Say what is true
Describe where Cicada stands today, accurately.
About Cicada
Built around stewardship, discipline, and ambitious patience.
Cicada Capital Holdings was created to acquire strong businesses, support the people who operate them, and build lasting value across generations.
Our name
Transformation with continuity.
The cicada symbolizes renewal, patience, and emergence. Those ideas reflect our approach to ownership: protect the foundation, strengthen the organization, and help the company enter its next stage without losing its identity.
01
Stewardship
Every acquired company is a responsibility we take on.
02
Discipline
Sound judgment and downside protection come before transaction activity.
03
Ownership
We stay close to the work and remain accountable for results.
04
Compounding
We reinvest capital, knowledge, and time to create durable value.
The founder story
Operational discipline translated into ownership.
Jai Johnson founded Cicada with the goal of building an enduring portfolio of essential service businesses. His background as a U.S. Marine and in military aviation maintenance shaped a leadership style centered on preparation, accountability, technical discipline, and execution in environments where details matter.
That operating mindset informs Cicada’s approach. The objective is to understand how a company truly works, preserve the knowledge of the people closest to the customer, build reliable systems, and make decisions that strengthen the business over time.
Jai leads acquisition strategy, investor relationships, and the long-term development of Cicada Capital Holdings.
Cicada exists to become the kind of buyer I would trust with a company that took a lifetime to build.
How we intend to earn trust
Credibility is built through behavior.
Do the work
Prepare thoroughly, examine assumptions, and decide from evidence.
Respect people
Recognize that every acquisition affects owners, employees, customers, and communities.
Think beyond closing
Judge a transaction by the quality of the company years later.
The long-term vision
A permanent home for exceptional small businesses.
Our ambition is to become a trusted buyer for owners seeking continuity, a capable operating partner for management teams, and a disciplined steward of investor capital.
Connect with our teamBuild carefully.Operate responsibly.Hold for the long term.