Alterna Capital Solutions, a specialty and alternative financier to small businesses, supported a deal origination for a lower middle-market private equity fund controlled by its affiliate, Alterna Equity Partners (AEP). The fund focuses on control and non-control investments in founder-owned and family-owned operating companies with $1 million to $10 million in EBITDA. The collaboration between the firms allows AEP to leverage the national client base of Alterna Capital Solutions while enabling Alterna Capital Solutions to offer additional value to its clients.

“We are honored by the opportunity to introduce our clients to AEP’s fund,” Stan Carpenter, founder and president of Alterna Capital Solutions, said. “We founded ACS with a view towards helping small to midsize businesses grow, and this collaboration enhances the value we bring to our clients.”

Sector focus of the two firms includes business services, niche manufacturing, information technology, healthcare, education, consumer goods and industrial goods.

“Stan and his team are the perfect fit for connecting strong businesses with the resources of our private equity fund,” Rob Konrad, founder and managing partner of AEP, said. “We are excited to see the deals ACS introduces to us.”

The fund will leverage a proprietary sourcing model and affiliate ecosystem to support founders and management teams through operational, financial and capital markets initiatives.