Lateral Investment Management Bolsters Investment Team with Addition of Phuong Ninh as Principal

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SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 21, 2025--

Lateral Investment Management, LLC (“Lateral”), a lower middle market private equity firm focused on bootstrapped, founder-led technology and technology-enabled services businesses, today announced that Phuong Ninh, former Vice President at K1 Investment Management (“K1”), has joined the firm as a Principal. In this role, he will be responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and executing investment opportunities across Lateral’s sub-sector focus areas.

Mr. Ninh brings significant growth buyout, add-on acquisition, and financial and operational due diligence experience to Lateral. During his eight-year tenure at K1, he closed over 30 transactions totaling over $2 billion in enterprise value, led due diligence on over 250 enterprise software businesses, and served on the boards of four category leading technology companies totaling $400 million in revenue. Previously, he served as a consulting analyst at Accenture. Mr. Ninh graduated Magna Cum Laude from Georgia Institute of Technology, where he earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and minored in Technology & Management.

Richard de Silva, Founder and Managing Partner of Lateral, said, “We are excited to welcome Phuong to the Lateral team. His significant experience across all facets of the investment process – from sourcing and diligence to execution and portfolio value creation – coupled with his deep software sector expertise, will be invaluable as we continue to support transformational growth at bootstrapped businesses riding the wave of technology-enabled disruption. We look forward to leveraging his expertise transacting across the middle market to help Lateral identify and execute investments that have the potential to generate strong risk-adjusted returns for our investors.”

Mr. Ninh added, “Lateral’s approach to partnering with high conviction owners looking to expand and accelerate their vision deeply resonates with me. The team has a proven track record of both serving as a collaborative first institutional growth investor to services businesses as well as helping them to remove roadblocks to growth and transform obstacles into opportunities. I am excited to contribute to the firm’s successful and growing portfolio in my new role.”

Mr. Ninh joins Lateral as the firm continues to deepen its bench of talent. Lateral recently added technology industry veterans Bill Priemer, Dan Warmenhoven and Klaus Besier as operating partners as well as Kate Formico, Tej Johnson and Christopher Scian as investment professionals on its Originations team.

About Lateral Investment Management, LLC

Headquartered in San Mateo, California, Lateral is a growth-oriented private equity firm that invests in bootstrapped, founder-led technology and technology-enabled services businesses. The firm focuses on profitable, U.S. middle market companies with no prior institutional financing and makes $15 million to $75 million investments to accelerate their growth. By pursuing sub-sector focused proprietary deal origination, founder-aligned partnerships, and a systematic and proactive approach to value creation, Lateral helps to transform its portfolio companies into category leaders. For more information, visit: https://lateralim.com/

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KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ASSET MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FINANCE

SOURCE: Lateral Investment Management, LLC

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PUB: 05/21/2025 08:00 AM/DISC: 05/21/2025 08:01 AM

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