Savant Growth Research
Investment Thesis
Savant Growth is a US growth equity firm that backs capital-efficient, founder-led B2B SaaS companies. Its stated thesis is that the digitization of most work-streams will create large value in every industry, and that businesses combining software, data, analytics and AI to redesign workflows will reshape market leadership. Since 2024 the firm frames this as an Applied AI strategy: it looks for bootstrapped or customer-funded software companies that use AI to automate processes along the customer lifecycle, improving efficiency or outcomes. The firm says it has about thirty years of experience with software, analytics and AI, and that its first decade was financial advisory work on more than 200 technology exits.
Origins and Structure
The firm launched Kennet Partners' US presence in 2000. In 2021 Kennet recapitalized and the North American and European teams split to focus on their own markets, which produced Savant Growth as the US fund. Savant keeps working with Kennet: it manages the US investment program for Kennet V and Kennet VI, and is the exclusive subadvisor for 30% of Kennet VI, a fund that raised EUR 266M for AI-driven SaaS. Press from the inaugural fund era reported a $500M first fund. Many deals are announced as a partnership with Kennet. The firm also owns two operating arms that serve portfolio companies: DevSavant (nearshore engineering, AI consulting and staffing, run from Colombia) and SaleSavant (lead generation and customer acquisition). It also runs a Savant Accelerator program for companies not yet ready for capital.
Stage Focus
Growth equity. The firm targets companies with ARR of roughly $5M to $25M in the first year of investment and growth of 30% to 100% or more. Team bios put the associate-level target at $3M to $15M ARR. Savant is often the first institutional investor, and seed or angel funding before its entry is common. Past deals include Series A and B rounds (FileCloud, Redica, Onfleet, Impartner) and majority recapitalizations (Revolution Prep).
Check Size
A team bio states tickets of $10M to $40M. The Qount deal was a $17M investment alongside Kennet, and the FileCloud and Redica rounds were each $30M with Savant leading.
Lead Tendency
Both. It led FileCloud's $30M Series A and Redica's $30M Series B, took majority stakes, and also invests as a sizable minority holder alongside Kennet or individuals (Treehouse Interactive with Joe Wang).
Recent Activity
The most recent announced investment is the $17M Qount deal, an AI practice management platform for accounting firms, announced with Kennet. The firm announced its second vehicle, built through the Kennet VI subadvisory, and says it is actively pursuing new deals. A third-party tracker listed no new investments in 2026 as of September 2026. The news page carries no dates, so event dates are left blank.
Portfolio Highlights
Current investments listed on the site: Redica (life sciences data intelligence), Mineral (HR and compliance guidance), Conversica (conversational AI for revenue teams), IntelePeer (cloud communications and contact center), FileCloud (secure content collaboration), Impartner (partner relationship management), Experience.com (experience management), Exactera (tax compliance), Onfleet (last-mile delivery software), Fulcrum (field inspection management). Prior team investments include Revolution Prep, Vlocity (acquired by Salesforce), Prolexic, Recommind (acquired by OpenText), Kemp Technologies, Sermo, School Wires, Academix Direct, Kapow Technologies, NetPro, MedeAnalytics, Consul Risk Management and Daptiv. The site claims 16 portfolio IPO exits.
Team
- Javier Rojas, Founder and Managing Partner. Harvard MBA, Georgetown BS in finance and computer science. Coaches bootstrapped founders from $10M to $100M.
- Eric Filipek, Founder and Managing Partner. Wharton undergraduate. Focuses on founder-led B2B SaaS using AI to automate processes. Started in mid-market M&A advisory.
- Olivier Verhage, Principal (named in the Qount announcement).
- Regina Riojas, Investment Associate. Sourcing and execution, former technology investment banker.
- Paola Castellanos, Chief of Staff and Investment Associate.
- DevSavant and SaleSavant operating staff (Daniel Pena, Roberto Ronderos, Sergio Echeverri, David Coke, Jose Gomez, Alejandro Rivero) serve portfolio companies and are not investors.
Decision Process
Partnership of two managing partners with a small investment team. Co-decisions with Kennet on shared deals. No stated timeline.
Founder Preferences
Capital-efficient founders who reached a pivotal customer base on customer revenue, are open to AI-led product strategy, and want help beyond capital, including engineering and sales capacity from DevSavant and SaleSavant. Open to majority or sizable minority stakes and to founder liquidity.
Geographic Focus
US-based companies, with Kennet's network used to expand portfolio companies into Europe and bring European companies into the US. Portfolio companies sit in Florida, Utah, California and Texas, among others. The site does not state the firm's headquarters, so location is left blank.
Gaps
The site's $92B AUM and $1T enterprise value figures read as aggregate figures for the wider group and portfolio, not fund size, so AUM is not set. Dates for most deals are not published.