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It was only in 2004 that Luc Gerard was formally introduced to the world of private equity. From that moment on, it literally took over his life. He had been managing growth and acquisitions for large corporate entities for years; the step toward doing it privately seemed not only natural but also long overdue. He thought he had an edge too: He knew the Colombian market inside out. In comparison to the US and Europe, Latin America was still largely untapped by private equity, and this despite the fact that regional economies were growing fast and many successful enterprises were emerging and thriving. In Colombia, where Luc had been living and working for years, he had encountered many businesses with fantastic growth potential. At a personal level, his entrepreneurial spirit was getting restless. The reputation he had built in the region as dealmaker and enabler presented him daily with opportunities he could hardly resist anymore. But setting up a private equity vehicle was no piece of cake. With no experience in an industry that relied primarily on track records, getting Tribeca - TribeCapital Partners - off the ground would not be easy. Colombia was clearly ripe for private equity but with no proven investment experience to their names, Luc and his partner Gerardo Leon were not in a position to attract investors immediately. First, they would have to prove themselves as investors, dealmakers, managers and value creators. With pre-fund money, they endeavoured to build that early track record, acquiring three companies within the first year of operation and moving swiftly to expand them. With these visible deals under their belts, they proceeded to formally raise funds for Tribeca Private Equity Fund I. By early 2008, Tribeca ran a team of 20 employees, had five companies in portfolio and managed commitments of close to USD330 million, making it one of the largest private equity funds in Latin America. The question was, what next?