In this episode of The Private Equity Podcast, Alex Rawlings speaks with Bobby Ocampo and Sheldon Lewis, co-founders and managing partners of Blueprint Equity.

Following the successful close of Blueprint Equity’s $333 million third fund, Bobby and Sheldon explain how the firm identifies and supports high-growth B2B software companies. They discuss Blueprint’s early growth investment strategy, its direct sourcing infrastructure and the role its six-person operations team plays in supporting portfolio companies.

The conversation also explores the impact of artificial intelligence on software valuations, underwriting and value creation. Bobby and Sheldon explain how Blueprint has integrated multiple AI tools across sourcing, deal evaluation, portfolio operations and internal workflows.

They also share why vertical software businesses with deeply embedded customer workflows may be better positioned to withstand AI disruption than lightweight horizontal software products.

Key Topics

Blueprint Equity’s early growth investment strategy
Raising a $333 million third fund
Investing in B2B vertical software businesses
Building a large direct sourcing function
Supporting founders with recruiting, go-to-market and RevOps
Using AI to identify, prioritise and track investment opportunities
Connecting multiple AI tools through an integrated technology stack
Underwriting software businesses in an uncertain market
Assessing founders in minority growth investments
Moving quickly without creating employee burnout

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction
00:28 Blueprint Equity and the successful Fund III raise
00:53 The firm’s early growth equity investment thesis
01:43 Building the team and operations function
02:50 Common mistakes made by investment firms
04:21 Underwriting software businesses in the AI era
06:33 How Blueprint structures its value creation team
07:41 Recruiting and institutionalising portfolio companies
08:35 RevOps, reporting and financial visibility
09:53 How Blueprint uses AI internally
10:37 AI-driven sourcing and opportunity prioritisation
11:06 Using proprietary data in underwriting
12:32 Blueprint’s AI technology stack
14:01 Building a genuine direct sourcing strategy
15:24 The resources required for proprietary origination
16:46 Less obvious investment signals
17:14 Assessing the entrepreneur behind the business
18:13 Vertical software and the threat of AI disruption
20:25 Creating a fast-moving culture without burnout
22:09 Recommended private equity news and content
23:34 How to connect with Blueprint Equity

Raw Selection partners with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies to secure exceptional executive talent. We focus on de-risking executive recruitment through meticulous search and selection processes, ensuring top-tier performance and long-term success.

🔗 Connect with Alex Rawlings on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrawlings/
🌐 Visit Raw Selection www.raw-selection.com