SF EQUITY PARTNERS NEWS

The Wendel Forum
October 17, 2012
Scott Potter Discusses Channel Strategy for Natural Products
In Episode 78 of The Wendel Forum (originally aired on September 29, 2012, on 960 KNEW AM radio), show moderator Dick Lyons, co-founder of Wendel Rosen's sustainable business practice group, welcomes Scott Potter, managing partner of San Francisco Equity Partners. Read more and listen...

San Francisco Chronicle
September 6, 2012
Method, Ecover merger of green cleaners
Method, the local purveyor of green household cleaning products, is going European. The San Francisco company has been sold to Ecover, a Belgian outfit that sells a similar range of products in over 40 countries, including the United States. Read more...

WSJ's Private Equity Beat
September 6, 2012
San Francisco Equity Partners has made a clean exit from Method
San Francisco Equity Partners has made a clean exit from Method, selling the eco-friendly household and personal care products provider to Belgium's Ecover, Beina Xu reports. Read more...

Dow Jones LBO Wire
September 5, 2012
Soap Opera: San Francisco Equity Partners Sells Method To Ecover
San Francisco Equity Partners cleaned up nicely with its latest exit, selling Method, the eco-friendly household and personal care products company, to Belgium-based Ecover. Read more...

Press Release
September 4, 2012
San Francisco Equity Partners Announces Sale of Method
San Francisco Equity Partners ("SFEP"), a private equity firm exclusively focused on middle market consumer growth companies, today announced the sale of Method™, the leading innovator in premium, eco-friendly household and personal care products, to Europe-based eco-pioneer Ecover. The transaction will create the world's largest green cleaning company, with global distribution and unmatched capabilities in green product development, innovation and manufacturing.  Read more...

Health & Beauty Care Executive
January 23, 2012
Scott Potter Profiled on Health & Beauty Care Executive
Scott Potter, 42, has been managing partner of San Francisco Equity Partners (San Francisco) since founding the private equity firm in 2005. Previously, he was managing director North American private equity and venture capital at LMS Capital from 2003, svp of Inktomi Corp. from 2002, ceo/pres. of Quiver, Inc. from 1999, and evp of Worldres, Inc. from 1996. Earlier, he was a corporate finance attorney. San Francisco Equity Partners currently invests out of the $100- million investment vehicle SFEP III, which closed in January 2011; the fund holds stakes in Method Home, Yes To, Inc., and Zoom Eyeworks, Inc. In the following interview, Potter discusses the businesses and the outlook for each. Read more...

Forbes
October 20, 2011
Building The Next Big Beauty Brand: Yes To
Ido Leffler and Lance Kalish took a stomach-roiling approach to starting their company: Make big promises to customers and hope like hell you keep them. Read more...

Press Release
June 15, 2011
San Francisco Equity Partners Announces Addition of Julie Bell as Partner
San Francisco Equity Partners (“SFEP”), a private equity firm focused on investments in the consumer products, consumer services and related business services industries, today announced that Julie Bell has joined the firm as a partner.  Bell joins SFEP from JH Partners, a middle-market consumer private equity firm where she was a senior investment professional.  At SFEP, Bell will focus on investments in the consumer products, consumer services and retail sectors.  Read more...

Press Release
February 2, 2011
San Francisco Equity Partners Announces Closing of San Francisco Equity Partners III, L.P
San Francisco Equity Partners (“SFEP”), a private equity firm focused on investments in the consumer products, consumer services and related business services industries, today announced the closing of San Francisco Equity Partners III, L.P., a $100 million investment vehicle. Read more...

Press Release
September 9, 2010
San Francisco Equity Partners Acquires Zoom Eyeworks
San Francisco Equity Partners, a private equity firm focused on expansion-stage companies in the consumer industry, announced today that it has acquired Zoom Eyeworks, Inc., a leading designer and marketer of innovative, expressive eyewear products.  The change of ownership provides Zoom Eyeworks with the financial and strategic resources to capitalize on the growing demand for its brands. Read more...

San Francisco Business Times
January 22, 2010
Beauty Incorporated: Wave of startups puts new face on Bay Area
Beauty companies are increasingly finding the Bay Area an attractive place to set up shop... Israeli-born Yes To, Inc., which grew to prominence with its Yes To Carrots skincare line, moved to San Francisco in 2008 after closing a $14 million Series A round led by San Francisco Equity Partners, also an early investor in Method Home Products. Read more...

USA Today
September 3, 2008
Natural personal care items grow in popularity
Despite their economic worries, Americans need to buy necessities like lotion and shampoo, and are looking for little indulgences. Natural items fit the bill and are the "poster child for consumers trading up," says Scott Potter, managing partner of private equity firm San Francisco Equity Partners, which led a $14 million investment in the Yes To Carrots brand. Read more...

San Francisco Business Times
July 29, 2008
A Venture Deal Bugs Bunny Would Love
Yes To Inc., an Israel-based consumer products company that owns the Yes To Carrots line of natural personal-care products, said Tuesday that it raised $14 million in its first round of venture financing. Read more...

Press Release
July 29, 2008
Yes To Inc. Closes $14-Million Funding Round To Accelerate Product Launches and Expand Consumer Distribution
San Francisco Equity Partners and Simon Equity Partners provide financial and strategic support to accelerate distribution for Yes To Carrots’ natural personal-care products.
Read more...

Press Release
October 30, 2007
San Francisco Equity Partners Adds Prominent European Investor
Leading European Institution Invests in the Firm's Initial Fund
San Francisco Equity Partners (SFEP), a private equity firm focused on expansion-stage companies within the consumer, information-technology, media and service industries, announced today that a large European institution with more than €1.5 billion under management has become a limited partner in SFEP’s initial fund.  With the new investment, SFEP now has over $100 million under management. SFEP I is a 2005 vintage fund with holdings in Method Products, The Guild, Luxury Link, Penguin Computing and other companies in its targeted sectors. Read more...

San Francisco Business Times
January 13, 2006
Firm makes first investment
San Francisco Equity Partners made its first investment, choosing to back an online retailer of original art and fine crafts. The new private equity firm was joined by Dolphin Equity Partners to raise $7 million for the Madison, Wis., company that's something of a turnaround situation. Read more...

DowJones VentureWire Professional
January 11, 2006
The Guild Raises $7M To Expand Home-Decoration Retail Business
Landing its first investment in more than four years, online home-decoration retailer The Guild Inc. today said it has raised $7 million in Series A financing. Read more...

The Deal's Technology Confidential
August 8, 2005
Last winter, when technology dealmaker Scott Potter was raising a fund for his new private equity firm, San Francisco Equity Partners, he found himself embarking on another new initiative far from work. Read more... (subscription required)

Press Release
July 18, 2005
Expansion-Stage Private Equity Firm
San Francisco Equity Partners Launches Operations
Founded in Partnership with Leading U.K. Investment Firm LMS Capital Read more...

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