TIP Group is an investment house focused on compounding knowledge and wealth.

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Our story


TIP Group began operations in early 2012 as Teaminvest Private, a specialist private equity firm that aimed to address three fundamental challenges in the Australian SME landscape: Access to capital, access to strategic advice, and harnessing the knowledge and experience of successful business leaders after retirement.

Over the next seven years, the business made more than 10 acquisitions, each of which operated as a separate entity through a Special Purpose Vehicle structure.

In May 2019, Teaminvest Private listed on the Australian Stock Exchange as Teaminvest Private Group (ASX: TIP).

Since then, TIP Group has grown significantly, making further acquisitions and expanding its operations to become a full-service financial services institution, while retaining its original 'noble purpose' of transferring knowledge and wealth between generations.​

Our companies

Our Noble Purpose

Compounding knowledge and wealth

Our Mission

We invest the wealth and experience of successful people to develop the next generation of business leaders, enhancing the legacy of all.

 

Our Vision

To build a society in which the knowledge and wealth we accumulate over a lifetime isn't lost, forcing the next generation to learn (and earn) it all again.

Our Values

We believe that being better investors makes us better business people, and being better business people makes us better investors. This philosophy underpins our commitment to investment education and wealth management.

We understand that 'noise' contributes more to error than 'bias'; therefore, we strive to reduce both through informed decision-making and strategic investment growth.

Complex decisions are hard; simple decisions are easy. We make decisions easy for our staff, customers, executives, and investors by leveraging our innovative wealth management solutions and digital tools for wealth management.

Small improvements make a big difference when compounded, aligning with our focus on compounding knowledge and wealth. Doing nothing compounds nothing.

In the long run, 'factfulness' beats running with the herd, no matter how unpopular it makes us in the short run, reflecting our dedication to trusted financial leadership and the Teaminvest Methodology.

Our Investment Process

John West famously used the advertising slogan “it’s the fish we reject that make us the best” and the Company seeks to emulate this principle by rejecting the vast majority of potential opportunities.

To facilitate our investment strategy, we use a proprietary five-stage investment process:

Initial Analysis 


Committee Review


SMaRT Meeting


Due Dilligence


Ongoing Management


Initial Analysis by TIP Group Management

  • Have a minimum four years of operating history
  • Be profitable
  • Have revenue greater than $2.5m per annum
  • Show strong return on equity
  • Be willing to be mentored by TIP Group

The initial analysis of potential investments is conducted in-house by TIP Group’s management. Initial analysis includes:

  • Investigating the financial performance of the potential investment
  • Studying the business model of the potential investment and considering growth prospects 
  • Interviewing senior management and shareholders

Each year we examine numerous potential investment opportunities. Only the most promising proceed to the Investment Committee Stage.

Further analysis by the Investment Committee

The Investment Committee is a body constituted by the Board to examine potential investments. The committee includes:
  • TIP Group's CEO and CFO
  • Seven Selected Shareholders
  • One member of the Board

The Board delegates the following duties to the Investment Committee:

  • Examining and assessing the financial performance of a potential investment
  • Investigating whether management appears to be a suitable partner for investment by the Group, including:
    • A review of the moats of the potential investment
    • A review of key risks of the potential investment
    • A review of key management personnel of the potential investment
    • Assessing the receptiveness of the potential investment to the Company’s investment philosophy
    • An assessment of whether investment in the potential investment would meet the Company’s investment goals.
  • Identifying industry or company specific headwinds or risks and whether these are acceptable given the potential returns offered by the potential investment.
  • Assessing whether an investment by the Group is feasible.


The SMaRT Meeting

The SMaRT meeting is a full day opportunity for Selected Shareholders to discuss the potential investment and meet management. The day runs for approximately six hours and includes two question and answer sessions with management along with detailed round-table discussions among Selected Shareholders. In particular, the SMaRT meeting focuses on:

  • Understanding the strategy of the potential investment
  • Identifying and scoring the moats of the potential investment
  • Identifying and scoring the risks relevant to the potential investment
  • Assessing if the potential investment’s management is a suitable partner for investment by the Group.

In addition, the SMaRT meeting also examines where and how it would be possible for the Group to add value to the business should we proceed with an investment.

The SMaRT meeting adds a further level of rigor to the deliberations of management and the Investment Committee by incorporating the views of Selected Shareholders with significant business experience.


Due Diligence 

The due diligence process involves a two-stage approach managed by the Investment Committee.

The first stage involves commercial due diligence undertaken by the Investment Committee and any Selected Shareholders they believe are appropriate on a case-by-case basis. The commercial due diligence committee is delegated the responsibility of verifying the existence of the moats identified in the SMaRT meeting, that the risks identified are no worse than identified in the SMaRT meeting, that no significant risks have been overlooked and that management of the potential investment are capable of adequately participating in an intensive due diligence process.

These factors are critical for the success of any investment:

  • Without moats a business cannot preserve its competitive advantage
  • Misunderstood or significant risks have the potential to damage the performance of an investment
  • If the potential investment’s management are incapable of constructively completing the due diligence process, they are unlikely to be suitable partners for investment by the Company

If commercial due diligence is successfully concluded, a potential investment will proceed to the second stage, traditional due diligence. Traditional due diligence involves detailed legal, accounting and (where applicable) tax due diligence. The second stage is conducted by external legal, accounting and tax advisers reporting to the Investment Committee. We believe it is important to conduct a detailed review of all legal, accounting and (where applicable) tax matters prior to committing to make an investment in a business. Traditional due diligence is conducted after commercial due diligence because we must first determine that commercial benefits and value exist in the potential investment before incurring the expense of engaging external advisers.

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Ongoing Management

Successfully managing the Group's investments is as important as making the decision to invest.

The ongoing management of our investments is handled:

  • On a day-to-day basis, in respect of business operations, by the management team of the portfolio company
  • At an individual portfolio company level, in respect of capital oversight and strategic planning level, by the board of the portfolio company
  • At a strategic Group level, by the Strategy Committee in conjunction with TIP Group’s Board and management.

We usually invest in companies where the existing management intends to remain in place and the daily operations will not change substantially post investment. This ensures that the already successful business practices are continued.

It is at the portfolio company board and strategic level that we seek to add value. All portfolio companies have a board that includes both representatives of the founder/management, and directors nominated by TIP Group who are Selected Shareholders (TIPReps). It is noted that the board composition of each Portfolio Company may differ due to specific company factors.

TIPReps are selected by the Board of TIP Group and are sourced from Selected Shareholders. TIPReps are responsible for acting as directors of a portfolio company, providing mentorship to management and representing the interests of the group. TIPReps are paid an honorarium and are encouraged to step down from their board role once the value they can add has been achieved. In this way, each portfolio company can access a wide range of skill sets from Selected Shareholders.

The Strategy Committee is the final formal management structure outside of TIP’s management and Board. The Strategy Committee reports directly to the Board and comprises seven members:

  • Four selected Shareholders
  • One Member of the Board
  • TIP Group's CEO and CFO