CAMERON NEWTON, co-founder and managing general partner in Nashville's Relevance Ventures, today confirmed for VNC that the firm is now seeking opportunities under its Relevance Capital brand to deliver funded independent sponsorship for attractive businesses in the lower-middle market that have "established revenue, profitability, and operating histories."

This past July, Miami-based James Carey became managing partner of Relevance Capital, focusing on activation of the firm's rapidly emerging sponsorship role.

Carey's appointment followed his more than 20 years in private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and related financial roles with H.I.G. Capital, New River Capital Partners, Next Sparc Growth Partners, E78 Partners, and others in the finance sector, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The Relevance Capital strategy page says the firm's invests across four sectors: Healthcare, Technology, Business services and Consumer. 

In the healthcare space, Relevance invests in high-growth companies focused on personal health, community health, digital health, and financial health. 

In-line with that, Cameron Newton confirmed for VNC that firm's RV II The Wellness Fund LP, which was filed in 1Q CY2025 with no target showing for the equity raise at that time, has since completed its first close at north of $50MM, and its overall target unchanged at $150MM.

According to its website, Relevance expects to serve as lead or co-lead and to assume a seat on the company's board of directors. It aims to add value in the context of minority growth capital, recapitalizations, buyouts and acquisitions.

Carey's charge is to lead the firm's investment activity by targeting "companies that typically generate approximately $1 million to $15 million of EBITDA with established operations and clear opportunities for continued growth, extending Relevance's reach later into the growth journey, while Relevance Ventures continues its existing venture focus on companies generating $1 million to $10 million in revenue with scalable solutions, large TAMs, and clear paths to profitability," according to a Relevance press release.

Relevance said Carey will remain based in South Florida, adding that the firm plans to establish presence in Miami, much as it has done in Nashville, Charlotte and Denver.

In the same release, Cameron Newton emphasized, "Our venture strategy remains unchanged, but James gives us the experience and relationships to capitalize on lower-middle-market opportunities using an independent sponsor model. We've listened carefully to the market and to our LPs, and this is a natural evolution of the Relevance platform. At the same time, the independent sponsor structure gives our investors greater choice through select co-investments in businesses with established revenue, profitability, and operating histories."

Relevant Ventures' Co-founder, Chairman and General Partner Dean Newton JD was also quoted, saying, in part, "This is an extension of something we have been doing naturally for years. James allows us to institutionalize our capabilities and take it into the broader lower middle market. What is particularly interesting is combining an established venture platform and LP network with the flexibility of the independent sponsor model..."

As VNC has previously reported, Relevance is a Native American, privately owned and operated venture capital firm with more than $100 million under management. The Newton brothers are members of the Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia.

See VNC's past coverage of these and related matters via Relevance Ventures and-or Relevance Capital tags.

Notes: There's plenty online about funded (and unfunded) independent sponsors. E.g.: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | VNC

last edited 1642 19 October 2026