Cressey & Company Named to Inc.’s 2026 Founder-Friendly Investors List

Chicago, IL and Nashville, TN - November 3, 2026 - Cressey & Company ("Cressey") has been named to Inc.'s 2026 Founder-Friendly Investors list, which recognizes private equity firms, venture capital firms, and lenders with demonstrated track records of supporting founder-led companies. This year's list recognizes Cressey among 294 firms across the investment landscape.

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."

With more than 40 years of experience in healthcare investing, Cressey partners with founder-led companies, combining their visions with Cressey's network and expertise to support growth and innovation. The firm invests exclusively in the healthcare services and technology segments, with a focus on businesses that enable the delivery of high-quality care.

"We're pleased to be recognized as a Founder-Friendly Investor by Inc.," said Dave Rogero, Managing Partner at Cressey. "Our focus has always been on supporting healthcare founders as they innovate and expand. We appreciate the trust our partners place in us and look forward to continuing to work alongside them."

To compile the Founder-Friendly Investors list, Inc. went straight to the source: entrepreneurs who have sold to private equity and venture capital firms. Founders completed questionnaires about their experiences partnering with private equity, venture capital, and debt firms and shared data on how their companies have performed during these partnerships. The resulting list highlights investors that founders identified as strong partners throughout the investment process.

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

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