About Devana | Devana Partners

Edward Carse, Managing Director

Ed Carse has developed considerable experience in the management and financing of high-growth businesses during his career.

Before starting Devana Partners, Ed was the Chief Financial Officer of ServiceSource International, a company that provides sales outsourcing services to computer hardware and software companies. As one of the first members of the post-acquisition executive team, Ed carried a wide range of leadership responsibilities in financial, strategic and operational areas. During his tenure, ServiceSource's revenues, profits and employee count all grew by over six times, and the company attracted over $50 million in investor capital.

Prior to ServiceSource, Ed was the co-founder of Bigfoot Media, a venture-backed company focused on launching and acquiring community newspapers and media sources in mid-sized cities. Ed created the business plan, raised several rounds of equity capital and managed a wide range of operating responsibilities, growing the company from start-up to unit profits, several offices and over 50 staff. Before embarking on his operating career, Ed was an investment banker at Bear, Stearns & Co. in New York.

Ed lives outside of Chicago with his wife and two children, and holds an MBA from Stanford and a BSE from the University of Pennsylvania.

James Fidler, Managing Director

Jim Fidler also has extensive experience managing and advising high-growth businesses. Prior to joining Devana Partners, Jim was an investment banker with Lincoln International in Chicago and Bear, Stearns & Co. in New York. In these positions, he managed M&A and financing transactions across a variety of sectors, notably business and consumer services, healthcare, telecommunications and media.

Jim began his career as a managing partner and CFO of FMI, a firm providing outsourced sales and marketing and back-office services to major national-branded manufacturers in the foodservice industry. In this role, he was responsible for strategic, operational, and financial management of the firm, sales for which grew to exceed $60 million annually.

Jim holds a BA in Theoretical Economics from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He has held leadership positions on the boards of several civic organizations, and regularly donates his experience as an advisor to start-ups and other small businesses. Jim, his wife, and their daughter make their home in suburban Chicago.

Devana Partners is unlike many private equity or venture capital funds in that:

We are not building a portfolio.

We intend to acquire and focus on a single, quality company, and we will put 100% of our efforts behind that investment.

We will actively manage our investment.

Devana Partners’ managing director will take an operating role in the company, making us an attractive option for owner/operators seeking an exit.

We are experienced operators and investors.

Devana Partners’ investors and managing director are seasoned entrepreneurs, operators and financiers with many years’ experience running and building high-growth companies.

We are long-term investors.

We seek to create long-term growth opportunities, with no interest in a short-term “strip-and-flip” strategy.

We are interested in solid, “micro-cap” businesses.

We are focused on acquiring a company that is too small for most private equity firms, and too mature for venture capital funds.

We are not fad-driven.

We are not interested in the latest business flavor of the year. We like businesses with good prospects, excellent customer relationships and happy, capable employees who want to grow with their company.

We can move quickly.

While we have access to sizeable capital for a transaction, we are also a compact, nimble organization.