AEA Investors Named to Inc.'s 2025 List of Founder‑Friendly Investors

NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- AEA Investors ("AEA" or the "Firm") is pleased to announce it has been named to Inc.'s 2025 Founder-Friendly Investors list, marking the third consecutive year AEA has been recognized for its commitment to supporting founder-led businesses. The annual list recognizes investment firms with strong track records of backing founder-led companies and helping them thrive.

For more than five decades, AEA has partnered with the management teams of leading middle market companies to help accelerate growth and build enduring businesses. Through its three complementary private equity strategies – Middle Market Private Equity, Small Business Private Equity, and Elevate – AEA has backed numerous founder-led companies, earning a reputation as a trusted sponsor that shares the entrepreneurial culture that defines founder-built businesses. With a relationship-driven approach to investing, AEA provides portfolio companies with more than capital, offering access to a robust global network of strategic resources and shared commitment to driving sustainable, long-term value.

"We are honored to be recognized by Inc. as a founder-friendly investor," said Brian Hoesterey, Chief Executive Officer at AEA. "This recognition reflects the strength of our founder relationships and the results we've achieved together over the past 55+ years. At AEA, we understand the responsibility that comes with partnering at pivotal moments, and we take pride in being a strategic partner of choice for leading middle market companies ready for their next phase of success. We remain committed to being the kind of investor that founders and entrepreneurs trust to help scale their vision."

Inc.'s Founder-Friendly Investors list serves as a resource for entrepreneurs seeking reliable capital partners. Firms are selected based on founder references, investment outcomes, and their reputation for supporting founder-led businesses through meaningful collaboration. To view the full list of this year's honorees, visit www.inc.com/founder-friendly-investors/2025.*

About AEA Investors

AEA Investors ("AEA") was founded in 1968 by the Rockefeller, Mellon, and Harriman family interests and S.G. Warburg & Co. as a private investment vehicle for a select group of industrial family offices with substantial assets. AEA has an extraordinary global network built over many years which includes leading industrial families, business executives, and leaders, many of whom invest with AEA as active individual investors, join its portfolio company boards, or act in other advisory roles. Today, AEA's over 120 investment professionals operate globally with offices in New York, Stamford, Jacksonville, San Francisco, London, Munich, and Shanghai. The Firm manages funds that have approximately $18 billion of invested and committed capital including the leveraged buyouts of middle market and small business companies, growth equity, and private debt investments. For more information, visit www.aeainvestors.com.

*The 2025 list of Founder-Friendly Investors, published by Inc. on October 28, 2025, was based on the time period from January 2020 through June 2025. An entry fee was paid to submit an application for this award.

Media Contacts

Kaitlin Bilby
(212) 845-4307
Media@aeainvestors.com

Kate Thompson / Madeline Jones / Kate Kelley
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
(212) 355-4449

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SOURCE AEA Investors