Private Equity
6 investment committee memos questions of the kind asked in private equity interviews. Each carries a model answer, the concepts a complete response must hit, and graded feedback on your own attempt.
A final-round growth-equity case testing auction discipline, minority protections, and the willingness to walk away.
You are leading the final round of a growth-equity auction for a minority investment in Atlas Compliance, a vertical SaaS company. Bid as new information changes valuation, negotiate an exclusivity path, and decide…
An investment-committee exercise for testing whether the candidate can make a growth thesis falsifiable.
You are recommending a growth investment in a vertical-software company. What does a useful downside case look like, and how would it change your cheque size or terms?
An offer-ready investment committee case: form a decision without pretending early evidence is conclusive.
A security startup has a former CISO founder, two enthusiastic design partners and a $30m pre-money seed valuation. One design partner will not pay until a key integration is built; a direct competitor just raised $25m.…
A growth-equity associate case testing whether a candidate can reset valuation and structure when the most important SaaS KPI deteriorates.
You are staffing final investment committee for a $55m minority investment in Meridian Workflow, vertical software for hospitals. A new cohort analysis changes the retention picture three days before signing. Make the…
A private equity associate case in which the facts move after the initial underwriting.
You are the associate on a control buyout of Northstar Field Services, a route-based maintenance business. The partner wants a recommendation before final IC. Work through each update, commit to a decision, and finish…
Increasingly used as a take-home exercise in private equity recruiting.
Outline the structure of an investment committee memo recommending a buyout. What makes a memo persuasive, and what is the most common failure?
Write your answer, get it graded on technical accuracy, completeness and communication, and see exactly which mechanic you missed.
Firm names indicate where a question type is commonly reported in interviews. They are not sourced from, endorsed by, or affiliated with the firms named.