FTV Capital Named to Inc.’s Founder-Friendly Investors List for Sixth Consecutive Year; Brad Bernstein Recognized as Founder Champion

NEW YORK & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FTV Capital, a leading sector-focused growth equity investment firm, today announced its inclusion for the sixth consecutive year on Inc.’s annual Founder-Friendly Investors list. The list honors the private equity firms, venture capital firms and lenders with established track records of backing founder-led companies. Brad Bernstein, managing partner at FTV Capital, was also named to Inc.’s inaugural Founder Champions list for his longstanding commitment to supporting founders and helping their businesses grow.

“As AI reshapes industries and catalyzes new growth opportunities, founders face consequential decisions about where to invest, how to evolve their businesses and what will create lasting competitive advantage,” said Bernstein. “Drawing on our deep sector expertise, operating experience and extensive global network, we help our companies navigate that complexity, execute with discipline and achieve their growth ambitions. Our sixth consecutive recognition reflects the value of that approach and the trust we’ve earned as long-term partners to entrepreneurs. Being named a Founder Champion is also personally meaningful, underscoring the relationships I’ve had the pleasure of building with founders over more than three decades."

Beyond providing flexible capital, FTV supports founders by connecting them with commercial and strategic opportunities via its Global Partner Network^®, which comprises over 700 executives from many of the world’s leading enterprises. In 2025 alone, FTV facilitated over 400 commercial, strategic and operational introductions through this network. Additionally, portfolio companies gain strategic support and operational guidance from FTV Propel^®, its dedicated team of operational experts. FTV partners closely with its portfolio companies to assess and accelerate AI capabilities, integrate AI and redesign workflows, and equip management teams with proven playbooks and strategic partnerships.

Complementing FTV’s Founder-Friendly recognition, Bernstein’s selection as a Founder Champion highlights his long track record of helping entrepreneurs scale high-growth businesses while preserving their leadership and vision. Since joining FTV in 2003, more than 80% of the companies he has backed were founder-led at the time of investment, with 80% remaining founder-led through exit. He has also served on the boards of more than 20 founder-led businesses, helping guide their growth and long-term success.

“Four years ago, we preempted our investment banking process to choose FTV because of Brad,” said David Pennino, founder and CEO of LogicSource. “Brad puts founders first – he challenges us to think bigger, push ourselves and avoid the tunnel vision that can hold great companies back. The best investors don’t just provide capital; they expand a founder's capacity to grow. As a result, we’ve achieved 103% growth over the last three years.”

Earlier this year, FTV was ranked no. 1 in North America and Europe and no. 3 globally in the HEC Paris Dow Jones Growth Capital Performance Ranking, validating the firm’s differentiated growth equity model and partnerships with leading entrepreneurs worldwide. The recognition comes amid another active year for FTV across its core sectors, with new investments in Carbon, COR, Kingsview Partners, Qualia, TabaPay and Valitana.

Introduced in 2019, the Founder-Friendly Investors list has become a go-to guide for entrepreneurs who want to grow their companies while retaining an ownership stake. The annual list draws on feedback from founders about their experiences working with investment firms and their growth of their businesses during those partnerships. This year, Inc. expanded the program with the introduction of Founder Champions, a new recognition honoring individual investment professionals with demonstrated track records of supporting founder-led companies and building meaningful, lasting partnerships with entrepreneurs.

To see the complete Founder-Friendly Investors and Founder Champions lists, go to: https://www.inc.com/founder-friendly-investors

About FTV Capital
FTV Capital is a sector-focused growth equity investment firm that has raised more than $10.2 billion to invest in innovative, high-growth companies across financial technology and services, vertical software, enterprise technology and services, and healthcare technology and services. Founded in 1998, FTV has developed a highly differentiated and disciplined growth equity model, which leverages the firm’s deep domain expertise and thematic investing approach to help portfolio companies accelerate growth. FTV also provides companies with access to its Global Partner Network^®, a strategic group of more than 700 executives from many of the world’s leading enterprises, and FTV Propel^®, an in-house team of seasoned operational leaders who deliver counsel and resources across a range of critical business functions. FTV has invested in over 160 portfolio companies, including Agiloft, Docupace, EBANX, Kore.ai, Lean Solutions Group, ReliaQuest and Vagaro, and successfully exited/partially exited Centaur (acquired by Waystone Group), Egress (acquired by KnowBe4), Enfusion (acquired by Clearwater Analytics), Neptune (NYSE: NP), RapidRatings (recapitalized), VPay (acquired by Optum) and WorldFirst (acquired by Ant Financial). For more information, please visit ftvcapital.com and follow the firm on LinkedIn.

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.

Disclosures
The portfolio companies identified and described herein do not represent all of the portfolio companies purchased, sold or recommended for funds advised by FTV Capital. The reader should not assume that an investment in the portfolio companies identified was or will be profitable. For a list of all of our portfolio companies, please visit our website. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Like all entrants, FTV Capital paid a fee to be considered for this award. This award is not to be construed as indicative of FTV Capital’s future performance. Reference to an award is only one piece of information relevant to an evaluation of an investment adviser such as FTV Capital. 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. Statements by David Pennino are endorsements made by an executive of a current portfolio company in which certain FTV Capital funds have invested. This press release is not a solicitation of an offer to purchase securities and may not be relied upon in connection with the purchase or sale of any security. Interests in funds managed by FTV Capital, if offered, will only be made pursuant to a confidential offering memorandum and subscription documents.