Business investment today is often dominated by short-term gains and quick exits, but Permanent Equity offers a refreshing alternative with its long-term investment model, focused on growing businesses for the future. Unlike Private Equity or Venture Capital, which typically have a few-year investment horizon, Permanent Equity investments can span decades.

It can be the perfect match for high-quality specialised software businesses with a track record of success, a loyal customer base, and a potential for future growth.

The founders we work with are a part of our four Business Units (BUs) – Healthcare, Financial Services, Workforce Management and Manufacturing & Distribution. They are leading highly successful, specialised software businesses they are rightly proud of. They have a high market share, are cash flow positive, and attract recurring revenues. But their company’s value is more than purely financial.  As important are customer satisfaction, the motivated teams and their positive culture.  Great companies deserve great deals to secure their future.  

Our Permanent Equity approach brings extra investment to help drive growth for the long run – effectively building on founders’ visions.

 What makes Upliift’s Permanent Equity model different? 

Upliift offers Permanent Equity investment aligning with everything that made you great in the first place – your culture, your team and your leadership position. Unlike Private Equity (PE) or Venture Capital (VC), we are genuinely focused on fair valuations and long-term growth – over decades, not just years – without saddling companies with unsustainable levels of debt.

For Luca Prazzoli, the CEO of SEC Group, this was a deciding factor:

“Although Upliift’s Permanent Equity model was new to us, its focus on maintaining the company’s value, and a respect for our identity, prompted our decision to move ahead with them.”

At Upliift, we recognise the immense value of the legacy you’ve worked so hard to build, the culture, the loyal customers, dedicated employees, trusted partners, and the industries they serve. 

As Ángel Blesa, CEO of Codeoscopic, an Insurtech company in Spain, shares:

“Upliift brings a long-term mindset that allows us to keep building for the future — to remain ambitious and focused on what matters most: innovation, people, and our customers.” 

We can structure investments in stages, allowing you to realise some value while staying actively involved. This approach ensures you continue to benefit from the growth generated through our partnership, with a focus on long-term incentives and rewards. 

Our investments are supported by a team across Europe that truly understands the rich tapestry of European business cultures. With decades of expertise in the software industry, we help drive continued innovation and product development. 

Damir Šafarić, Founder and CEO of Media-Soft, a leader in Workforce Management software agrees: 

“Upliift understands our business and shares our vision for the future, focused on delivering real value to our customers, growing sustainably, and continuing to develop high-quality, industry-specific solutions. Our customers, partners, and team will only benefit from this next chapter. We’re excited for the future.”

Not all Permanent Equity is created equal – What to watch out for  

It is worth being aware that Permanent Equity doesn’t always look like this.  

Some Permanent Equity investors claim to “buy now and hold forever”, without really being true to that. Instead, they operate a standardised, conventionally prescribed approach that simply doesn’t work for every specialised software business.

• Undervaluation: Businesses are often undervalued from the start, leaving founders worse off.
• Lack of growth investment: After the buyout, some investors leave businesses to rely solely on recurring revenues, without further investment in growth or innovation.
• Risk to customer loyalty: Pushing up prices without adding value can put customer loyalty at risk.

Synergise with Upliift and unlock your future growth 

In just two years, Upliift has established itself as a trusted Permanent Equity partner for high-quality specialised software businesses across Europe. We are now entering a new chapter in our journey – evolving Upliift beyond being just an “investor” into a software company, unlocking deeper synergies across our portfolio and giving us greater clarity and conviction on the path to success. Each investment is guided by a simple question: “How does this decision strengthen our four core business units?”, and one goal – to scale purposefully, while creating long-term value.   

This shift in strategy will not affect our approach to founders. Our Permanent Equity approach is designed to protect what makes your company unique, ensuring long-term growth that remains true to its original spirit.  We can also support complementary mergers and acquisitions (M&A) where they enhance your business.  

Get in Touch 

Interested in learning more about Permanent Equity from Upliift? Contact us today or email us at contactus@upliift.com to talk about how Upliift can help you unlock your business’s long-term growth.