How long does the process take from first conversation to close?

It varies, but a typical direct transaction with prepared financials can move from first conversation to signed letter of intent in four to eight weeks, and from LOI to close in another sixty to ninety days. We move at your pace.

Do I need a lawyer or accountant before we talk?

No — the first conversation is informal and confidential. You should have advisors involved before you sign anything, but there's no need to mobilize a team just to have an initial discussion.

Can I stay involved in the business after I sell?

Yes, if that's what you want. Many founders stay on in an advisory or transitional operating role for a defined period. Others prefer a clean handover. We build the arrangement around you.

What happens to my employees when the business is sold?

They stay. Keeping the team intact is core to how we operate — not just a promise we make in the room. Our model depends on the people and relationships you've built, so it's in our direct interest to honour them.

What is permanent capital in the context of a business acquisition?

Permanent capital means the buyer has no fixed fund lifecycle requiring a resale. The business is acquired to be owned and operated indefinitely, not to be bought, improved, and resold on a timeline imposed by investors.

How is permanent capital different from private equity?

A PE fund must return capital to investors within a fixed window — typically seven to ten years — which creates pressure to resell. Permanent capital has no such constraint: the business stays owned and operated, not prepared for the next sale.

Will the business name and brand survive the acquisition?

Yes. We keep the name, the team, and the customer relationships intact. Absorbing or rebranding businesses is not our model.

How it works

What selling to Pygmalion actually looks like

Selling a business is one of the most significant decisions of your life. Our process is designed to give you clarity at each stage without pressure: a confidential first conversation, honest alignment on fit and terms, a clear offer, thorough but efficient diligence, a clean close, and then long-term stewardship of what you built.

A different kind of buyer

Permanent capital — a different kind of buyer

Most buyers have a clock. Private equity funds must return capital within a fixed window, which means they must sell again — and everything they do between buying and selling is shaped by that exit. Permanent capital has no such clock. We buy to own, operate, and steward indefinitely. The return comes from the business being stronger in year ten than year one.

Your Next Operator

Acquire · Steward · Grow

We acquire exceptional Ontario manufacturing businesses to operate for the long term. No financial engineering, no quick flip — we become the owner-operator committed to your team, your customers, and the community you've built.

Operational Advisory

Advise · Prepare · Maximize

Not ready to sell? We work alongside owners as operational advisors — improving systems, increasing enterprise value, and planning for succession on your timeline. When you're ready, we're already a trusted partner.

Explore advisory at ForgeShift →

Operator Credibility

Credibility Through Ownership

Having led manufacturing process technology across a major automotive group and advised industrial clients at a global strategy firm, the principal brings rare operator credibility. That cross-functional background is an edge most buyers cannot replicate.

The process, step by step

1
Start here · it begins with a conversation
CONVERSATION
A confidential, no-obligation call or meeting — just you and Hendrik. No advisors, no pitch decks. We talk about your business, your timeline, and what matters most to you. Nothing leaves the room.
Start a confidential conversation →
2
ALIGNMENT
If there's a fit, we go deeper. We share how we think about value, what the structure might look like, and what the business would look like under our ownership. You ask the hard questions; we answer them straight.
3
OFFER
A clear, written offer — no games, no re-trading at the end. We price fairly based on the real numbers, not an inflated number designed to win the mandate and chip away later.
4
DILIGENCE
Thorough but efficient. We've done the operational and financial work and know what to look for. We treat your team and your information with respect throughout.
5
CLOSE
Clean execution, on the timeline we agreed. No last-minute surprises. You know exactly where you stand from offer through closing.
6
STEWARDSHIP
After close, we operate the business for the long term — keeping your team, your name, and the culture you built. You choose how involved you want to be, and for how long.

Our model

What permanent capital means in practice

No fund clock, no forced sale

A PE fund typically runs seven to ten years. After the acquisition, the clock is ticking — and every operational decision is filtered through the question of how it looks to the next buyer. We have no such pressure. Our horizon is indefinite, which means we can make the right long-term decisions for the business rather than the ones that dress it up for resale.

Conservative financing

Leveraged buyouts amplify returns but also amplify risk — to the business, its employees, and its customers. We finance acquisitions conservatively, keeping the balance sheet healthy so the business can invest and weather cycles rather than service debt.

An operator in the chair

We don't buy and install a management team from afar. The principal operates the business directly after acquisition. That means accountability, continuity for the existing team, and the shop-floor credibility to earn respect from day one.

Your team and name stay

We keep what makes the business work. The team that built the customer relationships stays. The name that carries the reputation stays. We are builders — committed to the communities, employees, and customers that made your business great.

For you

What it looks like for you

What we promise throughout

Confidentiality from the first call. Honesty about fit — if it's not right, we'll tell you early rather than waste your time. Respect for your team, your information, and your legacy. A process that moves at your pace, not ours.

Your role after the sale

Entirely your choice. Some owners want a clean break the day they sign. Others want to stay on as advisors, consultants, or even operational leads for a defined transition period. We have no single template — we build the arrangement around what works for you and the business.

What happens to your employees

They stay. We don't buy businesses to cut overhead and flip them. The team that built the customer relationships and the operational knowledge is the business — we're committed to them from day one. You can look them in the eye when you announce the sale.

Confidentiality until you're ready

We run a tight, NDA-backed process. Nothing reaches your employees, your customers, or your competitors until you decide it's time. Most transactions complete without a single person outside the deal team knowing a conversation was happening.

“We are builders — committed to the communities, employees, and customers that made your business great.”
Pygmalion Capital

Common questions

: It varies, but a typical direct transaction with prepared financials can move from first conversation to signed letter of intent in four to eight weeks, and from LOI to close in another sixty to ninety days. We move at your pace.
: No — the first conversation is informal and confidential. You should have advisors involved before you sign anything, but there's no need to mobilize a team just to have an initial discussion.
: Yes, if that's what you want. Many founders stay on in an advisory or transitional operating role for a defined period. Others prefer a clean handover. We build the arrangement around you.
: They stay. Keeping the team intact is core to how we operate — not just a promise we make in the room. Our model depends on the people and relationships you've built, so it's in our direct interest to honour them.
: Permanent capital means the buyer has no fixed fund lifecycle requiring a resale. The business is acquired to be owned and operated indefinitely, not to be bought, improved, and resold on a timeline imposed by investors.
: A PE fund must return capital to investors within a fixed window — typically seven to ten years — which creates pressure to resell. Permanent capital has no such constraint: the business stays owned and operated, not prepared for the next sale.
: Yes. We keep the name, the team, and the customer relationships intact. Absorbing or rebranding businesses is not our model.

Ready when you are.

It starts with a conversation.

Start a confidential conversation →What we look for →