1st Quarter 2023 Newsletter

Welcome to Growthink’s 1st Quarter 2023 Newsletter. Below we will share:

• My video observations on look back wisdoms from 2022 and how those lessons can best direct growth strategies for 2023. 

• Chief Client Officer Anna Vitale on notable 2022 Growthink client engagements

• Engagement Partner, Head of London Office and EMEA Lead Antonio Barzagli on notable International Growthink client engagements

To all of our success,  CEO Growthink, Inc.

Growthink Chief Client Officer Anna Vitale on Notable 2022 Client Engagements

Please let me highlight a few Growthink clients in the private and public sectors who “weathered the storm” in 2022 and grew and innovated in the face of challenging landscapes: 

• Innovating on Forest Management (Private Company): A family-run wildfire fighting company in central California engaged Growthink to help develop a credible business plan for expanding into ongoing, “retained” forest management work. The recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law bill allocated additional federal funds to these efforts and our engagement evaluated how the company can best position itself for and pursue these new funding pathways.
• Grocery Co-Op Development (Educational Institution): An elite U.S. university engaged Growthink to conduct a location analysis and financing plan for the launch of a grocery co-op concept in low-income, low-access (LILA) neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. This concept is projected to provide fresh, ready to eat food to thousands of residents and will be funded in part by governmental grants.
• Government Entrepreneurship Program Progress (Government Agency): A large governmental organization dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship in the United States continued to execute on a revised strategic growth plan advised upon by Growthink. By taking a ‘business stage’ versus ‘founder demographic’ approach to programming, the organization successfully modified its programs to be more targeted and “today relevant”  to startups and small business owners.

In 2023, we anticipate clients will opportunistically capture value where they can while navigating a cooled macroeconomic environment. Funding and growth capital will be attained via a variety of creative paths – strategic partnerships, angel investments, family offices, etc. – while M&A activity will remain strong as strategic and financial buyers use available liquidity to drive portfolio company growth through strategic acquisitions.

Growthink Engagement Partner, Head of London Office and EMEA Lead Antonio Barzagli on notable International Growthink client engagements

Long before Growthink established a UK foothold in 2019, a growing portion of our work has been about supporting international entrepreneurs and ventures. International projects generally share cross-border logistical challenges, cultural learnings, and various angles for expansion. Here is a summary of three fantastic engagements from 2022: 

Swiss Dental Services (UK)

Growthink advised Portuguese dental surgery group Swiss Dental Services on the acquisition and financing of two dental clinics in London, allowing the group to expand in the UK market. After assisting the company in developing and articulating a cohesive international growth plan, Growthink Capital then introduced and managed the due diligence with a targeted list of prospective investment partners. Particularly challenging was navigating the underwriting process for a company that holds most of its assets and operations outside of the UK.  “On behalf of SDS I would like to thank you and Growthink Capital for the time and effort it took for us to complete this deal” said Jesse Lerias, Swiss Dental Services’ Founder and CEO “I know there were some difficult moments but it was a pleasure working with you. We look forward to your continued support as we continue to grow”

Los Cabos United (México)

When we started talking with this dynamic ownership group, the idea sounded ambitious, if not crazy: establish a premier professional soccer team in Cabo San Lucas in Baja California, Mexico. The vision involved collaborating with the local authorities, assembling a world-class management team (and on-field talent!) and later developing state-of-the-art facilities for both team and wider community use.  The Growthink team worked hand in hand with company management, including well-known soccer officials like  Hugo Salcedo, to research, size, and define the market opportunity, detail the unique, multi-stakeholder benefits across stakeholders, test the project’s financial feasibility, and then outline the go-to-market strategy. On January 25th 2022  a new soccer team called Los Cabos United was officially presented and on July 1st 2022 it was accepted as a new member of the Second Division of Mexico. The team’s first game took place on August 27th 2022  and all of us here instantly became its biggest fans!

Better World Systems (Ghana)

Growthink was engaged to develop a strategic business plan for  Ghana-based Bewsys –  an information communication technology company and certified B-Corp with clients of the caliber of the United Nations Development Programme, UNICEF, USAID, and the World Bank. The key goal of the strategic plan was to define an internal roadmap as the company realigned its business model and management focus to its refined, mission-driven growth objectives.  By attributing measurable metrics to key financial and non-financial objectives established for Bwesys an essential framework and accountability system to tactically and methodically innovate and grow. 

A January Gift for Your Business.

The start of a new year is a natural time to begin a strategic planning process for 2023, and to give your business its absolute best chance to improve, innovate, and grow. For the past 20+years, Growthink has helped companies grow, catalyzing success for clients including: 

• Arganteal (software deployment automation) secured $600K in Seed capital.
• Better Choice Company (pet care) successfully listed on the NYSE.
• DNT Express (logistics) secured $2.2M in debt funding for facility expansion.
• FutureFuel (HRtech+fintech) successful $1.6M financing round.
• FinditParts (e-commerce) raised a $30M Growth Equity investment from Crestline Investors.
• Focus Works (enterprise software) exited via acquisition from strategic player IEH Laboratories.
• Ometric. Client manufacturing process control company acquired by Haliburton (NYSE:HAL).
• Impro.ai (Saas) validated business model and market opportunity before the official launch in 2021.
• MPulse (SaaS), acquired by JDM Technology Group.  
• Permacity (energy) completed the world’s largest solar rooftop project and increased revenue by over 35%.
• PayCertify (fintech) secured $700k in seed funding, then $32M over several rounds, and was recently acquired by ProfitPay.

What do all of these success stories have in common?

That the entrepreneurs and executives running these great companies understood that whether you’re looking to raise capital, sell your company, expand current market share, develop new products or enter new markets, having a great outside advisor and execution partner is indispensable. So we would like to offer you a complimentary consultation with one of our growth advisors to help you identify your most valuable growth initiatives to pursue in 2023 and beyond. To accept, simply either:

• Click Here to arrange a day and time via our online call scheduler; or,
• Reply to this email with your preferred time and phone number and we’ll reach directly out to you.

— Happy 2023 to All!