Uplift Investors Closes Debut Fund at Hard Cap of $670 Million

Founded in 2025 by three partners who have worked together for a decade, Uplift brings a distinct business model-centric approach to investing

DARIEN, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Uplift Investors ("Uplift"), a business model-centric private equity firm focused on services investing, today announced the close of its inaugural fund with $670 million in capital commitments.

Founded in March 2025 by Will Hausberg, Doug Rosenstein, and Brad Skaf, who have invested together on every deal for the last decade, Uplift was built around a distinct investment philosophy: business model first, sector expertise always. The firm’s proprietary 5-5-5 Framework targets companies at the intersection of five scalable business models and five services sectors, supported by five Value Creation Centers that enable Uplift to apply a repeatable value creation approach across multiple industries.

• Business models: dual-sided networks, functional outsourcing, professional services, route-based services, and information services.
• Service sectors: knowledge and talent solutions, legal services, technical trades, financial services, and industrial services.
• Value Creation Centers: organizational design and team development, go-to-market excellence, talent acquisition and optimization, technology, data, and AI enablement, and M&A and integration.

"Over the past decade, we’ve learned that understanding a business model tells you more about how a company creates value than understanding an industry alone. That insight led us to reengineer the traditional private equity value creation playbook and build Uplift around a business model-centric investment philosophy," said Uplift Co-Founders and Managing Partners Will Hausberg, Doug Rosenstein, and Brad Skaf. "Uplift gave us the opportunity to create a purpose-built investment firm with the team, infrastructure, and processes intentionally designed around that philosophy. We are grateful for the confidence our investors have placed in us and excited to partner with exceptional management teams for years to come."

Fund I has already completed several investments that illustrate Uplift’s business model-centric approach. The firm formed Orion Legal MSO, a managed service organization supporting leading plaintiff law firms, and separately acquired IMS Legal Strategies, a global provider of expert witness, litigation consulting, and jury research services. While both operate within legal services, they represent distinct business models that require different diligence, operating strategies, and value creation playbooks.

Commitments to Uplift’s Fund I were secured from a diversified base of limited partners, including pensions, endowments, foundations, insurance companies, and family offices.

About Uplift Investors

Uplift Investors is a business model-centric private equity firm dedicated to creating scalable success and lasting partnerships. Headquartered in Darien, Connecticut, the firm invests at the intersection of five scalable business models and five services sectors, partnering with management teams through specialized Value Creation Centers designed to accelerate growth and build enduring competitive advantages. For more information, visit www.upliftinvestors.com.