We own rental property and invest in small businesses for the long run.
Clear Fountain LLC is a privately held company in the Seattle area. We are open to investment opportunities and to buying small businesses outright. Owners and brokers are welcome to reach out.
What we own
Alongside residential rental property, Clear Fountain builds and runs a software app business. Our apps help boaters in the Pacific Northwest plan their time on the water.
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TidePush tidepush.app
A tidal current passage planner that finds the best time to leave, based on currents, boat speed, weather, and sea state.
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LockPush lockpush.app
Forecasts wait times at Seattle's Ballard Locks, using commercial traffic, historical lockage data, and live monitoring.
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Residential real estate
Rental homes in the Seattle area.
Open to investments and acquisitions
We are looking for investment opportunities and for small businesses to buy. If you own a business and are thinking about what comes next, or you represent one, we would like to hear from you.
Conversations are confidential. You will talk directly with the person who makes the decision, and you will get a clear answer.
What we look for
Size
Businesses valued in the single digit millions, roughly $1 million to $9 million.
Room to grow
Companies with clear room for improvement or expansion: new locations, new customers, a stronger sales process, or operations that have not kept pace.
International potential
Businesses whose products or services could sell beyond the United States. We have spent decades working across Asia and can help a company take that step.
Where we add value
Businesses where strategy consulting analysis and technology can upgrade how the company runs, from pricing and operations to systems and customer reach.
If that describes your company, or one you represent, we would like to talk. Start a conversation
Who you will be talking to
Paul Tsai
Owner, Clear Fountain LLC
- Fidelity Investments
Equity analyst and fund manager; head of China and Japan equity research - ExxonMobil
Maintenance engineer, Torrance refinery - Education
BS Mechanical Engineering, UCLA; MBA, Carnegie Mellon; exchange study at the University of Tokyo - Languages
English, Chinese, and Japanese
Clear Fountain is owned and run by Paul Tsai, who has spent more than two decades studying businesses for a living.
At Fidelity Investments, Paul worked as an equity analyst and fund manager, launched the Shanghai research office, and led equity research for China and later for Japan. Since 2017 he has invested independently from Seattle, mainly in real estate and US equities.
He started out as an engineer in a working refinery and later advised companies across Asia as a strategy consultant. That background means he looks at a company the way an owner does: how it actually runs, and what it can earn over many years.
Clear Fountain invests its own capital. There is no outside fund and no deadline forcing a sale, so we can be a patient owner.
Contact us
Send us a note and we will reply by email.
Or write to us directly at info@clearfountainllc.com.
Based in the Seattle area, Washington.