How This Private Equity Firm Turns Its Investors Into a Competitive Advantage

Private equity firm Lead Edge has used its network of investors as its secret sauce since Mitchell Green, 43, founded it in 2009 and separated himself as the firm’s “superconnector.” The growth equity firm invests between $25 million and $300 million at a time in a portfolio of software and internet-focused businesses, and most of its $5 billion in assets comes from more than 700 individual investors.

Lead Edge’s LPs include billionaires and C-suite executives at dozens of major businesses like Dell, Target, eBay or Bank of America. Green and his team bug their investors incessantly for help getting introduced to companies or for mentorship and advice for businesses already in their portfolio.