Former BlackRock Private Equity Managers Launch Growth Equity Firm

Three former members of BlackRock’s private equity team have launched a growth equity fund, a new website for that fund shows.  

The new firm, called Prysm Capital, will raise growth capital to invest in the technology, consumer, and health care sectors, according to its website.  

Jay Park, who spent 18 years at BlackRock Private Equity Partners, founded the firm, along with Matt Roberts and Muhammad Mian, who spent nine years each at BlackRock, the site said.  

According to Prysm Capital’s site, the firm will invest in companies to “expand their growing business, launch new products or geographies, make acquisitions or provide liquidity to existing shareholders.” 

A spokesperson for BlackRock did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. A spokesperson for Prysm declined to comment.  

Before joining BlackRock, Park was a principal investment officer at Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity, where he focused on investing in emerging markets. He started his career in the firm’s mergers and acquisitions department, according to Prysm’s website.  

Meanwhile, Roberts was a part of the leveraged finance group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he worked with middle-market companies to create structured credit facilities, the website said.  

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Mian, for his part, worked for Salesforce prior to joining BlackRock, working in both the marketing strategy and corporate financial planning and analysis at the company. He also worked for TiVo in its finance organization and at Merrill Lynch in its private equity department, the Prysm site showed.  

Prysm has offices in both San Francisco and Princeton, New Jersey, according to its website. The firm has not yet provided details on its plans to raise capital.