Strategy

Our Investment Approach

Cortes invests top-down and bottom-up, recognizing that the strongest returns come from elite talent and market tailwinds.

Types of Investments

We invest in funds, co-investments, and direct investments. We are fund investors first, but then leverage our experience and deep expertise within our thematic focus areas to make co-investments and direct investments.

Funds

Cortes prefers lower middle market funds that exhibit a distinct and sustainable competitive advantage. Often, this leads to partnerships with new and hungry managers. We will also invest in venture capital, growth equity, and middle-market funds.

Co-Investments

Cortes partners with current and prospective general partners – including independent sponsors – in deals that are in the sweet spot of the general partner’s “right to own.”

Direct Investments

Cortes partners directly with founders of companies in our thematic focus areas that may or may not have relevance to Love’s core businesses. We do this when we have advantaged knowledge, access, and/or value-creation capabilities.

Thematic Focus Areas

Our thematic focus areas will shift over time. The list below is a representation of our primary focus areas:

  • Software, especially bootstrapped software and cyber-security

  • Industrials

  • Infrastructure and Essential Services

  • Life Sciences and Healthcare

  • Government Services, Aerospace, and Defense

  • Early-Stage Venture Capital, especially around Emerging Technologies, Vertical SaaS, and the Bio Revolution

  • Private Market Secondaries

  • Best Horses, where we reserve space to be opportunistic in our pursuit of elite general partners exploiting an obvious competitive advantage. This is the category where Cortes will incubate themes. Some areas that we are currently evaluating include location-based entertainment and luxury resort developments.

Submit an Investment Proposal

If you are interested in submitting an investment for our consideration, please contact us. In your message, please state why you believe Cortes would be a good partner for your fund, co-invest, or company. Also, include any introductory marketing materials that will enable us to elevate the conversation should we have further interest.