Cory A. Croft
LinkedIn Copy
Hey Cory — we both ended up in the PE/search fund world from pretty different directions. been thinking a lot about services origination lately. would be good to connect.
Hey Cory, we both ended up in the search/PE world — I came through banking at CS & Greenhill in London into growth equity, different path than yours but similar destination. origination was always the same story for me — clear thesis, decent relationships, but no proprietary system of record tying anything together. 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 Cory, looks like we both ended up acquiring and operating businesses, though I came through IB at CS & Greenhill in London into growth equity rather than the ops and consulting route you took before launching Edgelake. 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 Edgelake? — Russ
hey Cory — 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. tonnes of wasted energy and everything ends up out of sync. been helping a few funds like Mentmore work through that. curious if you've hit the same thing at Edgelake? — Russ
totally get it if origination infrastructure isn't top of mind right now — most funds have 10 things ahead of it on the priority list. 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
Email Copy
Cory - Saw you launched Edgelake back in 2022 after the Sonder run — know how hard founder outreach is when you're searching solo for service businesses. Started at Credit Suisse doing tech M&A, then growth equity. Now I build sourcing systems for search funds. Custom origination engine around your thesis — connects your existing tools, layers on AI screening and battle-tested outreach logic, books meetings. Intelligent automation, not another AI agency. Working with Axiom Equity (UK, £50m tickets) and a handful of other searchers. Worth a quick call? searchloop.ai linkedin.com/in/russellt23
Cory - Most cold outreach to business owners lands in spam. Doesn't matter how good the message is if it never hits the inbox. We build proper infrastructure — domain warming, rotation, deliverability monitoring. The boring stuff that makes outreach actually work. Worth 15 minutes? Russ
Cory - Been working with a few searchers targeting service businesses in the $10-50M range — similar to your thesis. Seeing 3-4x more founder conversations than manual outreach. Happy to share what's working. Russ
Cory - Know searching solo keeps you buried. No worries if timing's off. Happy to connect down the road if sourcing becomes a bottleneck. Russ
Prospect Research
## PROSPECT INFORMATION: Name: Cory A. Croft Title: Managing Partner Fund: Edgelake Capital Partners Background: Prospect: Cory A. Croft Current Focus: Managing Partner at Edgelake Capital Partners, an operator-led entrepreneurial investment firm he launched in September 2022. He is currently searching for a growing service-based business with $10-$50 million in revenue to acquire and operate full-time. He also serves as a Principal at CAC Strategies, advising small and medium-sized businesses on operations and profit maximization. Background: A dynamic strategy and operations professional with over 15 years of experience across retail, consumer goods, and consulting. Prior to launching his search fund, he was the General Manager at Sonder Inc., where he helped the company go public. He held leadership roles at Rinse (City Manager) and Expedia Group (Senior Manager, Global Strategic Partnerships). His early career includes management consulting at Accenture and various roles at Delta Air Lines, PepsiCo, and Target. Education: MBA in Marketing, Strategy, and Entrepreneurship from Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management (2012) and a BS in Marketing from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (2006). Key Skills: Growth strategy, business operations, customer experience and insights, competitive analysis, market sizing, project management, and business case development. Social Media Activity & Hooks: - September 2, 2022: Announced the launch of his search fund, stating, "I have officially launched my search fund, Edgelake Capital Partners. I will be searching for a company to acquire and operate in the lower-middle market... Upon acquisition, running the company will be my full-time focus." - January 19, 2022: Shared his excitement regarding Sonder's public debut on the Nasdaq, posting, "Big Day for Sonder! I’m humbled to be a part of this journey and excited about all the great things to come!" - August 11, 2021: Expressed enthusiasm for company growth, noting, "Great time to be at Sonder!" - March 23, 2024: Demonstrated strong community involvement by resharing a missing person post for a friend's son, stating, "Attention.....Please Make this Happen !!!!!!! Keep this moving for Randy... we need to see thousands of repost. If you are a parent.....you understand the urgency of working together as a community." - April 4, 2025 (Projected date in data): Reposted a hiring call for the 548 Foundation, highlighting an interest in workforce development and solar jobs. - February 6, 2025 (Projected date in data): Supported Doc2Doc Lending’s investment round, highlighting their mission "to support the financial well-being of physicians." - January 2, 2017: Shared an article on efficiency, simply stating, "Bingo!" regarding a piece titled "Tired of wasting time in meetings? Try this." Fund details: - Description: Edgelake Capital Partners is an Operator-led entrepreneurial investment firm seeking to identify, acquire, and operate one growing business with approximately $10-$50 million in revenue. We are focused primarily on service-based businesses and are committed to working with owners seeking responsible investors that will allow them to augment their existing leadership team, or to transition out of the business entirely, if desired. Our experienced team has invested in, acquired, and operated numerous businesses and we will leverage that expertise to position a single enterprise for long-term growth and market leadership. - Website: https://www.edgelakecap.com - Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States - Lead qualification: Research: - Query: =Edgelake Capital Partners Cory A. Croft recent investments fund thesis - Answer: Edgelake Capital Partners focuses on acquiring and operating service-based businesses with $5-$25 million in revenue. They aim for long-term growth and support business owners seeking to exit. Their recent investment was in QC Medical Group & Weight Loss Clinic.