North Castle Partners Named to Inc. Magazine's Top Founder-Friendly Private Equity Firms For its Fifth Consecutive Year

NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- North Castle Partners is honored to be recognized by Inc. Magazine as a Top Founder-Friendly Private Equity Firm for its fifth consecutive year. Since inception in 1997, North Castle Partners has partnered with and invested in founders, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and the management teams of consumer facing businesses operating in the healthy, active, and sustainable living markets.

2025 has been an incredible year for North Castle and 3 of its founder-led management teams. In January, North Castle sold its investment in Barry Bootcamp reflecting a 9-year partnership with founders and management that grew Barry's from 17 to 100+ global locations. In September, North Castle exited its investment in Turnbridge, where North Castle partnered with the founder CEO to more than double its capacity to help young adults and teens overcome mental health and substance use disorders. Most recently, CR Fitness Holdings, a North Castle portfolio company, attained a strategic growth investment from a global investment firm to support the company's future growth and reinforce its position as a leading operator in the high-value, low-price fitness sector. Since North Castle's initial partnership with the founders in 2019, CR Fitness has grown from 19 to 90 clubs and expanded into 4 additional states. The founders will continue to lead the company through its plan to open additional 100+ clubs over the next five years.

For more than 25 years, partnering with founder entrepreneurs has been a cornerstone of North Castle's mission and an integral part of our success. Since NCP's inception, the majority of our investments have benefited from a founder entrepreneur holding a senior position at the company following North Castle's investment. Today, more than 90% of our current partner companies have a founder serving as CEO or in another leadership role, with founders holding leadership positions in each of the 11 companies (100%) of our most recent fund.

North Castle's vision is to realize the exponential power of values-based partnerships to help entrepreneurs and their companies consistently achieve their full potential. Founders often choose to partner with North Castle because of our focused, hands-on approach and relevant knowledge, experience, and resources.

Many of our partnerships with founders continue through exit whether the realization allows the founders to further grow the company or as a sale to a strategic buyer solidifying the company's legacy. Following exit, some founders continue their partnership with North Caste in an advisory capacity. Sami Elsaden, founder of Contigo (sold to Newell Rubbermaid in 2014), and Dennis Lee and Tim Porth, co-founders of Octane Fitness (sold to Nautilus in 2015), are still members of the NCP team today.

If you are a founder looking to learn more about North Castle Partners and our partnership-focused and values-based approach to investing, please visit www.northcastlepartners.com.

SOURCE North Castle Partners, L.L.C.