Kelso & Company

Kelso & Company is a North American-focused private equity firm specializing in middle-market investments. Founded in 1980, the firm has raised over $17 billion in capital commitments across 11 funds and has completed more than 140 investments. Kelso's investment philosophy is rooted in the principles of partnership and alignment of interest, championed by its founder, Louis Kelso, the inventor of the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). This philosophy emphasizes shared equity ownership between management, employees, and shareholders to drive business performance.

The firm invests in a diverse range of sectors, including financial services, business services, healthcare services, consumer products, energy, materials, retail, telecommunications, media, technology, transportation, logistics, infrastructure, manufacturing, and consumer services. Kelso typically targets investments between $50 million and $600 million in companies valued between $250 million and $2.5 billion. Its geographical focus spans the United States, Canada, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, the United Kingdom, Asia, Australia, and Africa.

Kelso's investment strategy involves partnering with management teams to accelerate growth through both organic initiatives and strategic acquisitions. The firm has a strong track record of investing in and growing middle-market companies, with a particular emphasis on the financial services sector, having deployed approximately $4 billion of equity capital in this area over the past decade. The firm's commitment to employee ownership and alignment of interests has established it as a preferred partner for management teams and corporate partners seeking to build businesses for the long term.