Stew
Campbell
Partner
Stage: Growth Equity
Location: Palo Alto

Stew leads growth equity investments across consumer products and services, eCommerce, retail, and business services. Stew’s current investments include Forum Brands, Hatcheri, Jolyn, MTN OPS, Poolwerx, SmartSign (acquired by Sentinel Capital Partners), VanMoof, and Vuori. Stew was previously involved with Norwest’s investment in Junk King (acquired by Neighborly), The Learning Experience (acquired by Golden Gate Capital), Galvanize (acquired by Diligent) and Turnitin (acquired by Advance).

Prior to joining Norwest, Stew worked at SurveyMonkey and was an associate at Spectrum Equity Investors for three years, where he originated, evaluated, and executed software and online media investment opportunities, including the acquisition of Ancestry.com in 2007.

Earlier, Stew spent three years as an Associate Consultant at L.E.K. Consulting, where he advised healthcare, media, and financial services companies on a range of strategic issues.

Stew holds an MBA, with honors, from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a double major in finance and entrepreneurial management and a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Stanford University.

Recognition & Accolades: 2020 GrowthCap Top 40 Under 40 Investors

Active Companies
Alumni Companies
Get To Know Stew
  • 01
    What was your first job?
    I sold computers (and overpriced warranties) at CompUSA.
  • 02
    What was your first concert?
    Dave Matthews Band – their first tour back in 1995
  • 03
    What are your interests outside work?
    Hiking, cooking, Philly sports, trying to keep up with my young kids
Featured Articles
Trend Watch
Consumer
Why Consumer Spending Will Stay Home This Year

Editor’s Note: The following is a transcript from the Norwest Nowcast above where Norwest Partner Stew Campbell explains why consumer spending on home improvement will accelerate despite uncertainty about the economy. Hi! This is Stew Campbell with a Norwest Nowcast about why I expect consumers to actually spend more money on home improvement and services […]

Investment
Growth Equity
Junk King Gets Crowned for Its Strong Consumer Value Prop and Franchise Execution

In 2019, Norwest entered the home services market by backing Mike Andreacchi and his junk removal franchisor Junk King. In the two years since, Mike and COO Lisa Merry have built a thriving platform with more than 125 franchisees and $100 million in system-wide revenue, growing despite a challenging market for many brands. Today, we […]

Investment
Growth Equity
Relationships to Results: Observations from Our SmartSign Partnership in B2B E-Commerce

SmartSign, one of our growth equity portfolio companies, has been acquired by Sentinel Capital Partners, an exciting development for founder Blair Brewster, CEO Max Smith, and the entire team. We celebrate this milestone today and will continue to support the SmartSign team in their next phase of growth. A B2B e-commerce player with a focus […]

Investment
Funding News Growth Equity
Poolwerx: Global Pool Service Uniquely Delivered

A backyard pool is one of the most complex and technical parts of a home, and the maintenance and service it requires are often overwhelming to a homeowner. A backlog of pool construction during COVID-19 has only increased the demand for professional services. According to the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), sales of new […]

Investment
Funding News
Forum Brands: A Technology-Led Approach to Amazon Acquisition Platforms

It’s an obvious statement, but the Amazon marketplace is massive. 200 million Prime customers happily browse millions of listings, spending more than $300 billion annually. E-commerce is growing at a torrid clip (40% in 2020), and most product searches now start on Amazon. The stats below are eye-opening: Source: State of the Amazon Seller 2021, […]

People & Culture
Norwest News
GrowthCap’s Top 40 Under 40 Growth Investors of 2020

Stew Campbell, Partner, Norwest

Investment
Growth Equity
Seizing on the E-Bike Moment: Welcoming VanMoof to the Norwest Family

We are thrilled to announce our Series B investment in VanMoof, a category-defining leader in the fast-growing e-bike market. The company’s vision is to put one billion customers on VanMoof bikes, and we are thrilled to partner with the team on this journey.  The E-Bike Moment is Here  2020, despite all of its attendant challenges, […]

Best Practices
Growth Equity
How to Build & Optimize Your Board

“Should a small business have a board of directors?” Short answer: Usually, yes. Longer answer: Only if that board is built and optimized well. When we first meet founders, we sometimes find that either they do not have a board, or they have an informal or advisory group composed of co-founders and personal advisors. While […]

Investment
Growth Equity
Graduation Day for The Learning Experience

With back-to-school in the works for many families, we’d like to share some key learnings from our time working with one of our favorite schools, The Learning Experience (TLE). Earlier this summer, Golden Gate Capital acquired TLE. We’re thrilled for their team and celebrate their success with them. TLE operates and franchises early childhood academies. […]

Management
Growth Equity
EdTech: An ‘Educated’ Perspective

The Educational Technology (EdTech) industry is enjoying a period of unprecedented innovation and investment, driven by many factors, including market demand, shifts in classroom and home technology adoption, and the level playing field that new standards have helped to create. EdTech is becoming increasingly relevant to all students, by delivering improved learning outcomes and by […]