Private Equity Growth Capital Council

What Private Equity Growth Capital Council does

The Private Equity Growth Capital Council, operating under the brand American Investment Council (AIC), is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association and advocacy organization for the U.S. private equity and growth capital industry. Founded in 2007, it represents private equity firms, investment companies, and capital providers through membership-based engagement, public-policy advocacy, and industry research. Its primary GTM motion is community- and policy-led: recruiting member firms, publishing research that shapes regulatory and public narratives, and engaging directly with federal agencies (notably the Department of Labor) and Congress to influence rules governing private market access, retirement savings, and small-business financing.

AIC's 'products' are research publications, policy positions, and educational content rather than technology or software. It leverages data partnerships — most prominently with PitchBook, supplemented by academic research from UNC, Ohio State, and Georgetown — to produce recurring reports on economic impact, small and mid-market businesses, the private equity secondaries market, and long-term return comparisons versus public markets. Distribution is multi-channel: a state-by-state impact tool covering all 50 states and 435 congressional districts, active social media (@AmericaInvests), a comprehensive website (investmentcouncil.org), paid media placements including Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and direct engagement with policymakers and journalists. The organization is led by President & CEO Will Dunham and Board Chair Pam Hendrickson.

The business model is membership dues from private equity member firms, structured on a recurring, subscription-like basis with tiered arrangements that are not publicly disclosed. Revenue figures are not publicly reported. Beyond dues, the council monetizes influence through research-driven advocacy campaigns (notably the ongoing push to expand 401(k) access to alternative assets) and through coalition partnerships such as the joint 'America at 250' report with the National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC). There is no evidence of external ownership, a parent entity, subsidiaries, or M&A activity; the council is independently governed and member-funded.

Name

Private Equity Growth Capital Council

Legal name

American Investment Council

Website

https://pegcc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Private Equity Growth Capital Council (dba American Investment Council) is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association that advocates for the U.S. private equity and growth capital industry through policy engagement, member services, and PitchBook-backed research publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The AIC generates revenue through membership dues paid by private equity firms and investment companies. The organization offers membership tiers and a 'Join the AIC' program for companies in the private equity industry.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Private Equity Growth Capital Council (doing business as the American Investment Council) is a membership-based trade association and advocacy organization for the private equity and growth capital investment industry. The organization develops, analyzes, and distributes information about the PE industry; conducts advocacy campaigns and policy engagement with U.S. federal agencies and Congress; and publishes research reports covering economic impact, small business investment, retirement access to private markets, and industry performance benchmarks.

Product overview

The American Investment Council (AIC) is a private equity industry association and advocacy organization, not a product or technology company. It does not offer a unified platform, SaaS product, or software services. Its offerings consist of research publications, policy advocacy materials, industry impact data, and informational resources about private equity's role in the U.S. economy. The organization publishes reports on topics including economic impact, pensions, small business investment, and retirement savings access to private markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Program (Join the AIC) A membership program for private equity firms, investment companies, and capital providers that includes advocacy representation, policy engagement, research publications, networking opportunities, and industry promotion on their behalf.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13.3 million American jobs supported by private equity-backed companies
• +6 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIC and NAIC jointly released the 'America at 250' report examining 250 years of private capital's role in American economic growth, innovation, and competitiveness. The partnership combines AIC's private equity advocacy with NAIC's investment company perspective.
• PitchBookcoreTechnology or IntegrationPitchBook provides data for AIC research reports including analysis on private equity secondaries market, small and mid-market business investments, and industry performance metrics. PitchBook data is cited extensively in AIC publications.
• University of North Carolina Institute for Private CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIC references research from Prof. Gregory Brown, Research Director at UNC's Institute for Private Capital, including studies on private fund performance across 7,816 private funds. UNC research provides academic credibility to AIC's advocacy positions.
• Ohio State UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIC cites a 2024 Ohio State study examining over 5,000 private funds to support arguments that private equity allocations increase portfolio returns by 2.1% annually on a risk-adjusted basis.
• Georgetown UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIC references Georgetown research on alternative asset allocations in target-date funds showing potential to improve performance by 6-8% and generate $2,400 more per year in retirement income for typical savers, and $35 billion in additional retirement savings annually.
• KKRcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKKR is an AIC member company featured in case studies demonstrating private equity's impact on small businesses, including partnership with Environmental Dynamics International in Columbia, Missouri to expand operations and enter new markets.
• Beliade Consumer PartnerssecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBeliade Consumer Partners is an AIC member highlighted for investments in entrepreneurs including Van Leeuwen Ice Cream (scaling from Brooklyn food truck to nearly 100 shops) and Little Sesame (scaling from one D.C. kitchen to thousands of grocery stores).
• U.S. Department of LaborcoreOthersAIC submitted comment letters supporting DOL's proposed rule to expand Americans' retirement options by allowing 401(k) access to alternative assets including private equity and private credit. The DOL proposal would enable 90 million 401(k) savers to access private markets.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Bankers Association (ABA): ABA is the largest U.S. banking trade association. It operates a comparable membership/advocacy/research model and frequently aligns or competes with AIC on private credit, capital markets, and retirement policy issues.
• Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA): SIFMA is the broad U.S. trade association for broker-dealers, investment banks, and asset managers. While not PE-specific, it operates the same advocacy/research model and competes with AIC on cross-cutting financial services policy issues.
• Investment Company Institute (ICI): ICI is the leading association for U.S. regulated investment companies (mutual funds, ETFs, closed-end funds). It operates the same membership-advocacy model as AIC and is a frequent counterparty on retirement policy debates.
• Financial Services Institute (FSI): FSI advocates for independent financial advisors and broker-dealers. While its membership base is retail-advisor oriented rather than PE, it shares the D.C. advocacy/research operating model and intersects on fiduciary and retirement-access debates.

Others

• Private Equity Stakeholder Project: PESP is a non-profit watchdog that tracks PE's impact on workers, communities, and consumers. It is a direct ideological counter-narrative to AIC and a primary advocacy opponent shaping public perception of the industry.

Regional players

• National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (Nareit): Nareit is the worldwide representative and advocacy organization for REITs and listed real estate companies. It uses a nearly identical trade-association model to AIC and overlaps on alternative-asset-in-401(k) policy campaigns.

Direct peers

• Managed Funds Association (MFA): MFA is the U.S. trade association representing hedge funds and the broader alternative investment industry. It mirrors AIC's membership/advocacy model and frequently partners or competes on shared policy issues such as DOL fiduciary rule and alternative-asset access in retirement plans.
• National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC): NAIC is the trade association for investment companies and private equity firms, with overlapping advocacy scope and even a co-published 'America at 250' report with AIC. It is the closest direct peer, competing for member firms and policy influence in Washington, D.C.
• National Venture Capital Association (NVCA): NVCA is the trade association and advocacy body for the U.S. venture capital industry. It operates the same membership-based advocacy model as AIC, focused on policy engagement, research, and public education for an adjacent private-capital sub-sector.

Emerging players

• Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA): ILPA represents limited partner institutional investors in private equity. It overlaps with AIC on LP-side education and standards, but focuses more on industry best practices and less on broad public advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PEGCCouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/home
• Facebookfacebook.com/PEGCCouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Private Equity Growth Capital Council