Why this search matters
The most useful sector-focused PE list is the one filtered to current ownership, not declared interest. A firm that says it "invests in software" might mean three deals from 2014; a firm that currently owns four software companies is in the market today. This search produces the second kind of list.
Use it for:
BD outreach when your service or product is sector-relevant (e.g., a software focused due-diligence consultant pitching software-active PE firms).
Competitive intel — see which sponsors are actively building positions in your sector right now.
Vendor and service-provider target lists — software PE firms, healthcare PE firms, industrials PE firms each have distinct buying patterns; filtering to current activity gives you the active-buyer subset.
Thesis testing — confirm there's a real depth of buyer interest in a sector before pitching a deal there.
Search Example
In this search example, we'll build a list of private equity firms with a current investment in the software sector.
Step 1
Navigate to the Private Equity Search page.
Step 2
Expand the search interface by selecting the More Options link.
Step 3
Within the Portfolios section, (1) select Software from the Industry dropdown and (2) check the Apply to Current Investments Only box.
The Portfolio area allows you to search PE firms by their actual investment activity.
Step 4
Select Search and view your results.
Your result set will include all private equity firms with at least one current portfolio company in the software sector.
The default search result order is 'Investment Date - Most Recent'.
Additional filters to try
Run without "Current Investments Only" to widen to lifetime sector activity — useful for finding firms with sector experience even if they've exited.
Pick multiple sectors (e.g., Software + IT) to broaden into adjacent industries (union, not intersection — returns firms active in any of the selected sectors).
Add a Country filter to narrow geographically (e.g., US-only software PE).
Going further
For peers of a specific sector-focused firm (e.g., "show me firms like Thoma Bravo"), use Investor Lookalikes.
For likely buyers of a specific sector target, use Buyer Match.
For the always-on ranked version of this universe, see Rankings→ Private Equity tab, filtered by sector.
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