Vestar Capital Partners

Investor type

PE / VC

Founded

1988

AUM

$3 200 M

Location

New York, New York, United States

Investment Ticket

$10-50 m

Investment Stage

Pre-seed Seed Series A Series B Late Stage (Series C+)

Region of investment

North America

ESG Focus

Impact investor
Investor profile last updated: 16 August, 2026

Profile

Vestar Capital Partners is a leading U.S. middle-market private equity firm specializing in management buyouts and growth capital investments. Vestar invests and collaborates with incumbent management teams and private owners to build long-term enterprise value, with a focus on Consumer, Business & Technology Services, and Healthcare.

Since our founding in 1988, Vestar has maintained a prudent, long-term approach to investing that has served us well throughout numerous business and economic cycles. Vestar funds have invested over $8 billion in 84 companies – as well as more than 200 add-on acquisitions – with a total value of approximately $50 billion.

Vestar was founded on the belief that what truly makes a company successful and ensures lasting value is the management team behind it. As entrepreneurs ourselves, we understand the obstacles founders face when building a business, but we also know that it takes more than a good business plan to be successful. That’s why we set out to find and back strong managers with whom we can build a true partnership.

This founding principle underlies everything we do at Vestar. As our firm has evolved over time, we’ve mastered a creative and flexible approach to structuring transactions, while helping to optimize the balance sheet and operations of a business. Our integrated team of investment and operating professionals guides founders and owners to build on the successful foundation they’ve created and capitalize on the potential in their businesses.

Industry

Consumer Products Financial Services Food and Beverage Healthcare Services Industrial SaaS Software HealthTech Education Edtech Fintech Foodtech Real Estate Technology

Vestar Capital Partners Funds

Name Type
Questionare
Industry
Questionare
Stage
Questionare
Region
Size AUM Launch date
University Ventures Fund II, L.P.
Private Equity (PE)
Education
Edtech
Financial Services
Fintech
Food and Beverage
Foodtech
Real Estate
Technology
Series B
North America
$5-10 m
$2000 M
August 2015

Contacts

Name
Title
Email
avatar
Caroline Ptacek Vice President
Vice President
c•••@•••
avatar
Dan O’Connell Founder and CEO
Founder and CEO
d•••@•••
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Investment-team contacts for Vestar Capital Partners — including verified work emails and LinkedIn profiles — are available to Private Equity List subscribers.
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FAQs about Vestar Capital Partners

Vestar Capital Partners is a venture capital and private equity firm. It backs companies at Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Series B and Late Stage (Series C+), writing tickets of $10-50 m.
Vestar Capital Partners is located in New York, New York, United States.
Vestar Capital Partners was founded in 1988.
Vestar Capital Partners invests in companies and startups in Consumer Products, Financial Services, Food and Beverage, Healthcare Services, Industrial, SaaS, Software, HealthTech, Education, Edtech, Fintech, Foodtech, Real Estate, Technology.
Vestar Capital Partners invests in companies and startups in North America.
Vestar Capital Partners invests in companies and startups at Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Late Stage (Series C+).
Vestar Capital Partners usually invests $10-50 m on average.
Vestar Capital Partners has around $3 200m assets under management.
Vestar Capital Partners last fund was created/launched in 2015-08-13
Yes, Vestar Capital Partners is impact investor.
Vestar Capital Partners can be reached through its website vestarcapital.com and its LinkedIn page. Its general enquiries address is [email protected]. Cold-mailing a general inbox rarely reaches a partner, so Private Equity List also lists the investment-team contacts for Vestar Capital Partners — names, roles, verified work emails and LinkedIn profiles — available on a Pro plan from $129/month (see pricing). Contacts are sourced from the firm's website and LinkedIn and re-verified on a rolling cycle. Spot a stale contact, or none at all? Report it — we re-run that firm within 48h and get back to you.
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Private Equity List re-verifies investor profiles on a rolling cycle, pulling from the firm's own website and LinkedIn rather than a one-off import. This profile was last updated on 16 August, 2026. Something out of date here? Report it — we re-run that firm within 48h and get back to you.