Coalesce Capital makes growth investment in ClearDefense Pest Control, a 27-location residential pest platform

Coalesce Capital, a New York private equity firm, announced on September 28 a growth investment in ClearDefense Pest Control, a residential pest control company based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and founded in 2013. ClearDefense operates 27 locations across 16 states. Its founders and management team will retain a meaningful equity interest and continue to lead the business in partnership with Coalesce.

The asset.

ClearDefense provides general pest, mosquito, and termite control, and Coalesce describes it as a leading independent provider of residential pest control in the Southeast. The company has achieved significant organic growth, which the announcement attributes to a multi-channel customer acquisition engine and a focus on recruiting, developing, and retaining sales and technician talent. Offices listed on its website run from Virginia and the Carolinas through Tennessee, and out to Ohio, Missouri, Louisiana, and Texas.

John-Mark Bolton, Chairman and Founder, said the goal of the partnership is to accelerate growth “while preserving the culture and values that have been core to ClearDefense from the beginning.”

The investor.

Coalesce Capital invests in human capital–driven and technology-enabled services companies and reports more than $1.8 billion of regulatory assets under management. Stephanie Geveda, Founder and Managing Partner, pointed to pest control’s recurring revenue, resilient demand, and fragmentation, and said ClearDefense stood out for its commercial engine, talent development, and customer outcomes. Coalesce plans to support ClearDefense as it expands across existing and adjacent markets.

Citizens M&A Advisory and Orrick advised ClearDefense. Piper Sandler and Latham & Watkins advised Coalesce.

Founders keep a stake and the lead role.

The structure is the central point of this deal. ClearDefense’s founders and management keep a meaningful equity interest and continue to run the company, with Coalesce’s capital behind a plan to add markets. The founders share in the growth they are being funded to deliver, and Coalesce’s return depends on the same plan.

ClearDefense came to the table with 27 locations, a sales process it has repeated across multiple states, and a way to recruit and train technicians. That scale is what made it a candidate for institutional growth capital while the founding team stays in charge.

What it means.

For owners of residential pest control companies, and for lawn and pest operators more broadly, a sale to a national consolidator is one option among several. Operators with multi-market density, a repeatable sales model, and a technician pipeline can also attract growth capital while keeping equity and continuing to lead the company. Which path fits depends on how much liquidity an owner wants now, how long they want to keep running the business, and how much of the next stage of growth they want to own.