With inflation readings still elevated in many countries, bond yields reacting to every policy hint and trade flows shifting across regions, it is easy to feel stuck on the sidelines. One way to cut through the noise is to focus on founder-led companies where leadership has real skin in the game and capital is used carefully. This screener does exactly that, filtering for businesses where founders are still in charge and closely aligned with shareholders. In this article, you will see three of the strongest stocks from this founder-led list and why they stand out right now.

On Holding (ONON)

Overview: On Holding is a Zurich based sportswear company that designs and sells premium athletic footwear, apparel and accessories for running, outdoor and everyday performance, reaching customers through both wholesale partners and its own stores and e-commerce channels across major global regions.

Operations: The business currently generates CHF 3.0b in annual revenue almost entirely from athletic footwear, with sales spread across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Switzerland and the rest of the Americas.

Market Cap: US$11.9b

On Holding may be of interest if you are looking at fast growing premium consumer brands where founders are still heavily involved and focusing on direct to consumer and e-commerce. These channels now represent a large slice of sales and can support higher margins. The company operates globally, is adding new product franchises beyond running, and is investing in automated manufacturing such as LightSpray to improve efficiency. At the same time, the stock trades on a high P/E and depends on premium pricing, substantial marketing and high-profile collaborations, so any cooling in demand, wholesale discounting or FX pressure could affect margins and sentiment relatively quickly.

On Holding’s fast expanding premium brand, global reach and high P/E raise a clear question for growth focused investors, so review the analyst forecasts for On Holding to see what expectations might be missing or mispriced.

Kaspi.kz (KSPI)

Overview: Kaspi.kz runs a super app that combines payments, shopping and fintech, letting consumers in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Ukraine pay bills, transfer money, shop across online and offline merchants, book travel and access credit and savings products, while giving merchants tools to accept payments, manage sales and tap financing.

Operations: Kaspi.kz generates most of its KZT 4.1t platform revenue from its Marketplace segment at KZT 1,931.5b and Fintech at KZT 1,542.9b, with Payments contributing KZT 658.7b and activity concentrated in Kazakhstan & Other at KZT 3,070.4b versus Turkey at KZT 1,031.6b.

Market Cap: US$16.3b

Kaspi.kz draws attention because it combines a high margin, cash generative super app in Kazakhstan with a growing international footprint, including Turkey, while still trading on earnings multiples below many peers. The business leans on an integrated ecosystem where payments, marketplace and fintech feed each other, which can support cross selling and sticky customer relationships. At the same time, you need to weigh real risks, including heavy use of external funding instead of customer deposits, regulatory changes that can disrupt key verticals and pressure from both local and global fintech competitors. For investors looking at founder led platforms where strong current profitability sits alongside ambitious expansion plans, Kaspi.kz may be worth keeping on the radar.

Kaspi.kz’s high margin super app and expanding footprint into Turkey have investors excited, but the real story sits in how all three engines fit together. Read the 4 key rewards and 4 important warning signs (1 is major!) to learn more.

Pagaya Technologies (PGY)

Overview: Pagaya Technologies runs an AI powered platform that helps banks, fintechs and other lenders assess loan applications, approve more of the borrowers they want and then package those loans into asset backed securities that institutional investors can buy.

Market Cap: US$1.22b

Pagaya is attracting attention because its AI underwriting engine is plugged directly into partner workflows and backed by a growing asset backed securities program, including several recent AAA rated deals that show funding partners are engaged. The company is already GAAP profitable with five consecutive profitable quarters, rising net income and revenue of US$317.94m in Q1 2026, while trading on a P/E well below many US software peers. At the same time, investors need to weigh funding reliance on external borrowing, one off items like the recent US$140.2m loss and share price volatility as credit markets move. If you care about founder led fintechs where AI, profitability and ABS funding all intersect, this is a story worth watching closely.

Pagaya’s AI underwriting, GAAP profitability and asset backed securities program could signal a story that is just getting started. Review the analysis report for Pagaya Technologies before the next funding twist reshapes the risk reward profile.

The three founder led stocks covered here are just a sample, with the full Top Founder-Led Companies screener surfacing 15 more companies where founder ownership, capital efficiency and clear business narratives line up in a similar way. Use Simply Wall St to identify and analyze founder led stocks by filtering for the catalysts and storylines that matter most to you so you can focus on the highest conviction ideas instead of scrolling through noise.

Take Control of Your Investment Journey

If On Holding 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 Others Catch On

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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.