Francisco Partners wants to be the patron saint of companies at a crossroads. The company invests in public and private technology companies that are past their start-up stage, but are at a transition point such as a management change or a merger. It works closely with venture capital firm Sequoia Capital to identify possible investment targets. Founded in 1999, Francisco Partners has raised some $7 billion in committed capital; typical investments range from $25 million to $500 million per transaction. Its portfolio includes stakes in some 50 companies such as Blue Coat, GXS, QuadraMed, and WebTrends. Founder David Stanton previously led tech investing for Texas Pacific Group from 1994 to 1999.