Freeman Spogli Named to Inc.’s 2025 List of Founder-Friendly Investors

LOS ANGELES, CA / NEW YORK, NY – October 28, 2025 – Freeman Spogli is honored to announce their recognition in being named to Inc.’s annual Founder-Friendly Investors list for the fifth year in a row. This annual distinction celebrates private equity, venture capital firms, and lenders that have consistently demonstrated success in supporting founders and entrepreneurs to scale and strengthen their businesses.

Freeman Spogli is recognized on Inc.’s 2025 list of Founder-Friendly Investors as part of a select group of firms that have successful track records of collaboration with entrepreneurs and remain actively involved with the businesses they invest in. To compile its list, Inc. spoke to entrepreneurs who have partnered with private equity and venture capital firms and evaluated data on company growth over the course of their partnerships.

“It has been a complicated few years for growth companies and the companies that fund them,” said Mike Hofman, editor-in-chief of Inc. “So we are happy to share with our readers the best, latest guidance on which venture capital firms, private equity firms, and growth-capital lenders have the track record and reputation of being especially good partners to founders and CEOs.”

John Hwang, Partner at Freeman Spogli, said, “We are proud to be recognized on Inc.’s 2025 Founder-Friendly Investor list for the fifth consecutive year. Our firm is shaped by a culture deeply rooted in long-term partnerships. We have an appreciation for what makes founder-led businesses special and curate each opportunity to collaborate with founders to drive meaningful growth. Over two-thirds of the investments we have made in the last decade have been made to support founder-owned or managed businesses. Over our 42-year history, we have built a strong track record of partnering with founders by helping them scale thoughtfully by refining growth strategies, investing in infrastructure and driving long-term value. We are also highly focused and committed to preserving the core values and distinctive qualities that make these companies so successful.”

With offices in Los Angeles and New York, Freeman Spogli partners with founders and management teams of middle-market companies exclusively in the consumer and distribution sectors. Since its founding in 1983, Freeman Spogli has invested over $6 billion in 72 portfolio companies and has completed over 250 add-on acquisitions with an aggregate transaction value of $32 billion.

Examples of platform investments where Freeman Spogli has partnered alongside founders include VIO Med Spa (a leading franchisor of full-service med spas), Infinity Home Services (provider of remodel and repair services for roofing and other exterior home needs such as windows, sidings and gutters), NearU (provider of essential home services including HVAC, plumbing, and electrical services), EverVet (operator of a leading network of general practice animal hospitals), WhiteWater Express (multi-state operator of express car washes), Brooklinen (leading direct-to-consumer brand in the home essentials category), USME (leading value-added distributor and rental and related services provider of mission-critical moveable medical equipment), EasyIce (national leader in full-service ice machine subscriptions), Kamps Pallets (nationwide pallet management services provider), CRH Healthcare (patient-focused operator of urgent care centers), City Barbeque (fast-casual restaurant company focused on authentic, "smoker-to-table" barbeque), Arhaus (lifestyle omni-channel retailer of exclusively designed home furnishings), Floor & Decor (leading omni-channel retailer of hard surface flooring), PF Baseline Fitness (leading franchisee of Planet Fitness health clubs), Osprey (iconic active lifestyle brand and the global leader in technical packs), Paradies (operator of airport convenience retail stores), and Advance Auto Parts (specialty retailer of automotive parts and accessories).

The Freeman Spogli investment team is strengthened by a network of strategic operating partners with extensive networks and industry and domain expertise tailored to our segment of the market.

To view the complete Inc. 2025 Founder-Friendly List, go to https://www.inc.com/founder-friendly-investors.

About Freeman Spogli
Freeman Spogli & Co. is a private equity firm dedicated to investing in and partnering with management in consumer and distribution companies in the United States. Since its founding in 1983, Freeman Spogli has invested over $6 billion of private equity capital in 72 companies and 250+ add-on acquisitions with an aggregate transaction value of $32 billion. Freeman Spogli is currently making investments from its most recent fund and has offices in Los Angeles and New York.

For additional information, please visit www.freemanspogli.com.

About Inc.
Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company.

For more information, visit www.inc.com.

This award is the opinion of the party conferring the award and not of Freeman Spogli. Freeman Spogli submitted a nomination and paid a submission fee. There can be no assurance that other providers or surveys would reach the same conclusion as Inc.