500 Management LLC

Nationwide, across the United States.

Seen from behind, a man in a navy work jacket studies a site plan in a building under renovation.

You knowthe industry.

We bring the capital and the rest of what a company needs. Build it with us.

For people with at least five years of direct experience inside an industry.

About five minutes. Both partners read every application themselves.

It starts with one question.

Choose an answer to begin. The application opens with it already chosen.

About five minutes. One question at a time, and you can finish later.

Which describes you best?

Not a passive investor.

500 Management is two partners, Ben Serkes and Ben Kram, who put capital into a business and work in it alongside the operator.

  • Portrait of Ben Serkes.

    Ben Serkes

    Partner

  • Portrait of Ben Kram.

    Ben Kram

    Partner

What the partners bring

  • Capital
  • Business experience
  • Relationships
  • Business development
  • Strategy
  • Infrastructure
  • Hands-on involvement
A man works at a bench under tall steel-framed windows in a machine shop.

The aim is to partner with a strong operator, build or substantially grow the company, and create lasting value together.

Who this is for

  • People with at least five years of direct experience inside an industry.
  • People who have seen a real business opportunity from working inside it.
  • People who could credibly run the company, not only describe the idea.

Areas of interest

  • Two people in cleanroom gowns: one disinfects gloved hands while the other logs work on a tablet.

    Regulated or compliance-heavy industries

  • A clinician talks with a patient in a consulting room. Both wear surgical masks.

    Healthcare, telehealth and related services

  • A technician in a cleanroom gown wipes down a laminar-flow hood.

    Specialty pharmacy and healthcare infrastructure

  • A crew coats the concrete floor of a new warehouse.

    Industrial and commercial services

  • A field technician reaches into the water at the edge of a pond.

    Environmental and testing services

  • Three ventilation intakes against a concrete wall.

    HVAC, plumbing and mechanical services

  • Red sprinkler mains and branch lines run under a concrete ceiling.

    Fire and life-safety and inspection businesses

  • Drainage pipe bedded in gravel in an open trench.

    Wastewater, septic, waste and related infrastructure

  • An engineer inspects prototype hardware through a tangle of wiring.

    Technology and intellectual property commercialization

  • A fabricator works a heavy steel part in a machine shop.

    Specialty manufacturing

  • A window cleaner squeegees a glass balustrade in a lounge.

    Businesses with recurring revenue or service requirements

  • These are areas of interest, not limits.

    An exceptional operator or business outside them is still read.

Nationwide, across the United States.

How it works

  1. Apply

    About five minutes. One question at a time, and you can finish later.

  2. The partners read it

    Both partners read every application themselves. Nobody books a call before that.

  3. A conversation

    If there is a fit, one of the partners is in touch to set up a conversation with both of them.

  4. Diligence and an agreement

    Every decision follows that conversation and diligence. Structure is decided deal by deal.

There is no fee to apply or to talk.

Before you apply

Do I have to leave my job before we talk?

No. You apply and talk first. Any decision about your work comes after both sides decide to go ahead.

Who owns the company?

Decided deal by deal, after a conversation and diligence. Nothing is decided by the application.

Is this confidential from my employer?

Your application goes to the two partners and nobody else. It is not shared or sold.

Do not include confidential information that belongs to your employer.

What happens after I apply?

Both partners read every application themselves.

If there is a fit, one of them is in touch to set up a conversation.

What does it cost to apply?

Nothing. There is no fee to apply or to talk.

Apply to be considered.

About five minutes. One question at a time, and you can finish later.

What the partners want to know

  • The business you want to build
  • Who the customers are
  • The problem it solves
  • Why your experience gives you an advantage
  • What you have done to validate or prepare
  • How much capital you believe it needs, and what for
  • Whether you will become the full-time operator
  • Your application is private. It goes to the two partners and is not sold or shared for marketing.
  • Do not include confidential information that belongs to your employer or to anyone else.
  • Sending an application does not create an agreement or any duty to keep an idea confidential.