Investing Family Capital in
Who we are
Skydeck, based in Chicago, is a private investment firm investing capital on behalf of the Polsky family. Skydeck targets direct investments in lower-middle market companies in majority or minority equity positions. Additionally, Skydeck invests in opportunistic and income producing real property with experienced operators. Because of our proprietary capital base, Skydeck is not bound by any pre-defined time horizons or investment hurdles, and can be very opportunistic.
The foundation of Skydeck is the experience and entrepreneurial spirit of its founder, Michael Polsky, who founded Indeck Energy Services, Skygen Energy and his latest venture, Invenergy. The name Skydeck pays homage to the successful exits of Skygen and Indeck. These three successful businesses were built from the ground up into multi-billion dollar enterprises. Today, Invenergy is North America’s largest independent, privately held renewable energy provider and is leading the industry and country to a clean energy future.
- We understand the needs of business owners and executives. We have been in your shoes.
- We have flexibility on structure, time horizon and risk management.
- We use debt sparingly. We manage risk and do not have IRR hurdles to satisfy.
- We act fast. Our decision-making process is nimble, and our diligence is efficient.
- We let managers operate autonomously. We engage in board level discussions and are a non-intrusive partner to executives.
Investment criteria
Private Equity
- Majority or minority equity investments in operating companies
- $3-10 million in EBITDA for majority investments, flexible on minority
- Sectors we like: services, manufacturing, consumer, healthcare
- Business characteristics we like: consistent cash flows, attractive return on capital, recurring demand, low customer concentration, potential for growth
- Management team and sponsors to have a material financial investment in the company
Real Estate
- Collaborating with like-minded sponsors/operators willing to invest along side Skydeck in a material way
- $3-10 million equity investments with control over major decisions
- Preference for non-institutional, income oriented investments with high quality cash flow including sale-lease back opportunities with strong credits
- Long-term hold periods, resilient assets able to perform through multiple market cycles
Meet our team
The Skydeck team works efficiently and effectively in a true partnership form.
Portfolio Companies
Skydeck maintains a diverse portfolio of private equity and real estate investments in addition to several opportunistic investments in venture and public companies. While Skydeck was founded in 2013, Polsky has been making successful direct investments in private equity, venture and real estate for over two decades.
Waste processing and
recycling services
Heart failure monitoring and management platform
STEM online
learning platform
The best self-service key duplication kiosks
Fresh food served fast at value prices
Addiction treatment programs that work
The software that powers energy retailers
Mass Timber is changing the way we build
A fundamentally new way to pay
Create the perfect packaging
Cancer risk assessment solutions.
Quick and convenient personal loans
Empowering people with diabetes to live a better life
Tea beverages inspired by mixologists and nutritionists
Leading provider of additive manufacturing solutions.
Representative Real Estate Investments
Shoreham Solar
Acquisition of approximately 150 acres of land on Long Island and leased on a long-term basis to a solar energy project.
Adams LaSalle Institutional Apartments
Strategic partnership in the acquisition and management of over 3,000 multi-family unit portfolio following the 2008 financial crisis.
The Tannery Creative Office Campus
15 acre campus of creative office assets located in Milwaukee’s urban core and opportunity zone.
Post Office Distribution Center
US Postal Service distribution facility strategically located on 9 acres in the Milwaukee CBD and adjacent to a major transportation center.
WGN Corporate Campus
10 acre site containing mission critical operations and located in the highly desirable Roscoe Village neighborhood in Chicago.
Hyde Park Places
Portfolio of three vintage apartment buildings in the Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood repositioned as economically priced market rate apartments.
731 S. Plymouth
Historic building in Chicago’s Printers Row neighborhood currently serving as a student dormitory scheduled to be repositioned as market rate apartments.
Crown Frost Campus
Creative office campus located in the Northeast Arts District of Minneapolis.
Contact us
Please feel free to contact us and submit investment opportunities fitting Skydeck’s investment parameters.