Southlake, TX– Inc. announced its fourth annual Founder-Friendly Investors list, honoring the private equity and venture capital firms with the best track records of success backing entrepreneurs. Last year, Inc. shifted focus from previous lists which only included Private Equity firms—called the Private Equity 50—and now includes venture capital firms.  

 

The final list recognizes 184 firms that entrepreneurs collaborate with and trust as they receive the financial support, they need to help drive growth. All 184 have successful track records of remaining actively involved with the businesses they invest in.

 

“Fully investing in an entrepreneur, and their innovative vision, involves far more than the financial investment. By developing relationships with and supporting entrepreneurs for the long-term, these private equity firms are more than investors, they’re partners,” says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. media.

 

“Gauge is thrilled to be featured in such an honorable group,” said Tom McKelvey, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Gauge. “Investing in founder-backed businesses is a core element of Gauge Capital’s identity.”

 

“We are honored to be included in this year’s Founder-Friendly List and believe that alignment is crucial in forming successful partnerships. Founders and management teams typically roll ~2x the industry average with Gauge post-close. We believe this creates an environment of collaboration that resonates with entrepreneurial minded professionals,” said Drew Johnson, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Gauge.”

 

Gauge Capital’s investment team represents over 30% of assets under management, which is approximately 6x the industry average, creating an environment of alignment and trust with our partners. Gauge will continue to seek out partnerships where the primary aim is long-term, sustainable value creation via a shared vision of growth initiatives. 

 

To compile the list, Inc. went straight to the source: entrepreneurs who have sold to private equity and venture capital firms. Founders filled out a questionnaire about their experiences partnering with private equity and venture capital firms and shared data on how their portfolio companies have grown during these partnerships.

 

To see the complete list, go to: https://www.inc.com/founder-friendly-investors/2022 

 

Introduced in 2019, the Founder-Friendly Private Equity Firms list quickly established itself as one of Inc.’s most resourceful franchises. It has become a go-to guide for entrepreneurs who want to grow their companies while retaining an ownership stake. 

 

The October 2022 issue of Inc. magazine is available online now at https://www.inc.com/magazine.