27 Oct 2026
Investcorp, a leading global alternative investment firm, was included today on Inc. Magazine’s 2026 Founder-Friendly Investors list, marking the fourth consecutive year the firm has received this recognition for its track record of partnering with founder-led businesses.
The honor underscores Investcorp’s North American Private Equity (“NAPE”) team’s continued commitment to supporting founder-led companies in the middle market. With more than 40 years of investment experience, NAPE has completed over 75 transactions, deploying more than $25 billion in transaction value to accelerate growth for services-oriented businesses.
“Four consecutive years of making this list is a meaningful achievement that reflects the long-term value of the support and partnership we deliver to founders and leadership teams across our portfolio.” said Kirk Fleischer, Managing Director and Head of Business Development for North American Private Equity at Investcorp. “We have a four-decade track record of backing leading business and professional and commercial services businesses. We are committed to the role we play as a dependable, expert partner to those firms, offering a differentiated perspective as they pursue their unique growth objectives.”
Investcorp’s portfolio demonstrates this founder-centric approach, with 11 of the firm’s 16 current North American portfolio companies being founder-led. Fleischer continued: “For founders, selecting a partner to help guide their business to the next stage of growth is a highly personal decision that is often many years in the making. We are grateful for the trust our partners have placed in Investcorp’s NAPE team.” He went on to say “the long-term, sustainable growth of the portfolio companies we invest in is our day-to-day focus. Our success comes from taking time to understand the intricacies of each company and its leaders’ vision for the future. This is a commitment we make to founders at the outset of the relationship, and is what makes us a compelling partner across the middle market.”
NAPE recently held a final close on its second fund (“Fund II”) which continues the strategy the team has refined over the past decade: investing in growth-oriented services businesses in the Business and Professional Services and Commercial Services sectors. NAPE targets sectors that have stable, non-cyclical demand, are highly fragmented, and are supported by long-term secular tailwinds. Fund II has completed two platform investments so far, in Guardian Fire Services and Berger Financial Group, which reflects NAPE’s focus on pursuing highly selective investments in companies with between $10 million and $50 million of EBITDA.
Since Investcorp’s initial investment in Guardian in 2025, the company has completed two follow-on investments, in Midwest Protection Services and Houston Fire & Security. Since completing its initial investment in Berger Financial Group in July 2026, the company has completed an investment in Michael Traxler Wealth Management and has another letter of intent signed. This underscores the impact of NAPE’s extensive network, operational expertise, and financial resources for portfolio companies, and the team’s ability to position portfolio companies for sustained success.
Investcorp submitted a nomination and paid an application fee to be considered for Inc. Magazine Founder-Friendly Investors List. In assessing Investcorp’s application, Inc. Magazine reviewed information submitted by Investcorp about its private equity business over the past five years and interviewed founders of portfolio companies Investcorp exited within the past five years. The reference to a ranking or prize, is no guarantee of the future results of the manager. Additional information about the methodology used by Inc. Magazine is available here.