Rod Nicholls
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Hey Rod — we both ended up in PE-adjacent worlds from pretty different directions. been thinking a lot about proprietary origination in energy & defense lately. would be good to connect.
Hey Rod, we've both spent time deploying capital into hard-to-source sectors, though I was in London doing growth equity deals not in Seattle building an operator-led holdco like you. 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 Rod, we both ended up deploying capital into niche sectors, though I came through IB at CS & Greenhill in London into growth equity not through the CPA/CFO route into enterprise development like you. 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. every deal virtually sourced from scratch, nothing compounds on itself. curious if that resonates or if you've built something different at NorthernSky? — Russ
hey Rod — 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 Mentmore work through that. curious if you've run into the same thing at NorthernSky? — 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
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Rod — We've been building deal sourcing infrastructure for private investment firms targeting technology and energy companies — and NorthernSky came up while i was poking around. we share a similar enough background too. I spent time in tech banking at Credit Suisse and M&A at Greenhill before moving to the investor side at a growth equity fund in London. One of our clients, Backer Group, uses our system to source and score acquisition targets on fit criteria → then runs personalized outreach across email, LinkedIn, and letters. They're a small team, so the system handles origination end to end while they focus on building the portfolio. Everything integrates with their CRM. Given NorthernSky is expanding into new verticals (nuclear, advanced fuels) and geographies, I wondered if you wanted to take a look under the hood and see if any of it's relevant to how you're sourcing deals. I'm fairly free this week and next, just let me know a time that suits. Russ searchloop.ai linkedin.com/in/russellt23
Prospect Research
## PROSPECT INFORMATION: Name: Rod Nicholls Title: Chief Executive Officer Fund: NorthernSky Partners, LLC Background: Prospect: Rod Nicholls Current Role: Chief Executive Officer at NorthernSky Partners, LLC (since June 2016) Location: Seattle, Washington Overview: Rod is an experienced executive and enterprise developer with a background in venture capital, private equity, and technology. At NorthernSky Partners, he focuses on accelerating high-potential enterprises in sectors including advanced/transitional fuels, information security, aerospace, and defense. He previously served as President & CEO of Vadium Technology, where he worked on the AlphaCipher Technology Platform, and has held CFO roles at multiple internet and software companies. Background: Rod holds a BA in Accounting, Finance, and Economics from Eastern Washington University (EWU) and was a Certified Public Accountant for nearly a decade. He remains active with his alma mater, having served on the Dean’s Advisory Board for the EWU College of Business. Key Skills: Venture Capital, Modern Energy (Biofuels/Nuclear), Cybersecurity, Strategic Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Global Business Development. Recent Activity and Post Quotes: Rod’s recent activity shows a heavy focus on the energy transition, specifically sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and nuclear technology. March 18, 2025: Rod reshared a post regarding USA BioEnergy’s plans for multiple biofuel facilities, adding the comment: "This is going to be a big!" March 8, 2025: Rod announced a strategic team expansion at NorthernSky Partners to target the nuclear sector, stating: "I am very excited to welcome Waqar to our team at NorthernSky, this is just the beginning of some very big things to come...." referring to Waqar Zaidi leading identification and investment in nuclear technology and energy companies. January 14, 2025: Rod congratulated Nick Andrews of USA BioEnergy on a $2.8B greenfield biorefinery project in Texas, saying: "Congratulations Nick on taking this important step forward!" December 24, 2024: Rod shared a holiday message regarding Eastern Washington University, noting: "The University House is beautifully illuminated, reminding us of the warmth and joy this time of year brings." Other Interests: Rod frequently engages with content related to global economics, the "Sustainabubble" in ESG reporting, and the impact of tariffs on US manufacturing. He has also shared content regarding aviation history, specifically the feasibility trials of a C-130 landing on an aircraft carrier. Fund details: - Description: NorthernSky Partners is an enterprise development company discretely deploying its own capital and operational expertise into high-potential business opportunities that are aligned with our guiding principle: to make the world a better, safer, and more prosperous place for everyone, everywhere. We envision a future where patient, principled capital is combined with bold, innovative and iconoclastic leaders to secure emerging and under-contested markets delivering prosperity, progress, and growth. Our hybrid operating model combines the strategic vision of an operator-led conglomerate with the disciplined financial intelligence of a private equity firm focusing on a very specific type of market opportunity. NorthernSky seeks market opportunities where disruption, innovation, and unmet desires converge with the following characteristics: Ahead of Market Demand – Emerging business opportunities where customer demand for the technology, product or service is not yet fully developed but long-term demographic, economic, physical and societal trends clearly show it will. We seek to anticipate where markets are going ahead of time and be there to meet the demand what they are ready to be supported. Pre-Commercialized Technologies – Technologies where the underlying basic science has been proven and a product has been proto-typed and demonstrated that has not yet been driven to commercial scale. Development Stage Companies – Enterprises beyond concept stage that are ready to make the journey to commercial sustainability. First-of-Its-Kind Opportunities – Pioneering and transformative business models or technologies that open entirely new or redefine existing market spaces. - Website: https://northernskyptrs.com - Location: Seattle, Washington, United States - Lead qualification: Research: - Query: =NorthernSky Partners, LLC Rod Nicholls recent investments fund thesis - Answer: NorthernSky Partners, LLC focuses on investments in renewable energy and information security. Rod Nicholls, CEO, announced the firm's expansion into the UK market. The firm targets high-growth, sustainable business opportunities.