ABS Capital Announces Several Senior Leadership Promotions on Heels of Growth Equity Firm’s 30-Year Anniversary

ABS Capital, a prominent growth equity investment firm headquartered in Baltimore with locations across the Mid-Atlantic and in San Francisco, today announced the promotion of several partners on the heels of its 30-year anniversary. Mike Avon, who joined the firm in 2015, has been named managing general partner and will serve alongside current Managing General Partner John Stobo. Mike will continue to oversee the firm’s business and tech-enabled services group out of ABS’ new Washington, DC office; John will continue to lead from the company’s San Francisco Bay Area office.

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Managing General Partner, Mike Avon (Photo: Business Wire)

After serving as managing general partner for 15 years, Phil Clough will become ABS Capital’s chairman and will continue to serve as a full-time general partner. Additionally, Robyn Lehman, a member of the ABS Capital finance team since 2000, has been promoted to general partner and CFO; former CFO, James Stevenson, retired at the end of 2020.

“Our entire firm is energized and inspired by today’s announcements. Mike brings tremendous credibility to his new role as both a successful investor and operator. We look forward enthusiastically to his leadership as well as the firm’s greater presence in Washington, DC,” said Clough. “The firm is very well-positioned for the future as we strive to help our portfolio companies grow and generate strong returns for our investors - just as we’ve done for the past three decades.”

Prior to joining ABS Capital, Mike founded Washington, DC-based ICX Media, a video analytics and intelligence company where he was the founding CEO and currently serves as executive chairman. Mike also previously served as CFO and executive vice president/founding investor at Millennial Media, a Baltimore-based mobile advertising company that had a successful IPO in 2012 (NYSE: MM) and was acquired by Verizon in 2015. Earlier in his career, Mike served as a venture capitalist at Columbia Capital.

“ABS Capital is a leader in the growth equity space and is well-known for being one of the very few growth equity firms that has a storied legacy of partnering with founders and CEOs to amplify and accelerate their business goals,” said Avon. “I have immensely enjoyed being a part of this outstanding team these last few years; ABS’ guiding principles and values resonate deeply with my own ideals as a business partner and investor, and I am looking forward to many future successes as we continue to grow and build ABS Capital.”

ABS Capital has a long history of investing in DC-area companies. Current investments include: Audacious Inquiry, deepwatch, ExecOnline, and Guidepoint Security. Prior successes in the region include: Alarm.com (NASDAQ:ALRM), American Public Education (NASDAQ: APEI), Avalere Health, an Inovalon company (NASDAQ: INOV), ConnectYourCare, Liquidity Services (NASDAQ:LQDT), Neustar, and Rosetta Stone.

“Our 30-year track record and consistent focus on growth company investing is unique in our industry. It is exciting to think what the next generation of ABS Capital will continue to do for growth companies and our investors,” added Co-founder and Chairman Emeritus, Don Hebb.

About ABS Capital partners

For 30 years, ABS Capital has been investing in later-stage growth companies, helping CEOs capitalize on new opportunities and navigate unforeseen obstacles – while never losing sight of the ultimate goal of achieving lasting excellence. Our partners have decades of experience as C-level executives, investment bankers, and investors in the industries in which we invest: business and tech-enabled services and health care. This combination of experience and expertise means we have a laser-focus on the specific needs growth companies face as they look to get to the next level. By helping to transform over 130 companies through their most crucial stage of development, ABS continues to help unleash the potential for lasting growth. Visit www.abscapital.com for more information.

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