Vertical SaaS Deals: Capital Partner LPA Done Right
Securities and M&A counsel for independent sponsors drafting vertical SaaS transactions, from LOI to close to the capital markets that open up afterward.
The economics on a vertical SaaS platform deal usually hinge on a handful of structural decisions. Capital Partner LPA is one of them.
The typical vertical SaaS platform sits at $10M to $200M EV with EBITDA in the $2M to $30M (or run-rate ARR) range. The thesis runs on platform plus adjacent module acquisitions inside a single end-market. The ARR number on the CIM is rarely the ARR number on the closing balance sheet. Reconcile early.
How Capital Partner LPA actually gets structured.
Anchor on a 20 percent carry above an 8 percent preferred return, 50/50 catch-up.
Build a one-vote, one-LP majority for any waterfall change.
Define key-person and removal-for-cause provisions narrowly.
Make distributions quarterly, with an annual true-up against the waterfall.
In vertical SaaS, layer in ARR bridge built before LOI signing as part of the Capital Partner LPA workstream.
Reusing a fund LPA template for a deal-by-deal structure. The economics, governance, and waterfall need to be different.
"The LPA outlives the deal. Draft it like the next ten deals will be governed by the same paper."Jason Powell · Capital Partner LPA
The deal is one thing. The capital that opens up after close is another.
Capital after close is where the IRR actually gets made. The right introductions at month nine through month thirty are where this practice works as hard as it does at the LOI.
Related deal pages.
LOI Negotiation for Vertical SaaS
The 4 to 8 page agreement that frames the deal economics, exclusivity, and diligence period.
Independent Sponsor Economics for Vertical SaaS
The package of deal-by-deal carry, management fees, and transaction fees that compensates the independent spo…
Management Fee Structuring for Vertical SaaS
The annual fee paid by the deal entity to the independent sponsor for ongoing oversight, board service, and p…
Equity Rollover for Vertical SaaS
The portion of seller proceeds reinvested into the post-close entity, aligning seller with buyer.
Capital Partner LPA for Healthcare Services
roll-up of physician practices and ancillary service lines
Capital Partner LPA for Home Services
regional roll-ups of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical operators
Capital Partner LPA for Vertical SaaS, on independent sponsor terms.
Independent sponsor counsel that already speaks fluent deal-by-deal economics, structures clean LPAs, and travels with capital markets relationships for what comes after close.