First Close

Langham Hall
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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

  1. Jul 16

    John Messer, Founder at Copilot Capital

    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 invests in founder led SaaS businesses in Europe. Copilot's first fund is now almost fully deployed, with investments in Sweden, Denmark and the UK. In this conversation, we talked about: John's unusual route into private equityThe “SaaSpocalypse” and how AI is reshaping software investingHow AI could change the structure of private equity deal teamsWhen founders should step back from the CEO roleThe trade-offs of taking seed capital as an emerging managerWhy zombie funds may create new opportunities for specialist managersAnd of course, what John thinks success will look like for Copilot First Close is powered by Langham Hall, the award winning provider of fund services to global emerging managers.

    John Messer, Founder at Copilot Capital

  2. Jun 16

    Mark Williams, Co-Founder at Goldenpeak

    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 Inflexion. At Inflexion, he was responsible for the sourcing, execution and management of private equity investments between £25 – 100m across business services, data and information, and education sectors. Most notably, Mark led Inflexion Partnership Capital’s most successful ever deal, reported to have generated almost 6x return in just 18 months. In 2025, he co-founded Goldenpeak with ex-Houlihan Lokey banker Leon Gillespie, raising the debut fund at £375m, and hitting the hard cap in just 12 weeks. In this conversation, we talked about: How Mark began a career in Private EquityThe key factors that made such a fast fundraise possible, and the challenges along the wayWhere there is value to be found in the current marketBuilding a high performing teamAnd of course, what Mark thinks success will look like for Goldenpeak First Close is powered by Langham Hall, the award winning provider of fund services to global emerging managers.

    Mark Williams, Co-Founder at Goldenpeak

  3. Jun 4

    Welcome to First Close

    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 coming soon. Hit follow to be the first to know when it drops. First Close is powered by Langham Hall.

  • 3 Episodes

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Langham Hall
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Langham Hall
  • Show Website
    First Close

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