The first married couple to raise a traditional SF in the UK: Norte Partners

Kathryn Robertson Arrebola and Carlos Arrebola, a husband-and-wife team, have launched Norte Partners with the goal of acquiring and operating a small to medium-sized family business in the UK. They are the first married couple to raise a traditional SF in the country and were oversubscribed, successfully assembling a compelling group of investors that blends both local and international backers. Their investor base includes seasoned SF investors as well as new entrants to the asset class. Notably, they also brought three female investors on board. Among their backers are Orca Equity Partners, Ed Butler, Ritz Steytler, Felix Leuschner & Josh Stein (from Target Global), Novadvice, Cabiedes Inversiones, Itaca Capital, Ventus Capital Partners, Legacy Partners, Ivona & Corbin Butcher, Michael Tobey, Winston Chiu, William Mairs, and Jon Staenberg.

Kathryn began her career at Advance, a pro bono consulting group founded by former LEK consultants, before joining LEK Consulting in 2018. There, she worked with medium-sized UK businesses across various sectors. Following her MBA at London Business School, she joined KKR, working across the investment cycle from early-stage screening to portfolio management. In 2022, she returned to LEK to build the firm’s Sustainability Centre, leading a global team and focusing on new product and business development. Carlos started his professional journey in law, first as a trainee solicitor at Herbert Smith Freehills, and later as an associate at Enyo Law, before moving into strategy consulting at LEK in 2022. He also served as CEO of Serpentine, one of the UK’s largest running clubs, where he successfully led a turnaround to reverse declining membership.

Norte Partners is looking to acquire a growing business with £1–5M in EBITDA, located anywhere in the UK. One of their potential differentiators is their identity as a family team—something that could resonate with family business owners who value the idea of passing their legacy on to a like-minded couple. Their preferred sectors include businesses that contribute to caring for people—such as pre-primary education, safety services, and professional services—as well as environmentally focused sectors, including recycling services, environmental testing, and the sustainable materials industry.