Strategy
Private Equity
Within private equity, we create private equity portfolios that are diversified by subsector and by geography. Investments are in both private equity funds as well as directly in companies through transactions being sponsored by our underlying fund managers. We seek to partner with experience fund managers who have a history of generating superior risk-adjusted returns across multiple fund lifecycles and in a variety of business and economic environments.
We look for investment opportunities in:
- Buyouts and control investments
- Growth equity and minority capital
- Special situations & distressed/turnaround opportunities
- Venture capital and early stage investments
Our direct investments are generally constrained to buyout transactions though we will selectively consider other opportunities.
Private Credit
Within the private credit asset class, we are a direct investor and largely focus our investments in the specialty finance sector within the US. Our investment vehicles target secured loans, leases and other asset-backed structures generating high current income at attractive risk levels.
Investment types include:
- Asset-based loans
- Factoring lines
- Equipment leases and financing
- First and second lien senior term loans
- Loan portfolios that encompass some or all of the above securities
We are also open to working with other specialty finance companies that are focused by geography or industry and that need to syndicate their loans with a long-term capital partner.
Process
We are long-term investors, and as patient capital making long-term commitments, we evaluate not just the opportunity but try to identify areas where we can assist as value-add investors. Once we are comfortable with the team and the strategy, we generally are able to move rapidly through the diligence process and get to a decision point.
Vista Ridge Capital has an open door philosophy and welcome inquiries from managers new to us. We typically spend a significant amount of time getting to know members of the investment teams before making a capital commitment, and are keen on meeting with managers long before they start the formal fundraising process.
Team
Dilip Ratnam
Managing Partner
Dilip currently serves as a member of the Council for the Knight Cancer Institute at the Oregon Health and Sciences University, and as a Trustee of The Library Foundation. He previously served as a Trustee of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
Don Vollum
Managing Partner
Don is a Trustee of the Portland State University Foundation, the Providence St. Vincent Foundation, and the Columbia River Maritime Museum. He is a past Board Chair of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and previously served as a Trustee of the Catlin Gabel School and as the Board Chair of the Portland Children’s Museum.
About
Vista Ridge Capital provides its investors with access and exposure to the private capital asset class through two primary investment strategies.
In private equity, we provide our investors with access to a diversified portfolio of experienced managers across all sectors and geographies. Within North America and Europe, our primary investment focus is on smaller and mid-size funds that we believe have the potential to deliver outsize results. In other regions, where the private equity industry is less well-developed, we tend to look for larger, more seasoned managers who have deep roots in their respective economies.
Our private credit investments target the lower middle market in the US. We seek to structure loans that are asset-backed and have significant tangible collateral available as downside protection. Real estate investments are not an area of focus for us.
Quarterly Updates
Q2 2016
We have waded through pages and pages of analysis of Brexit. We’ve heard the conference calls featuring retired UK politicians-- although, given their inability to predict the election outcome, one wonders how much weight to put on their predictions of the follow on...
Q1 2016
We recently returned from the annual meeting of a life sciences venture fund manager in our portfolio, and had some interesting takeaways on changes to the traditional venture capital model, at least in the life sciences.
Q4 2015
We are patient investors in an asset class that is fundamentally long-term in nature. While we largely discount or ignore the noise that is inherent in today’s markets, we do pay attention to specific events that could signal a macro shift in economic conditions.
Contact
Mailing Address
707 SW Washington St., Suite 1418
Portland, OR 97205