Thomas Le, CFA
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Hey Thomas — congrats on launching Shoal Harbor. came from a similar path (IB → growth equity) and been thinking a lot about media & info services origination. would be good to connect.
Hey Thomas, similar IB → PE path, though I was at CS & Greenhill in London not JPM and Lazard in New York. origination was always the same story for me — clear thesis, decent relationships, but no proprietary system of record. the people, tools and ideas were never really connected. every deal virtually sourced from scratch, nothing compounding over time. curious if that's still how most funds operate or if I'm behind the times? — Russ
Hey Thomas, looks like we came up through a similar IB → PE path, though I was in London doing growth equity deals not in NYC doing corp dev at Ziff Davis and building a PE firm out of it. the pattern I keep seeing with most funds is weirdly consistent — strong thesis, solid network, but no proprietary system of record. the people, tools and ideas are never really connected, so every deal is virtually sourced from scratch. nothing compounds on itself. curious if that resonates or if you've built something different at Shoal Harbor? — Russ
hey Thomas — no worries if the timing's off. most funds I talk to have tried some version of building origination in-house — analyst pulling from Pitchbook or Grata, maybe using ChatGPT to help qualify, dumping it into a spreadsheet. each piece kind of works, but there's no system of record tying it together. the people, tools and ideas are all disconnected, so there's tonnes of wasted energy and everything ends up out of sync. been helping a few funds like Axiom Equity work through that. curious if you've hit the same thing standing up Shoal Harbor? — Russ
totally get it if origination infrastructure isn't top of mind right now — especially with everything else that comes with getting a new fund off the ground. the funds I've seen crack it early just tend to compound deal flow in a way that's hard to replicate later. if it ever moves up the list, I'm easy to find. — Russ
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Prospect Research
## PROSPECT INFORMATION: Name: Thomas Le, CFA Title: Partner & Co-Founder Fund: Shoal Harbor Capital Background: Thomas Le is a senior investment executive and CFA charterholder currently based in Austin, Texas. He is the Co-Founder and Partner at Shoal Harbor Capital, an independent private equity firm launched in January 2025. His firm focuses on lower middle market investments within the information economy, specifically media, marketing, and information services, where digital transformation and strategic acquisitions are primary growth drivers. Thomas has extensive experience in M&A, venture capital, and equity research, having contributed to over 40 transactions with a combined value of over $3.0 billion. Before founding Shoal Harbor Capital, he spent over five years at Ziff Davis (NASDAQ: ZD), rising to Vice President of Corporate Development, where he led M&A origination and execution for a portfolio including brands like CNET, PCMag, and Mashable. His earlier career includes roles as an investor at Tenfore Holdings, a partner at Beachfront Wireless, and an equity research analyst at Lazard Capital Markets and J.P. Morgan Asset Management. He holds a BBA in Finance from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. Key skills include Corporate Strategy, Venture Capital, Growth Equity, Financial Modeling, Valuation, and Mergers & Acquisitions. Recent Posts and Activity: - August 17, 2024: Featured on DealRoom’s “M&A Science” podcast. Quote: "joined DealRoom’s 'M&A Science' podcast to discuss his VC-backed approaches for unlocking new M&A strategies." - August 13, 2024: Reflected on his podcast appearance. Quote: "I enjoyed our discussion where we unpacked approaches to M&A strategy and applications from venture capital and public equities." - August 6, 2024: Shared news regarding Ziff Davis acquiring CNET and ZDNET. Quote: "Ziff Davis entered into a definitive agreement to acquire CNET and ZDNET... 'I have a very clear and optimistic view on content,' says Ziff Davis CEO Vivek Shah." - November 24, 2023: Participated in the M&A Forum 2023. Quote: "I participated in this year's M&A Forum 2023 to discuss the latest trends in M&A and drivers for 2024 with Alex Khutorsky and Alexander Fries." - February 23, 2023: Attended Affiliate Summit West. Quote: "Great time at Affiliate Summit West connecting with friends, old and new across the publisher and advertiser industries. Especially enjoyed discussing all things M&A with Robert Berstein, Blake Saunders, Gary Salmirs, and Tom Bock!" - May 1, 2019: Commented on a new partnership between Tenfore and Viral Launch. Quote: "Exciting things to come from this incredible team!" Fund details: - Description: Shoal Harbor Capital is an independent private equity firm focused on lower middle market investment opportunities where digital transformation and strategic acquisitions are critical to the next phase of growth. We primarily focus on control and structured transactions in the information economy. - Website: https://www.shoalharbor.com/ - Location: New York, New York, United States - Lead qualification: Research: - Query: =Shoal Harbor Capital Thomas Le, CFA recent investments fund thesis - Answer: Shoal Harbor Capital focuses on lower middle market investments, emphasizing digital transformation and strategic acquisitions. Thomas Le, CFA, is a partner and co-founder. Recent investments likely target information economy sectors.