Annual roundup highlights the private equity, venture capital, and debt firms with the best track records of success backing entrepreneurs

Charlotte, NC (October 31, 2023) – Inc. today announced its fifth annual Founder-Friendly Investors list, honoring the private equity, venture capital, and debt firms with the best track records of success backing entrepreneurs.

The final list recognizes 218 firms that remain actively involved with the businesses they invest in, and that have earned the trust of the entrepreneurs they support to help drive growth.

“We are honored to once again be recognized as a founder-friendly investor by Inc. Magazine,” said Bill Lunsford, Managing Partner of The Zabel Companies.  “Partnering with founders and family businesses is a tremendous privilege and responsibility.  Our inclusion in the 2023 Inc. Founder-Friendly list is a testament to the level of trust we have built with families and founders over the past 20 years.”

“Now more than ever, founder-led companies need financing partners that offer guidance, expertise, and understanding—not just capital. These are the private equity, venture capital, and debt firms that have founders’ backs when it comes to accelerating growth,” says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. Business Media.

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, venture capital, and debt 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/2023

About The Zabel Companies

Based in Charlotte, NC, The Zabel Companies is an investment firm dedicated to partnering with management teams to build privately held companies over the long term. Zabel brings a patient and flexible approach to investing in and growing high quality businesses. Whether through a buyout, recapitalization or injection of growth capital, Zabel’s strategy is to work closely with management teams to steadily grow businesses and build value for all parties involved. For more information, visit www.zabelcompanies.com or contact one of the Zabel professionals.

About Inc.

The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community they need to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.