RF Investment Partners Named to Inc.’s 2026 Founder-Friendly Investors List

Recognition marks RF's fourth straight year on the annual list, which honors private equity, venture capital, and lending firms with strong track records of supporting founder-led businesses

RF Investment Partners is proud to announce that Inc. Magazine has recognized the firm on its 2026 Founder-Friendly Investors list. The list honors firms with demonstrated track records of supporting founder-led companies, and this year, RF is among 294 firms across the investment landscape. RF has been named to the list every year since 2023.

The Founder-Friendly Investors list celebrates the investors and firms that work closely with entrepreneurs and remain engaged with the businesses they back. Honorees are recognized for their approach to partnering with founders and supporting their companies through growth and beyond.

"With the current funding environment and rapid changes facing growing companies, founders are looking for more than just capital from their investors. They want true partners who believe in their business, but who are also able to provide the critical advisement and strategic support they need to reach their potential," says Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc. "The 2026 Founder-Friendly Investor awards celebrate those firms - the ones committed to partnership, excellence, and helping founder-led companies grow."

"Being named to Inc.'s Founder-Friendly Investors list for four consecutive years reflects our consistent alignment with founders and management teams and reinforces our belief that capital is most effective when paired with genuine partnership," said RF Co-Founder and Managing Partner Peter Rothschild.

RF approaches every investment as a partnership built on trust, transparency, and alignment. We believe founder-friendly investing means preserving what makes a business special while helping it scale with intention. We focus on the lower middle market because we see tremendous opportunity in helping founder- and owner-operated businesses grow into institutional leaders without losing what made them successful in the first place.

"We do not seek to replace a founder's vision. We work alongside it, providing strategic guidance, operational support, and access to a broader network of industry expertise," Rothschild added. "Our focus on Healthcare and Business Services allows us to deliver targeted, sector-informed insights that drive practical, measurable outcomes."

To see the complete 2026 Inc. Founder-Friendly Investors list, visit https://www.inc.com/founder-friendly-investors.

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.