Denver, CO – Platte River Equity (“Platte River”) is proud to be named to the Inc. Founder-Friendly Investors list for the fourth consecutive year. This annual list honors firms that entrepreneurs trust and actively choose to partner with as they receive the support they need to take their businesses to the next level. Platte River is part of a select group of private equity firms focused on investing in lower middle market industrial companies.
“Raising capital is no small feat for today’s entrepreneurs. That’s why discovering investors who offer more than just financial backing—those who bring mentorship, resources, and a true spirit of partnership to your growth journey—is both rare and invaluable,” says Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc. “The 2025 Founder-Friendly Investors are collaborators and dedicated to helping their portfolio companies succeed.”
“At Platte River, our mission has always been to partner with the entrepreneurs behind exceptional businesses. We believe founders deserve more than capital—they deserve a partner who honors their culture, protects their legacies and helps them scale on their terms. Being recognized by Inc. as a Founder-Friendly Investor affirms that we are delivering on that promise,” said Peter W. Calamari, Managing Director.
Managing Director Mark Brown added, “This recognition reflects our team’s commitment to helping founders build enduring businesses. We take pride in rolling up our sleeves alongside management—providing the resources, strategic support and operational guidance they need to achieve their goals.”
About Inc.
Inc. is a leading media brand and playbook for entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping the future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate and elevate the profile of our 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.
Inc.’s Founder-Friendly Investors list has become a go-to guide for entrepreneurs who want to grow their companies while retaining an ownership stake. For more information or to view the complete list of honorees, visit: www.inc.com/founder-friendly-investors/2025.
The “Founder-Friendly Investors” award is a program designed by Inc. Magazine (“Inc.”) to help founder-led companies accelerate growth and create revenue. Eligible private equity and venture capital firms must have exited at least one founder-led portfolio company in the past five years and provide Inc. with one to five founder references from those companies. Inc. gathers data on company performance during the firm’s ownership, conducts founder interviews and uses a proprietary scoring system to identify firms whose missions and practices best support founders throughout the investment period. Platte River is not aware of the number of advisers also surveyed for the award. Like all entrants, Platte River paid a fee to be considered for this award and pays a fee to use marketing collateral associated with the award. This award is not to be construed as indicative of Platte River’s future performance. Reference to an award is only one piece of information relevant to an evaluation of an investment adviser such as Platte River. 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. Inc. Magazine is not affiliated with Platte River. Platte River received this annual award in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. More information about the Founder-Friendly Investors award is available at 2025 Founder-Friendly Investors Methodology: How We Selected These Firms | Inc.com.
