Demand a New Standard for Digital Transformation

One Partner.
End-to-End Accountability.

Pragmatic Value Creation for Middle-Market Companies

Middle-market companies face a persistent value creation gap. Despite a desire to modernize, conventional digital transformation routinely fails due to a lack of internal capacity and fragmented accountability. The result: compromise at a high cost – full of features you don't use, while imposing inefficient workflows misaligned to how your organization actually functions. Overbuild and underfit.

StraightArrow closes that gap. We provide a comprehensive end-to-end solution, beginning with deeply understanding your unique business and pain points. We drive efficiency by developing and implementing cost-effective, customized software – tailored to what your business actually needs.

Begin the Conversation Our Approach
EBITDA Expansion
Operational Adoption
Multiple Differential
Measurable EBITDA Lift

Why Traditional Digital Transformation Falls Short

Fragmented Accountability Produces Predictable Failure

The traditional model splits strategy, implementation, and technology across three separate parties — each optimizing for their own outcomes, none actually accountable for the customer's operational and EBITDA success.

The Management Consultant illustration

The Management Consultant

No accountability for outcomes.

The Systems Integrator illustration

The Systems Integrator

No accountability for financial impact.

The Enterprise Software Vendor illustration

The Enterprise Software Vendor

Platform misaligned to actual workflows.

The Result: Predictable Bloat, Failed Execution

Layered Costs
Timeline Slippage
Budget Overruns
Weak Adoption
ROI Erosion

The StraightArrow Alternative

Single Thread of Accountability — Strategy Through Impact

One team. One engagement. Accountable from ROI definition through measurable operating results. Incentives are aligned to outcomes.

01

Strategy & Ownership

ROI defined and agreed before execution begins. We own the financial thesis with incentives linked directly to outcomes, demonstrating accountability throughout the full engagement.

02

Workflow-Led Design

Processes are simplified before automation is introduced. We design around how your organization actually works — not how a platform vendor thinks it should.

03

Targeted AI & Software

Capital-light deployment aligned to your specific business. Fit-for-purpose tools, not gold-plated enterprise suites that drive cost without adoption.

The Difference

Traditional Model vs. StraightArrow

Dimension
Traditional Model
StraightArrow
Fee Structure
Activity-based — fees accrue regardless of adoption or financial impact
Incentives aligned to outcomes — fees linked to results.
Strategy & ROI Definition
Consultant advises — no accountability for outcomes or execution
ROI defined and agreed before execution begins; ownership clearly defined.
Technology Deployment
Integrator builds — scope creep and slippage are the expected norm
Workflow-led design precedes all automation; adoption built in
Software Selection
Enterprise vendor delivers rigid, over-featured platform misaligned to workflows
Fit-for-purpose tools designed for actual operating needs
EBITDA Accountability
No one owns the financial outcome — solution effectiveness falls through the cracks
Single team accountable from strategy through measurable results

Engagement Model

The 180-Day EBITDA Acceleration Model

30 Days

Diagnose

Rapid operational triage to isolate margin leakage & automation-ready bottlenecks. Quantify top 3–5 EBITDA levers with rough-order financial impact.

60 Days

Design

Build prioritized execution roadmap for specific use cases with board-ready ROI plan; accountable executive owners partnered with StraightArrow.

90 Days

Execute

Simplify workflows and deploy initial AI automation to deliver measurable EBITDA lift. Improve AR and inventory discipline, billing accuracy, and business intelligence.

Ongoing

Institutionalize

Transfer capability — not perpetual reliance. Institutionalize management cadence & KPI rigor that withstands exit diligence.

15–35%+
SG&A Productivity Lift
20–40%+
Reduction of Admin Tasks
90 Days
Board-Grade KPI Dashboard Live

Why It Works in the Middle-Market — Built for Resource-Constrained Companies

Built to Deliver Sustainable Value Creation

Aligned Incentives

Fee structure partially tied to measurable EBITDA outcomes. Our economics move with portco results.

Senior Operator-Led

No junior-heavy teams. The principals who scope the work are the ones who execute it.

Capital-Light

Automation layered onto existing systems. No ERP moonshots. No multi-year implementation risk.

Hold-Period Focused

Fewer, ROI-maximizing initiatives — measurable lift within the fund's investment timeline.

The Market Reality

The Evolving Middle-Market Landscape

Lowest Since 2016

PE Fundraising

Middle-market fundraising has hit its lowest levels since 2016, intensifying the pressure on sponsors to extract more value from existing portfolio companies.

Source: McKinsey, 2025
87%

Reference Digital Transformation

The vast majority of firms now cite digital transformation as a core value creation lever — yet most companies lack the internal capacity to execute.


Source: BCG, 2026
2x ROIC

With AI Adoption

Companies that successfully adopt AI are seeing double the return on invested capital — but only when deployment is aligned to actual workflows.

Source: BCG, 2026

The People Behind the Work

Operators Who Have Held Every Seat at the Table

StraightArrow was founded by principals who have built companies with their own reputations on the line, run operations under real pressure, navigated creditor negotiations, and deployed institutional capital. This is not advisory theory — it is pattern recognition built from careers in all of these roles.

Nathan Brawn

Strategy, Workflow Optimization & Operations

Adept professional with significant experience in private capital investments and corporate transformations, with hands-on experience in executive leadership roles driving operational value creation. In his previous roles as a private equity professional and a C-suite executive, Nate drove organizational transformation within growing companies through process improvement across sales, finance, operations, and supply-chain management.

As Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer at Context Labs, Nate drove execution of commercial and capital strategy for sales and corporate development, contributing to over $80 million of multi-year customer acquisitions, supported by over $50 million of growth capital raised. As a Managing Director at BP Energy Partners, Nate worked directly with senior management teams to resolve business challenges with pragmatic solutions designed for quick adoption and impact. Prior to BP, Nate spent nearly a decade a MatlinPatterson, working supporting the private equity firm's investment strategy to acquire and turnaround financially distressed companies.

B.S. Finance & Accounting, Babson College

Matthew Berchtold

Digital Transformation & Solution Architecture

Accomplished executive and operator focused on translating complex operations and digital infrastructure into measurable EBITDA impact. Matt brings a rare combination of capital markets fluency, enterprise AI deployment, and asset-intensive operating experience — enabling rapid diagnosis and disciplined execution for sustained margin expansion.

As Chief Product Officer at Context Labs, an enterprise AI platform at the intersection of energy and digital markets, Matt built and managed 80-person cross-functional teams, helped secure a $55 million strategic partnership, and grew revenue to over $20 million ARR. Before that, Matt supported multi-billion dollar transactions at JP Morgan. Over more than a decade at BP, Matt managed critical infrastructure and delivered capital projects across some of BP’s most valuable assets, bringing operating discipline and execution rigor in high-risk, capital-intensive environments.

MBA Finance, MIT Sloan • B.S. Chemical Engineering & Economics, Northwestern

Get Started

Begin the Conversation

Strong partnerships are built on shared experience and trust. Whether you have an immediate need in your portfolio, want to explore value creation opportunities together, or simply want to learn more about our approach, we'd like to meet you and hear about your goals.

connections@straightarrow.ai

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