Karl Buhl

Karl F. Buhl is the owner and managing member of Navocate, an M&A advisory practice (formally Karl Buhl Consulting, LLC d/b/a Navocate) that provides business sales, acquisition, and capital-raising services to lower middle-market companies — typically firms with revenues between roughly $1M and $50M, concentrated in technology and healthcare. He has been Owner of Navocate Consulting since 2004 and served as President of Navocate from May 2009 onward, helping emerging-company owners expand through acquisitions, grow via capital infusions from strategic partners or private equity groups, or execute outright sales.

Earlier in his career, Buhl was an executive at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington, where — by his own account — he worked directly with Bill Gates and managed groups spanning corporate and international marketing, channel sales, product and business development, and government affairs. As an entrepreneur he has started several companies from scratch and bought and sold his own businesses, giving him operator-side as well as advisor-side experience in corporate finance and M&A.

More recently, Buhl has served as a partner at Continuation Capital (CCAP), a Sarasota, Florida–based firm that provides Tier-2 Regulation A investment capital, mini/registered direct shelf offerings, and debt recapitalization for qualified public companies trading on OTC, nano-cap NASDAQ/NYSE, and Canadian exchanges (CSE, TSX, TSXV). At CCAP he leads strategic planning and financial modeling and oversees operations including sales & marketing, technology, accounting, and personnel.

He earned a BA from Michigan State University and a Master of Science in Journalism (MSJ) from Northwestern University. A U.S. Coast Guard–certified captain, Buhl has logged some 11,000 sea miles on a 43-foot sloop from Alaska through the Panama Canal, and lists photography, jazz keyboards, sailing, and writing among his interests.

• Focuses on lower middle-market companies (~$1M–$50M revenue) needing growth capital, acquisition support, or exit/sale execution — primarily in technology and healthcare.
• Facilitates growth by capital infusion and management/financial expertise from strategic partners or private equity groups, rather than pure early-stage venture bets.
• Has publicly championed minority private equity investments as a way for owners to take chips off the table while retaining control — the subject of his LinkedIn article "Minority Private Equity Investments — An Important New Trend."
• Writes about maximizing business valuation for owners preparing to raise capital or sell (e.g., his article "How to Get a Valuation Beyond Your Wildest Means").
• Note: some investor databases (e.g., Foundersuite) list him as an angel / seed-round investor, matching the stub, but specific angel checks or startup positions could not be independently verified from public sources.