If your private company has a lot of growth potential but is getting a little long in the tooth, TA Associates won't discriminate. Managing some $12 billion raised from university endowments, municipal and corporate pension funds, and other investors, the private equity firm primarily targets later-stage companies, funding growth, acquisitions, share repurchases, or leveraged buyouts. The company, with offices in the US and UK, invests between $60 million and $600 million in business, financial, and health care services; consumer products and services; and technology companies. TA has invested in nearly 400 companies since its founding in 1968, including Federal Express, Jenny Craig, and Tempur-Pedic.