WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., April 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Applico Capital, a trusted technology investor in B2B distribution, is proud to announce the launch of its tech-enabled private equity strategy. Its new private equity division partners with scaled B2B distributors, empowering strong management teams to grow faster and more profitably by increasing their investment in AI. The strategy has garnered significant support from family offices and institutions outside of the industry who see a transformative period ahead for the $8 trillion B2B distribution industry.
“AI is providing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine everything about B2B distribution,” said Alex Moazed, Founder & CEO of Applico Capital. “We are partnering with large B2B distributors that want to establish the new standard for supplier, customer, and employee expectations. Not only will AI create material internal synergies, but the distributors who proliferate AI capabilities externally can redefine the flow of information and commerce in their vertical.”
Unparalleled AI Expertise: Venture and Private Equity
No one else has the experience of technology innovation in the B2B distribution industry like that of Applico Capital. Starting in 2016, with the publication of the best-selling book, Modern Monopolies, the firm has been the leading operator at the intersection of B2B distribution and technology innovation. Applico Capital’s trusted relationships with industry leaders led to the launch of its inaugural venture fund in 2023 – the first and only venture fund focused on investing in technology for B2B Distributors, backed by more than ten billion-dollar-revenue B2B distributors.
“Applico Capital has been investing in the best-and-brightest tech innovators in supply chain and B2B distribution over the past decade. The AI capabilities have reached the point where they are ready to transform the industry and are getting stronger every month,” said Nick Johnson, Applico Capital Managing Partner. “Our new private equity division helps large B2B Distributors lead their industry by integrating proven AI capabilities to reinvent the fabric of commerce in their vertical.”
Applico Capital’s two investment strategies, venture and private equity, create a powerful feedback loop with one another. Insights from venture investments and the startup landscape inform private equity synergies. And, the needs from private equity inform venture’s focus.
A New Model for Private Equity
Applico Capital has built a tech-enabled playbook that can be executed with a new model for private equity: the technology operating partner as minority owner.
Traditional private equity needs majority control to execute a leveraged buyout strategy. Applico Capital offers a different approach. We underwrite operational synergies that come from accelerated AI adoption. We work as a technology operating partner alongside existing ownership and management, who already know how to best motivate their team members.
As an investor in the B2B distributor, Applico Capital is tied to the long-term, financial success of the company. And, just as importantly, the management team and thousands of employees in the B2B distributor can trust Applico Capital, knowing that we’re all on the same team.
Strategic, Flexible Capital
In the past 12 months, B2B distribution has seen landmark acquisitions by strategics and sponsors who will make significant investments in AI tech-enablement. Applico Capital partners with family-owned, employee-owned, and publicly traded distributors, offering minority and alternative investment structures that let you retain control while also gaining a strategic technology partner. Our approach ensures that you can continue to invest in your existing organic and inorganic growth strategies while harnessing AI to become the leader in your vertical.
About Applico Capital
Applico Capital is the leading technology investor in the $8 trillion B2B distribution industry. Its venture capital division, Applico Capital Ventures, invests in technology startups that enhance B2B distributors’ operations. Since its founding in 2009, Applico has been a pioneer at the intersection of technology and large enterprises, evolving from one of the largest app developers in the U.S. to a strategic advisor with the publication of Modern Monopolies, the definitive book on marketplaces and platform business models. It has spent a decade working with CEOs of billion-dollar distributors on technology innovation. This expertise now drives Applico’s mission to transform B2B distribution through tech-enabled private equity.
For media inquiries, contact: Chris Vlasto, [email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bcc4089a-0046-48a3-a5ff-55a96203146e
