For private equity
Find where AI can save your portfolio millions, in weeks.
Ares talks to the employees of each portfolio company, finds where time and money are being lost, and ranks every AI opportunity by what it's worth. Then we help you put the plan to work.
Ares turns what employees know into a plan you can take to the board
Hear from hundreds of employees at once
Each person, from head office to the frontline, has a short voice conversation with Ares about their work, the tools they use and where time gets lost. Conversations run in parallel, so you're not waiting months to get everyone in a room.
- About 20 minutes, whenever it suits them
- In their own language, on a laptop or phone
- Anonymous when you need it
See every opportunity ranked by what it's worth
Ares connects what people said across teams and sites into one ranked list. Each opportunity shows the problem, who it affects, what it costs today, what fixing it is worth and what fixing it would take.
- Findings ranked by estimated savings
- Every opportunity traceable to what was said
- Ask follow-up questions of the findings
Go straight to implementation
With the evidence Ares collects, you can start implementing months sooner. Ares and our partners can help you build and scale AI across your portfolio companies.
- Accelerate your whole PE cycle
- Custom-built AI solutions
- Portfolio-wide rollout
Built to meet the most rigorous
security and privacy standards
GDPRCompliant by default.
GDPR-compliant and SOC 2 compliant, with a DPA on request. Ares drops into the security review you already run, not extend it.
Anonymous features controlled by you
Mask names, redact voices, or strip role metadata before reports go to leadership. Insights stay sharp; identities stay private.
Security preferences to meet your needs.
Run Ares on your cloud or ours, in the EU or the US. Own your data outright or have us mask it, with retention windows you set. We fit your requirements, not the other way round.
From the first 100 days to exit, Ares shows where AI will pay off
Ares works in any portfolio company, whatever its sector or size. Here's where it fits during the hold.
- 01Post-acquisition
The first 100 days
Learn how the business actually runs from the people who run it, and have a ranked AI plan ready for your first board meeting.
- 02Separation
Carve-outs
Find the work still tied to the former parent, and where AI can help you stand up new functions and exit the TSA sooner.
- 03Integration
Buy-and-build
See how each add-on runs the same process, then standardize the best version and automate the duplicated work.
- 04Performance
Turnarounds
Find the avoidable cost quickly and prioritize the fixes that free up cash and capacity soonest.
- 05Scaling
Growth
Find what will break as the business grows, and where AI can add capacity without adding headcount at the same rate.
- 06Exit
Exit preparation
Back the equity story with evidence: the savings you've delivered and a ranked AI roadmap for the next owner.
Questions we hear from operating partners
Is Ares software or a consultancy?
Both. The software holds the conversations and finds the patterns across them. Our team reviews the findings with you, agrees on the priorities and can implement the changes if you want us to.
Will employees actually talk to an AI?
Yes. A conversation takes about 20 minutes, at a time that suits them, on a laptop or phone and in their own language. Answers can be anonymous, which helps people speak openly, and we give you a page to share with the team so they know what to expect.
How much management time does it take?
Very little. A sponsor in the business agrees on the goal and who takes part. Employees join in their own time, and management reviews the findings when the plan is ready.
Do we need to cover the whole company?
No. You can focus on the teams behind one problem, such as field service utilization or finance operations, or cover the whole business after an acquisition.
What if management already knows the main problems?
Start there. Ares tests what management believes, measures how big each problem is and finds what's causing it, which is what you need to fix it.
How are the savings estimated?
Each estimate shows how it was calculated: how many people raised the issue, the time they reported, the assumptions behind the value and what it would take to deliver. Ares keeps time freed up separate from cash savings, so you know which is which before anything goes to the board.
Who implements the recommendations?
You choose. Ares can build and roll out the AI tools, or your in-house team or existing partners can take the plan forward. Each recommendation comes with the evidence and scope they need to start.
How is this different from process mining or an AI readiness assessment?
Process mining shows what happens inside your systems. Ares finds out why, from the people doing the work, including the workarounds that never touch a system. A readiness assessment usually interviews a few senior people and scores your maturity. Ares talks to everyone involved and puts a value on each opportunity.
How long does it take, and what does it cost?
Most assessments go from the first conversation to a ranked plan in a few weeks. The price depends on the size of the company and the scope, and we agree on the timeline and price before anything starts.
Can we run Ares across the whole portfolio?
Yes. We recommend starting with one company. Once it has proven useful, you can run the same assessment across the portfolio and compare where each company stands.
Can we use Ares before a deal closes?
Yes, if you can get access to the team. Ares is most useful after acquisition, when the whole workforce can take part.
Start with one portfolio company
Tell us which company and what you want to improve. We'll walk you through a relevant example, then scope what Ares would cover, how long it would take and what it would cost.