Freeman Spogli Named to Inc.’s 2026 Founder-Friendly Investors List

The annual list recognizes private equity, venture capital, and lending firms with strong track records of supporting founder-led businesses

LOS ANGELES, CA / NEW YORK, NY, October 27, 2026 – Freeman Spogli has been named to Inc.’s 2026 Founder-Friendly Investors, which recognizes private equity firms, venture capital firms, and lenders with demonstrated track records of supporting founder-led companies. 2026 marks the sixth consecutive year that Freeman Spogli has been named to the list.

The prestigious Founder-Friendly Investors list celebrates the investors and firms that work closely with entrepreneurs and remain engaged with the businesses they back. Honorees are recognized for their approach to partnering with founders and supporting their companies through growth and beyond.

“With the current funding environment and rapid changes facing growing companies, founders are looking for more than just capital from their investors. They want true partners who believe in their business, but who are also able to provide the critical advisement and strategic support they need to reach their potential,” says Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc. “The 2026 Founder-Friendly Investor awards celebrate those firms –– the ones committed to partnership, excellence, and helping founder-led companies grow.”

Brad Brutocao, Partner at Freeman Spogli, said, “We are honored to be named to Inc.’s Founder-Friendly Investors list for the sixth consecutive year. For more than four decades, our firm has been built on long-term partnerships with founders and their management teams. Over two-thirds of the investments we have made in the last decade have supported founder-owned or founder-managed companies. We work alongside founders to refine their growth strategies, invest in the people and infrastructure needed to scale, and drive long-term value, all while preserving the culture and distinctive qualities that made these companies successful in the first place.”

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, siding 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).

For more information or to view the complete list of honorees, visit https://www.inc.com/founder-friendly-investors.

About Freeman Spogli
Freeman Spogli 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.