with IXOPAY’s payment orchestration, the joint platform is expected to enhance authorization rates, reduce fees, and provide a strategic advantage for merchants managing multiple processors.
In May, Reveal acquired Onna, a leader in managing unstructured data from cloud-based collaboration tools.
This strategic acquisition is expected to enhance Reveal’s AI-powered eDiscovery platform by integrating advanced data collection capabilities, helping legal teams reduce risk and improving efficiency in handling unstructured data.
In August, Board Intelligence acquired TeamEngine, combining Board Intelligence’s AI-powered governance platform with TeamEngine’s experience in secure board collaboration.
The company expects to support both public and private sector clients with enhanced functionality, and to drive further innovation in governance and board management.
In October, Panopto, a leader in AI-powered video creation and management, acquired Elai, an AI text-to-video platform that transforms how organizations create learning content.
This acquisition enhances Panopto’s ability to address the entire video learning lifecycle — from content creation and management to sharing and impact measurement —with Elai’s advanced features, such as custom avatars, voice cloning, and guided storyboard tools.
In August, Routeware completed a strategic carve-out from RUBICON Technologies (NYSE: RBT), acquiring Wastech, owner of the RUBICONSmartCity and RUBICONPro platforms.
This acquisition is expected to expand Routeware’s product offerings, enabling the company to deliver innovative, integrated solutions for both private waste haulers and public sector municipalities.
In December, IXOPAY merged with Aperia Compliance, combining IXOPAY’s payment orchestration and tokenization experience with Aperia’s PCI DSS compliance solutions.
This merger delivers a comprehensive platform for merchants and payment processors, streamlining compliance with global security standards while enhancing operational efficiency.
EXECUTIVE RECRUITING
K1’s in-house recruiting team plays a crucial role in driving success across our portfolio, bringing in leadership talent from leading market players.
LEADERSHIP HIRES PLACED IN 2024
Featured Portfolio Hires
Congratulations to all 30 K1 portfolio companies that made the list
74% of our buyout portfolio is represented on the 2024 Inc. 5000.
74% of our buyout portfolio is represented on the 2024 Inc. 5000.
K1 EVENTS
This year, K1 hosted over 40 high-impact events at premier locations worldwide, bringing together top technology and finance executives from our portfolio and beyond, offering a platform for C-level leaders to network, collaborate, and explore new growth opportunities.
SPEAKER HIGHLIGHTS
Women's Executive Forum
European Manager Forum
Women's Executive Forum
H2 Summit
CXO
New York City Investor Day
European Manager Forum
Event Highlights
Interested in becoming a part of our community that’s shaping the future of enterprise software? Request to join the K1 Accelerate network below.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
At K1, we believe in making a meaningful difference in the communities where we live and work.
Through longstanding partnerships with charitable organizations and non-profits, we aim to address key societal challenges while enriching local initiatives.
In 2024, we strengthened our commitment by continuing support for important causes and forming new partnerships focused on sustainability, education, and community well-being.
AWARDS & APPEARANCES
2024 TRANSACTIONS
2
Platform Investments
13
Add-on
Acquisitions
7
Exits
9
Follow-on Investments
9
Debt Financings
40
Total Transactions
Happy New Year
From the K1 Team
Disclosures & Disclaimers
This update (the “Update”) does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase any security, and is not presented with a view to providing investment advice with respect to any security or making any claim as to the past, current or future performance thereof. K1 Investment Management, LLC (together with its affiliates, “K1”) expressly disclaims the use of this Update for such purposes. This Update is solely intended to provide general information regarding K1’s operational activities, financing capabilities and general business experience. Portfolio companies presented herein are for informational purposes only and are intended to illustrate such historical activities. There can be no assurance future portfolio companies will be similar in quality or performance. The portfolio companies included herein should not be assumed to have been profitable. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. There can be no assurance historical trends will continue. K1 does not warrant the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information herein. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. K1 disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on this Update or anyone who may be informed of its contents. Please note that the cited percentages in the Introduction reflect data for K1 control deals only. Transaction counts are as of December 31, 2024.
