Benz Capital
Investing in leading private companies
About Us
We are a family office that is not restricted by traditional fund structures
Aligned with Business Leaders
Run by operators
We prefer to be active investors, providing support to our portfolio companies
Patient Capital
No pressure to deploy or liquidate positions
Focused on creating value over the long term
Flexibility
We have ultimate flexibility in deals we pursue and how we structure the transactions
InStride
InStride is a learning services enterprise, working with employers to provide opportunities for their employees to earn degrees and credentials through the highest-quality universities.
As a public-benefit corporation we aim to become the indispensable human capital partner of organizations, helping them unlock the full potential of the university ecosystem and provide meaningful, life-changing impact for their employees.
Degreed
Degreed is an education technology company that is engaged in enabling and recognizing professional and lifelong learning and skills. The platform allows users to learn, develop and measure their skills. ... Degreed is based in San Francisco, CA with offices in Salt Lake City, UT and Leiden, The Netherlands.
Udemy
Udemy is the leading global marketplace for teaching and learning, connecting students everywhere to the world’s best instruction anywhere.
Lessonly
Lessonly is powerfully simple training software that helps teams learn, practice, and Do Better Work. They are used by 3 million learners at more than 1000 companies including Honeywell, Trunk Club, Jostens, and U.S. Cellular to power enablement, develop skills, and reinforce best practices.
Sold to Seismic in August, 2021.
CourseHero
Course Hero is an education technology website company based in Redwood City, California, which operates an online learning platform for students to access course-specific study resources contributed by a community of students and educators.
NOCD.com
Digital care and teletherapy platform for OCD management.
EquipmentShare
EquipmentShare helps contractors across the country build better and work smarter with the help of Track smart jobsite technology. In an industry ripe for disruption and innovation, EquipmentShare offers smart jobsite solutions that help contractors improve productivity and efficiency.
Honor Education
Honor Education is a teaching and learning platform with a suite of tools that delivers transformational education for faculty, institutions, and their students.
StudyBlue
StudyBlue is an education peer-to-peer marketplace. Sold to Chegg in 2018.
Continental Properties
Continental Properties is a national developer, owner and operator of apartment home properties across the country.
Wallman Investments
Tech Value Investment Vehicle
TPG Capital VII, VIII IX/TPG Growth III and IV/TPG Asia VII/TPG Rise I, II,II/TPG Climate, TPG Tech Adjacencies
Global private equity platform with over $100 billion under management.
Focus
Stage
Later stage proven businesses looking to scale
Structure
Both minority and control positions
Industry:
Industry agnostic; however, deep roots in education technology, corporate training, digital media and industrial
Bradford A. Benz - Founder
Bradford A. Benz
Brad has been creating, operating, advising and investing in growth companies for over three decades.
He is the founder of Benz Capital which invests in growth stage companies. Portfolio companies include: NOCD, EquipmentShare, Lessonly, Udemy, InStride, StudyBlue, Learneo and Degreed.
Brad is a board member of the Utah Land Trusts Protection & Advocacy Office which oversees the state’s $3.5 billion endowment generated by state ownership of 3.3 million acres of land. The primary beneficiary of the endowment is the state’s public school system which received over $100 million annually.
Since 2011, Brad has served as a Senior Advisor for TPG Growth and TPG Rise Fund, a top global private equity firms with over $200 billion under management. Brad helped architect InStride, a global marketplace that enables employees to earn their degree in a cost-effective manner. InStride was spun out of the ASU/Starbucks partnership, a first of its kind public/private partnership. During his tenure at TPG, Brad has sourced deals, conducted due diligence on potential investments and advised several of TPG’s portfolio companies.
Brad was the founder of RedShift Group (RSG), an advisory and venture capital firm focused on helping companies rapidly scale their businesses. Brad has advised numerous companies including Pandora Media, StudyBlue, Sylvan, ASU Foundation, Capacity, NOCD, 3Day Blinds, Deltak, Rasmussen, Udemy, Grand Canyon University, Inside Track, eBureau, uBoost, Noodle Companies, Atrium Capital/Follett Venture Fund, Marcus Corporation and Answers.com.
Prior to founding RSG, Brad was Senior Vice President of Corporate and Business Development for Aptimus (NASDAQ: APTM), an ad network that he sold to Apollo Group in 2007. He was also Robertson Stephens/Crosslink Capital's first Associate. At Crosslink, Brad focused on sourcing digital media and education companies. Three out of five of his investments achieved successful IPOs, including Saba Software, Eloquent and OnDisplay. OnDisplay was one of the top 10 IPO in 1999 and later acquired for $1.8 billion.
Brad earned his MBA from University of Michigan and an AB degree from Princeton University.
Dixon W. Benz - Advisor
Chairman of the Board, Benz Oil
David K. Curtis - Advisor
Managing Director Graham Healthcare Capital, a family office focused on controlling positions in healthcare technology and service.