Frontenac Named to Inc.’s Founder-Friendly List, Again

Team Frontenac is honored to be recognized and celebrates the founders we work with every day!

Chicago, IL

As in 2024 and 2025, Frontenac has been named to Inc.'s Founder-Friendly Investors list in 2026, which recognizes private equity firms, venture capital firms, and lenders with demonstrated track records of supporting founder-led businesses.

In compiling the list, Inc. didn't ask investors to describe themselves. Inc. asked founders and entrepreneurs who sold to PE or VC, or partnered with debt firms, what those experiences were really like and how their companies have performed since. This year, 294 firms were recognized as partners of choice based on founders' feedback.

Founders get one chance to sell their company to a sponsor. The company they've built over a lifetime trades hands to the first institutional investor only once, of course. Picking the right partner matters. In a crowded market where capital is abundant, founders increasingly value what else a sponsor brings to the table: the strength of its network, relationships, and reputation.

Frontenac's CEO1ST® approach, the guiding light for all Frontenac investments, is anchored in hands-on partnership with folks the firm has known and come to know over time. Frontenac has a long history of bringing experienced operating executives in alongside founders, families, and entrepreneurs to support them in seeing their businesses through the next phase of growth.

"Founders can choose from a lot of capital today," said Walter Florence, Managing Partner at Frontenac. "Recognition based on what founders say after the deal's done, reflecting on what happened while we worked together, is praise we value greatly."

For the complete list of Inc.'s honorees, please visit Founder Friendly Investors.

ABOUT FRONTENAC

Frontenac is a Chicago-based private equity firm. The firm focuses on investing in lower middle market buyout transactions in the consumer, industrial, and services industries. Frontenac works in partnership with established operating leaders, through an executive-centric approach called CEO1ST®, which seeks to identify, acquire, and build market-leading companies through transformational acquisitions and operational excellence. Over the last 55 years, Frontenac has built a franchise working with over 350 owners of mid-sized businesses as they address complex transition issues of liquidity, management enhancement, and growth planning. For more information, please visit www.frontenac.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.

DISCLAIMER

The "Founder-Friendly Investors" award is a program designed by Inc. Magazine to help founder-led companies accelerate growth and create revenue. Private equity, venture capital firms and lenders that have exited U.S.-based, founder-led portfolio companies are eligible to apply. For investments to qualify, portfolio company founders must have remained actively involved in their business for at least one-year post-investment. Winning firms are selected based upon their track record, reputation, leadership and founder references. Frontenac is not aware of the number of advisers surveyed for the award. Like all entrants, Frontenac paid a fee to be considered for this award and pays a fee to Inc. Magazine to use the collateral associated with the use of the award and logo. This award is not to be construed as indicative of Frontenac's future performance. Reference to an award is only one piece of information relevant to an evaluation of an investment adviser such as Frontenac. Finally, this award represents information as of a specific date and time and may not reflect important information related to an evaluation of the investment adviser which has occurred prior to, or subsequent to, the award. More information about the Founder-Friendly Investors methodology is available here.