Prime Movers Lab Named to Inc.’s 2022 List of Founder-Friendly Investors
Annual roundup highlights the private equity and venture capital firms with the best track records of success backing entrepreneurs
Inc. Magazine named venture capital firm Prime Movers Lab to its fourth annual Founder-Friendly Investors list, honoring the private equity and venture capital firms with the best track records of success backing entrepreneurs.
Inc. recognized Prime Movers Lab for its successful track record of remaining deeply supportive of the businesses it invests in. The list singles out firms that entrepreneurs collaborate with and trust as they receive the financial support they need to help drive growth.
“Fully investing in an entrepreneur, and their innovative vision, involves far more than the financial investment. By developing relationships with and supporting entrepreneurs for the long-term, these private equity firms are more than investors, they’re partners,” says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. media.
“Many investors make a lot of empty promises, but we have delivered on our commitment that the least useful thing we’ll provide is capital,” Prime Movers Lab Founder and General Partner Dakin Sloss said. “We work with each portfolio company as trusted advisors to support hiring, public relations, government relations, branding, sales, and executive coaching to serve as true partners to our CEOs.”
Prime Movers Lab recently announced raising $500 million for its first early growth fund, bringing the firm’s total assets under management to more than $1 billion. The firm invests in breakthrough science companies that are reinventing energy, transportation, infrastructure, manufacturing, human augmentation, and agriculture.
“Dakin and Prime Movers Lab are a very different kind of investor than any I have had in the past 30 years. What sets them apart in an entirely different (and better) category is how smart, helpful, and humble they are. They took the time to understand our business and technology better than anyone else and thus were able to add more value. They also are thought leaders — and leaders in general — not looking to others for social proof — they are bold enough and smart enough to be strong and supportive backers. Finally, and on top of all of that, they share my goal of making the world a better place, and I very much look forward to doing just that with them,” said Heliogen, Energy Vault, and Carbon Capture Founder Bill Gross.
“The Prime Movers Lab team has delivered for Tarana Wireless. First, as a board member, I saw their unparalleled commitment to their portfolio companies over three, very different fundraising rounds,” said Tarana CEO Basil Alwan. “And, since becoming the CEO of Tarana, I’ve come to appreciate their hands-on full support as we scale and deliver broadband to underserved communities.”
“I love working with the Prime Movers Lab team because they provide untold amounts of strategic insight, support, and engagement,” E-Space Founder and CEO Greg Wyler said. “I’ve built numerous companies and have found Prime Movers Lab to be the most thoughtful, connected, and invested partner. Prime Movers Lab is a truly different type of venture capital firm that is well poised for this new era of scientific breakthroughs.”
“Prime Movers Lab has built an impressive team across investment and technical partners. They uniquely understand deep technology — and are able to accurately assess challenges in diligence, then connect their founders and support them on both business and engineering expertise. We’re grateful to have Prime Movers Lab on the Boom Supersonic team,” said Boom Supersonic Founder and CEO Blake Scholl.
To compile the list, Inc. went straight to the source: entrepreneurs who have raised private equity or venture capital. Founders filled out a questionnaire about their experiences partnering with private equity and venture capital firms and shared data on how their portfolio companies have grown during these partnerships. To see the complete list, go to: https://www.inc.com/founder-friendly-investors/2022
The October 2022 issue of Inc. magazine is available online now at https://www.inc.com/magazine and will be on newsstands beginning October 4, 2022.
Prime Movers Lab invests in breakthrough scientific startups founded by Prime Movers, the inventors who transform billions of lives. We invest in companies reinventing energy, transportation, infrastructure, manufacturing, human augmentation, and agriculture.
Sign up here to subscribe to our blog.
