Firm at a glance
AE Industrial Partners is a platform private equity firm headquartered in Boca Raton, FL, with approximately $9.0 billion in assets under management, per its website [S1].
What they buy
AE Industrial Partners focuses on businesses serving national security, aerospace, and industrial services markets [S1]. The firm’s portfolio demonstrates a pattern of acquiring aerospace manufacturers, MRO providers, defense contractors, government technology services firms, and space industry companies. Recent transactions include the acquisition of the L3Harris space propulsion business in January 2026 [S2] and Israeli cybersecurity firm Paragon in December 2024 [S3]. The firm also invests in early-stage aerospace and defense technology companies alongside its traditional platform acquisitions.
Portfolio
Aerospace and Aviation
AIM MRO, Air Transport Components, Alpine Air, Applied Composites, Belcan, Columbia Helicopters, G.S. Precision, Global Jet Capital, Kellstrom Aerospace, Moeller Aerospace, Seanair, Solairus, Yingling Aviation [S1]
Defense and Government Services
Ambit, BigBear.ai, Blue Raven Solutions, Calca Solutions, CASE, CDI Corp, Edge Autonomy (UAV), Gryphon Technologies, Pangiam, REDLattice, ThayerMahan [S1]
Space and Satellite
Firefly, Redwire, Sierra Space, ALL.SPACE, Myriota, Reaction Engines, Solestial, Virgin Galactic [S1]
Manufacturing and Industrial
American Pacific Corporation, BHI Energy, ENERCON, Powder Alloy Corporation, Resolute Industrial, United Building Solutions, York [S1]
Technology and Software
Aloft, Datch, EP Systems, FLYR, Gravity Sketch, Immfly, JuliaHub, Matternet, Near Earth Autonomy, Plyable, Productive Machines, Quincus, Red 6, Salient Motion, Second Front Systems, Shift5, Signol, Skylo, SparkCognition, Zeromatter [S1]
Recent activity (last 24 months)
* January 2026: Acquired majority stake in L3Harris space propulsion business for $845 million [S2]
* February 2025: Acquired United Building Solutions [S4]
* December 2024: Acquired Paragon, Israeli spyware and surveillance technology company [S3]
* September 2024: Exited Altus Fire & Life Safety to Apax Funds [S5]
How this firm fits a seller
AE Industrial Partners appears suited for owner-operators in aerospace manufacturing, defense contracting, government services, and space technology sectors seeking a buyer with deep domain expertise. The firm maintains offices in both Boca Raton and Washington, D.C. [S1], suggesting proximity to both operational management and government customer relationships. The September 2024 exit of Altus Fire & Life Safety [S5] demonstrates the firm’s ability to complete portfolio company exits. Sellers in aviation MRO, aerospace components, or defense technology may find sector alignment with the firm’s existing platforms.
Sources
[S1] https://aeroequity.com (as of 2025-01-15)
[S2] https://www.voxelmatters.com/l3harris-sells-majority-stake-in-space-propulsion-business-to-ae-industrial-partners-for-845-million/ (as of 2026-01-08)
[S3] https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/16/israeli-spyware-maker-paragon-bought-by-u-s-private-equity-giant/ (as of 2024-12-16)
[S4] https://www.williamblair.com/News/United-Building-Solutions-and-AE-Industrial-Partners-Transaction (as of 2025-02-18)
[S5] https://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/ae-industrial-sells-altus-fire-life-safety-to-apax-funds (as of 2024-09-03)
Frequently asked questions
Does AE Industrial Partners buy aerospace businesses?
Yes, aerospace represents a core focus area for AE Industrial Partners [S1]. The firm’s portfolio includes numerous aerospace companies spanning MRO services (AIM MRO, Kellstrom Aerospace), manufacturing (Moeller Aerospace, Applied Composites), and aviation services (Columbia Helicopters, Solairus). The January 2026 acquisition of the L3Harris space propulsion business for $845 million [S2] further demonstrates active investment in the aerospace sector.
What companies has AE Industrial Partners acquired recently?
Recent acquisitions include the L3Harris space propulsion business in January 2026 [S2], United Building Solutions in February 2025 [S4], and Paragon in December 2024 [S3]. The firm also completed an exit of Altus Fire & Life Safety to Apax Funds in September 2024 [S5].
Where is AE Industrial Partners based and how big is the firm?
AE Industrial Partners is headquartered in Boca Raton, FL, with an additional office in Washington, D.C. [S1]. The firm manages approximately $9.0 billion in assets under management as of January 2025 [S1].
Is AE Industrial Partners still actively acquiring?
Yes, AE Industrial Partners remains actively acquiring. The firm completed its most recent transaction in January 2026 with the acquisition of the L3Harris space propulsion business [S2], and also closed deals in February 2025 and December 2024 [S3][S4], demonstrating consistent acquisition activity.
This profile is maintained by CT Acquisitions as an independent third-party reference. CT Acquisitions is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a representative of the firm profiled. All facts sourced from publicly available materials as of the dates cited.