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First Close

Langham Hall 4 Episodes Oct 13, 2026

Tom Pinnell sits down with some of the most exciting emerging spinout and startup fund managers in private equity, as well as the people that back and advise them, to discuss their careers to date, why now is the time to launch an emerging manager, and the trials and tribulations involved in reaching a first close. Powered by Langham Hall, the award winning fund services platform for emerging managers.

Episodes

Miles Otway, Co-Founder at Ama Capital Oct 13, 2026 39:37 Why chemistry can kill a deal, bringing operating partners inside the tent, and building a business not just an investor.Miles Otway has spent his career in the UK lower mid-market, most recently more than eleven years as a Partner and Head of New Business at Connection Capital. In late 2024 he co-founded Ama Capital an independent sponsor platform built on a simple idea: operating partners should

Chris Gorell Barnes, Co-Founder at Ocean 14 Capital Sep 15, 2026 37:31 "The most important investment thesis of all time."Chris Gorell Barnes spent over a decade building the Blue Marine Foundation, one of the world's leading ocean conservation charities, before co-founding Ocean 14 Capital, a private equity impact fund dedicated to the blue economy. In 2024, Ocean 14 raised over €200 million for its debut fund hitting the hard cap. Chris says that Ocean 14’s mandate

Guy Ellis, Founder at Broadfield Capital Aug 11, 2026 44:33 Will Broadfield ever raise a fund, why the independent sponsor model is maturing in Europe, and the importance of personality types in high performing teams.Guy Ellis began his career as a management consultant focusing on operational improvement and value creation, before holding roles at Goldman, Alcuin Capital and most recently Rockpool Investments.Across his career, he's made nine platform inv

John Messer, Founder at Copilot Capital Jul 16, 2026 41:15 Is AI really taking over the world, are zombie funds a good thing, and when should a founder step down as CEO?John Messer is the founder of Copilot Capital, a lower mid market SaaS investor.John has spent a decade in private equity in the UK, including roles at Inflexion, Alchemy Partners and Tenzing, almost exclusively focused on software buyouts. In 2023, he founded Copilot Capital, which invest

Mark Williams, Co-Founder at Goldenpeak Jun 16, 2026 32:08 Why private equity has become lazy, the importance of trust, and the key to a successful fundraise.Mark Williams is the co-founder and managing partner of Goldenpeak, one of the most exciting private equity firms to have launched in recent years.Mark began his career in investment banking at Close Brothers, before holding key investment roles at Bank of America, Sovereign Capital and most recently

Welcome to First Close Jun 4, 2026 01:26 First Close is the emerging manager podcast, hosted by Tom Pinnell. Each episode, Tom will sit down with emerging managers and the people who back, advise, and work alongside them — talking honestly about what it really takes to build a private equity firm from scratch. The fundraises, the failures, and the moments that define whether a first-time fund becomes a lasting franchise.Episode 1 is comi

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