Ariel Investments
2026-08-30arielinvestments.com
Overview
What they do
Founded in 1983 by John W. Rogers Jr., Ariel Investments is the first African American-owned mutual fund company in the United States. Historically, the firm built its reputation in public markets through an "active patience" value investing philosophy, focusing on undervalued small and mid-cap equities. In recent years, Ariel has aggressively expanded into private markets, launching Ariel Alternatives and its flagship "Project Black" fund in 2021 to acquire and scale middle-market businesses. Most recently, in early 2026, the firm launched "Project Level," a dedicated private investment vehicle focused on women's sports.
arielinvestments.com
What they look for
Ariel employs 'Active Patience' in public equities, seeking undervalued small and mid-cap companies for long-term holds. For private equity, Project Black aims to scale middle-market B2B businesses into certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) for Fortune 500 suppliers, while Project Level capitalizes on the growth of women's sports, viewing them as undervalued opportunities.
arielinvestments.com
Stage
Series B+
arielinvestments.com
Sectors
SaaS, Media, Mobility and logistics, Healthcare, Climate, Consumer, Fintech
arielinvestments.com
Based
Chicago, US
arielinvestments.com
Sources
2026-08-30arielinvestments.comOur contrarian views result from meticulous, fundamental, bottom-up research. Analyzing and…
Portfolio, cheque size and the rest
The companies they have backed, the cheque they write, and whether they are deploying right now.
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