Founder-led companies have been partnering with investment firms to help accelerate growth for decades. Here are the PE firms, VC firms, and lenders that have a history of backing founders. Founder-Friendly Investors is open to any private equity firm, venture capital firm, or lender that partners with founder-led companies. To apply, PE and VC firms should have exited at least one founder-led portfolio company in the past five years. Lenders should have provided capital to at least one founder-led portfolio company in the past five years.