October 31, 2023

Gauge Capital Named to Inc.’s 2023 List of Founder-Friendly Investors

Southlake, TX – Inc. today announced its fifth annual Founder-Friendly Investors list, honoring the private equity, venture capital, and debt firms with the best track records of success backing entrepreneurs. 

The final list recognizes 218 firms that remain actively involved with the businesses they invest in, and that have earned the trust of the entrepreneurs they support to help drive growth. 
 
“Now more than ever, founder-led companies need financing partners that offer guidance, expertise, and understanding—not just capital. These are the private equity, venture capital, and debt firms that have founders’ backs when it comes to accelerating growth,” says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. Business Media.

“Gauge is honored to be recognized by Inc as a leading Founder-Friendly investor for the 4th year in a row,” said Drew Johnson, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Gauge. “Investing in and supporting founder-led businesses is our passion.” 

“We are flattered to be included in this year’s Founder-Friendly List and believe that financial alignment is vital in establishing true partnerships. Gauge’s substantial GP commitment enables an environment of trust and collaboration that resonates with entrepreneurs seeking another level of growth and success for the companies they have built” said Tom McKelvey, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Gauge.

Gauge Capital is the largest investor in all their funds, representing approximately 30% of assets under management. This is approximately 6x the industry average and helps foster a culture of alignment and trust among stakeholders. Gauge will continue to invest behind Founder’s that are seeking a capital partner to support and accelerate their growth plans. 
 
To compile the list, Inc. went straight to the source: entrepreneurs who have sold to private equity and venture capital firms. Founders filled out a questionnaire about their experiences partnering with private equity, venture capital, and debt firms and shared data on how their portfolio companies have grown during these partnerships.
 
To see the complete list, go to: https://www.inc.com/founder-friendly-investors/2023 
 
Introduced in 2019, the Founder-Friendly Investors list quickly established itself as one of Inc.’s most resourceful franchises. It has become a go-to guide for entrepreneurs who want to grow their companies while retaining an ownership stake. 

About Gauge Capital (www.gaugecapital.com)
Gauge Capital is a leading middle-market private equity firm based in Southlake, Texas. Gauge invests in five key sectors: business services, food & consumer, government & industrial services, healthcare, and technology. The Firm manages more than $3.0 billion in capital and in 2020, 2021 2022 and 2023, Inc. Magazine named Gauge one of the top private equity firms for founders. In 2021, 2022, and 2023 Gauge was also named to the Top 50 PE Firms in the Middle Market by Grady Campbell. In 2022, Gauge ranked in the top 5 out of 517 private equity firms in the HEC Paris – DowJones Small-Cap Buyout Performance Ranking. For more information, please contact Andrew Peix, Managing Director of Business Development at apeix@gaugecapital.com. 

About Inc. (www.inc.com)
The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community they need to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. 

 

Disclaimer: From time to time, Gauge may be recognized or ranked by independent third-party rating services or publications. Such recognitions or rankings are generally based on information prepared or submitted by the recognized advisory firm, and are usually limited only to those advisory firms who choose to participate in such surveys. Any third-party recognition or ranking that may be included should not be construed as a guarantee that any client or prospective client will experience any specific level of investment performance or receive any specific level of customer service, as a result of such recognition or ranking. Furthermore, any such recognition or ranking should not be construed as an endorsement by any of Gauge’s clients. As such, clients and prospective clients should not put undue reliance on any of these statements.