The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday edition that Constellation Software usually buys businesses from founders or large corporations. The Globe's Sean Silcoff writes that Constellation vice-president Farley Noble, however, says the company is now also "looking for venture-capital-backed businesses that did not live up to investors' or founders' expectations, companies that are running out of options." He says, "We would like to help them." Mr. Noble says ideal targets generate $20-million-plus in annual revenue and have raised $50-million or more in venture capital. He adds: "They probably took off like a rocket ship with all that invested capital, burned through all or most of it and now can't keep fuelling that growth. These are going to be challenged businesses that are either breaking even or not profitable." It is a new endeavour for Constellation, which has bought about 1,000 small companies since its founding in 1995. It targets "mission critical" software providers that serve niche subsectors, or verticals, such as golf courses or public transit providers. Constellation has earned a reputation as a top-notch capital allocator, and media-shy president Mark Leonard has drawn comparisons to Warren Buffett.