K1 Operations is K1’s dedicated operational consulting affiliate. The K1 Operations team includes recruiters and is not employed by K1 (although K1 Operations is an affiliate of K1). Any fees, compensation, expense reimbursements or other amounts received by K1 Operations and its team are generally paid by a portfolio company or, subject to the terms and conditions of the K1 Funds’ limited partnership agreements, by K1 clients, and do not offset or otherwise reduce management fees. Accordingly, the fees and expenses of K1 Operations and its team are not covered by management fees.
Third Party Awards and Designations. The awards and designations presented on this website are the opinion of the respective parties conferring the award or designation and not of K1. No such person conferring any of the listed award(s) or designation(s) is affiliated with K1 or is an investor in K1-sponsored vehicles. The award does not reflect the experience of any client and is not based on, or indicative of, investment returns. The description and the selection methodologies of rankings and awards can be subjective and will often vary. There can be no assurance that other providers or surveys would reach the same conclusions as the foregoing.
2024 Inc. 5000 – Companies on the 2024 Inc. 5000 (“Inc 5000”, the “List”) are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2020 to 2023. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2020. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent–not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies–as of December 31, 2023. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2020 is $100,000; the minimum for 2023 is $2 million. Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine rankings were calculated to four decimal places. The full extent of the scope of firms and data included in the related surveys or evaluations is unknown. Each eligible portfolio company paid an application fee in connection with the award. In general, the receipt of compensation influences, and is likely to present a potential material conflict of interest, relating to any granted award.
The video content contained herein represents the personal views and opinions of the speakers and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of K1 Investment Management LLC (“K1”). The inclusion of the video content on this site does not constitute an endorsement by K1 or its affiliates of the subject matter therein. The video content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. K1 does not make any representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the video content. The video content is not intended to constitute investment advice. Certain statements about K1 made by portfolio company executives herein are intended to illustrate K1’s business relationship with such persons, including with respect to K1’s facilities as a business partner, rather than K1’s capabilities or expertise with respect to investment advisory services. Portfolio company executives were not compensated in connection with their participation, although they generally receive compensation and investment opportunities in connection with their portfolio company roles, and in certain cases are also owners of portfolio company securities and/or investors in K1-sponsored vehicles. Such compensation and investments subject participants to potential conflicts of interest in making the statements herein.
Certain statements about K1 Investment Management LLC (“K1”) made by portfolio company executives herein are intended to illustrate K1’s business relationship with such persons, including with respect to K1’s facilities as a business partner, rather than K1’s capabilities or expertise with respect to investment advisory services. Portfolio company executives were not compensated in connection with their participation, although they generally receive compensation and investment opportunities in connection with their portfolio company roles, and in certain cases are also owners of portfolio company securities and/or investors in K1-sponsored vehicles. Such compensation and investments subject participants to potential conflicts of interest in making the statements herein.
Portfolio Company revenue, EBITDA and similar figures presented in this Update are reflected on a pro forma or adjusted basis, as K1 deems appropriate, for material add-on acquisitions and divestitures, and other significant transactions (e.g., material sale-leaseback transactions, etc.) and expenses, if applicable. Additionally, amounts contained in this Updated are generally unaudited and may be flash or preliminary amounts reported by portfolio company management. Revenue, EBITDA and similar figures discussed in the Information with respect to companies are believed to be from reliable sources, including portfolio company management, but K1 does not attest to their accuracy. In addition, portfolio company revenue and EBITDA and related growth rates are not indicative of any investment returns and should not be viewed as such. Investment returns and valuations involve various inputs and estimates and are not based solely on revenue and EBITDA. Data is as of December 31, 2024 unless otherwise noted.
This Update identifies a number of benefits inherent in K1’s services and operations, although K1 is also subject to a number of material risks associated with these benefits. K1 believes that K1, its personnel and K1 Operations used, employed or retained by K1 will have competitive advantages in identifying, diligencing, monitoring, consulting, and improving and ultimately selling portfolio companies; however, there can be no guarantee that K1 will be able to maintain such advantages over time, outperform third parties or the financial markets generally, or avoid losses.