With energy costs, inflation questions and central bank decisions all pulling markets in different directions, many investors are looking for leaders who are directly aligned with their shareholders. Founder led companies often have higher capital discipline and significant personal stakes, so their interests sit closer to yours. That is the idea behind the Top Founder Led Companies screener, which focuses on capital efficiency and genuine skin in the game rather than short term headlines or sector hype. In this article, you will see three of the candidates from that screener that may merit a closer look for long term portfolios.

On Holding (ONON)

Overview: On Holding is a Swiss sportswear company that designs and sells premium athletic footwear, apparel and accessories for running, outdoor and everyday performance, reaching customers through a mix of wholesale partners, its own stores and a fast growing e-commerce channel.

Operations: The business currently generates essentially all of its CHF 3.1b in revenue from athletic footwear, with reported Asia-Pacific revenue of CHF 564.5m alongside a segment adjustment of CHF 2.6b.

Market Cap: US$11.9b

On Holding stands out for investors because its fast growing direct-to-consumer and e-commerce mix is lifting profitability and giving the company tighter control over pricing and customer relationships. A broader product range across running, tennis and lifestyle also widens the addressable market. Recent earnings reports show strong revenue and earnings growth, and analysts are forecasting solid gains in both earnings and return on equity, which helps support the current premium P/E. At the same time, reliance on premium pricing, heavy marketing spend and external borrowing means the story is not risk free, especially if consumer demand cools or international expansion slows. This is why a closer look at the full thesis matters.

On Holding’s rapid e-commerce expansion and premium pricing story looks powerful, but the real question is how long that earnings momentum can support a premium P/E. Get the full picture with the analyst forecasts for On Holding

Sea (SE)

Overview: Sea is a Singapore based consumer internet company that runs the Shopee e commerce marketplace, the Garena gaming platform and the Monee digital financial services business across Southeast Asia, Latin America and other international markets.

Operations: Sea generates most of its revenue from E commerce, with Shopee contributing about US$18.2b, followed by Monee digital financial services at roughly US$4.2b, Garena digital entertainment at about US$2.6b, and other services at around US$184.7m.

Market Cap: US$61.2b

Sea attracts attention because it bundles three powerful themes in one company: online shopping through Shopee, gaming through Garena and digital finance through Monee, all supported by rising digital adoption in Southeast Asia and Brazil. Earnings grew 84% over the past year, and Q1 updates highlighted 40%+ revenue growth, a US$1b+ EBITDA run rate and improving unit economics, even as management trims costs in areas like Shopee’s developer base to fund AI and logistics investments. At the same time, Sea faces intense competition in e commerce and payments, and Garena’s reliance on Free Fire keeps gaming cash flows exposed to title and regulatory risk. The real interest lies in how this mix of growth, execution and funding risk stacks up against current expectations.

Sea’s 40%+ revenue growth, US$1b+ EBITDA run rate and tighter unit economics suggest the story may be shifting faster than the headlines. Get the full context with the analyst forecasts for Sea

Toast (TOST)

Overview: Toast is a Boston based company that provides a cloud based platform of software, payments and hardware that helps restaurants run everything from point of sale, online ordering and delivery to payroll, inventory, vendor management and back office automation.

Operations: Toast currently generates all of its US$6.4b in revenue from data processing services linked to its platform.

Market Cap: US$16.8b

Toast gives you a way to tap into restaurants’ push toward automation, with its all in one platform, AI tools like Toast IQ and expanding partnerships helping to deepen customer relationships and raise recurring, transaction based revenues. Earnings have moved into the black, margins and ROE around 20% are improving, and recent index additions plus a share buyback program signal growing market recognition. At the same time, hardware costs, intense competition from other fintech platforms and the risk that restaurant demand or international expansion underwhelm all pose real questions about how durable that growth and pricing power can be. The real opportunity lies in understanding how those strengths and pressures balance out over the long run.

Toast’s push into restaurant automation, rising margins and 20% ROE raises a bigger question: how far can this engine run before competition and hardware costs start to bite? Get the missing context with the analyst forecasts for Toast

The three founder led stocks here are only a starting point. The full Top Founder Led Companies screener surfaces 15 more businesses where founders still own meaningful stakes and capital efficiency supports equally compelling narratives, all wrapped into the Top Founder-Led Companies screener. Use Simply Wall St to identify and analyze the specific catalysts and founder narratives that matter to you, so you can filter for the highest conviction opportunities that fit your own approach.

Take Control of Your Investment Journey

If Sea or any of these companies have caught your attention, register for FREE with Simply Wall St and add your companies to a Watchlist to monitor the share price against the fair value and track any new developments as they happen. Once you've made your move, manage your holdings with our Portfolio Command Center that filters out the noise to deliver only the most critical, actionable updates. Throughout your journey, our Community allows you to filter the best ideas from thousands of investor perspectives. By uncovering hidden catalysts and risks early, you'll accelerate your decision-making and stay one step ahead of the market.

Seeking Fresh Alternatives Before They Fly?

Markets move fast and the next breakout stocks rarely stay under the radar for long. Scan these fresh ideas before the momentum is fully caught and consider acting while opportunities are still developing.

• Spot financially robust companies that can potentially weather shocks by reviewing a curated list of solid balance sheet and fundamentals (49 results) while it still flies below most investors’ attention.
• Explore potential cash flow from established payers by scanning a hand picked group of 9 dividend fortresses before yields change as more buyers notice them.
• Follow the build out of tomorrow’s infrastructure by checking a focused list of 35 power grid technology and infrastructure stocks while the story is still forming and pricing gaps remain.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.