Firm at a glance
Brightstar Capital Partners is a platform private equity firm founded in 1950 and headquartered in New York, NY, per its own website [S1].
What they buy
Based on publicly disclosed transactions, Brightstar Capital Partners appears to pursue acquisitions across business services, industrials, technology, media and telecom, and financial services sectors [S2]. The firm’s recent activity demonstrates a pattern of acquiring platform companies followed by add-on acquisitions to consolidate fragmented markets, as evidenced by multiple vehicle auction transactions in 2026 [S2]. Notable platform investments include gaming equipment manufacturer PlayAGS and healthcare provider Simon Eye [S2][S3].
Portfolio
Public sources from the past 24 months surface the following platform acquisitions:
**Gaming & Entertainment**
– PlayAGS (acquired June 2025) [S3]
**Healthcare**
– Simon Eye (acquired May 2026) [S2]
– Erdman (acquired June 2026) [S2]
**Consumer**
– Bendon (acquired April 2026) [S2]
Recent add-on acquisitions include Dealers Auto Auction of the Rockies (July 2026), G3 Vehicle Auctions (April 2026), Valley Power Systems (March 2026), and Plaza Auto Auction (March 2026) [S2].
Recent activity (last 24 months)
– July 2026: Acquired Dealers Auto Auction of the Rockies as an add-on [S2]
– June 2026: Acquired Erdman [S2]
– May 2026: Acquired Simon Eye [S2]
– April 2026: Acquired Bendon [S2]
– April 2026: Acquired G3 Vehicle Auctions as an add-on [S2]
– March 2026: Acquired Valley Power Systems as an add-on [S2]
– March 2026: Acquired Plaza Auto Auction as an add-on [S2]
– June 2025: Completed approximately $1.1 billion acquisition of PlayAGS [S3]
How this firm fits a seller
Brightstar Capital Partners demonstrates an active buy-and-build strategy, completing four add-on acquisitions in the trailing 12 months per public sources [S2]. This cadence suggests the firm may be suitable for sellers in fragmented industries where consolidation creates value, particularly those willing to join an existing platform. The firm maintains offices in both New York, NY and West Palm Beach, FL [S1]. Sellers in the business services, industrials, or healthcare sectors may find sector alignment based on the firm’s observed transaction history [S2].
Sources
[S1] https://brightstarcp.com (as of 2025-01-15)
[S2] https://brightstarcp.com/news/ (as of 2025-01-15 and 2026-07-01)
[S3] https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/brightstar-capital-partners-completes-acquisition-playags-approximately-11-billion (as of 2025-06-30)
Frequently asked questions
Does Brightstar Capital Partners buy business services businesses?
Yes, business services is among the observed sectors in Brightstar Capital Partners’ transaction history [S2]. The firm’s recent add-on acquisitions in vehicle auctions and other service-oriented businesses suggest active interest in this sector, though specific investment criteria are not publicly disclosed.
What companies has Brightstar Capital Partners acquired recently?
Recent platform acquisitions include Erdman in June 2026, Simon Eye in May 2026, and Bendon in April 2026 [S2]. The firm also completed the approximately $1.1 billion acquisition of PlayAGS in June 2025 [S3]. Multiple add-on acquisitions in the vehicle auction sector occurred throughout early 2026 [S2].
Where is Brightstar Capital Partners based and how big is the firm?
Brightstar Capital Partners is headquartered in New York, NY, with an additional office in West Palm Beach, FL [S1]. The firm was founded in 1950 [S1]. Fund size and assets under management are not publicly disclosed in available sources as of January 2025.
Is Brightstar Capital Partners still actively acquiring?
Yes, Brightstar Capital Partners appears actively acquiring based on recent transaction activity. The firm completed acquisitions as recently as July 2026 with the purchase of Dealers Auto Auction of the Rockies [S2], and has announced eight transactions in the trailing 24 months per public sources [S2][S3].
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.