Kinderhook Industries Named a Top Private Equity Firm for Entrepreneurs and Founders

October 27, 2026

New York, NY - Kinderhook Industries, LLC ("Kinderhook") is pleased to announce that the firm has been named to Inc. Magazine's annual Founder Friendly Investors list, honoring the private equity and venture capital firms with a track record of backing founder-led companies. This is the sixth year in a row that Kinderhook has been named on the Founder Friendly Investors list.

Chris Michalik, Managing Director at Kinderhook, commented, "We are honored to be part of this prestigious group of investors for the sixth consecutive year. Kinderhook is a unique investment firm. We believe that people come first and that a company's people and culture are critical to its success."

"Kinderhook's core values - straightforward approach, treating people fairly, and hustle - are the same guiding principles that successful entrepreneurs use to build their businesses. This shared vision allows us to establish strong partnerships with founders and management teams who are motivated to grow their companies," said Rob Michalik, Managing Director at Kinderhook.

"Since inception, Kinderhook has partnered with over 200 founders to grow their businesses. We offer strategic and operating insight, resources, and relationships to help our entrepreneur partners build scalable platforms," said Tom Tuttle, Chairman of Kinderhook.