Florida investment firm founded by David Polen in 1979, known for portfolios concentrated in a small number of high-quality growth companies.
Life story
Polen Capital was founded by David Polen in 1979. Little is publicly known about his personal life, childhood or education. David Polen died in 2012.
How they got started
In 1989 the firm launched its flagship Focus Growth strategy — a portfolio concentrated in a small number of large growth companies. In 2002 it moved to Boca Raton, Florida, to lower costs. In 2012 Damon Ficklin succeeded Polen as co-manager of the strategy.
The firm then expanded quickly: iM Square bought a 20% stake in 2016; in 2021 it acquired DDJ Capital Management, rebranded Polen Capital Credit; in 2023 it added Columbia Threadneedle's emerging-markets team and opened a Hong Kong office; and in 2024 it acquired Somerset Capital's funds.
Investment style
Polen invests in "a limited number of growth equities" — quality companies with competitive advantages and durable growth. The approach is high-conviction and low-turnover: positions are held for years.
Today the firm runs several equity teams (quality growth, international and others) plus high-yield credit strategies, and is majority employee-owned.
Best decisions
From boutique to ~$30 billion
Built around the Focus Growth strategy, the firm grew from a small manager into a global firm with about $30 billion in assets by 2026.
Biggest mistakes
Difficult stretches
According to Wikipedia, the firm underperformed in 2003–2006, lost a large share of its assets in the 2008 financial crisis, and trailed the S&P 500 by 10.2 percentage points in 2013.
Today
In 2026 Polen Capital is led by CEO Stan Moss. Besides Boca Raton it has offices in Boston, Waltham, Chicago, London, Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi, and remains majority employee-owned.
What to learn from following the portfolio
- Polen's portfolios hold few names with low turnover — long-held positions show what the firm considers quality growth.
- The 13F combines several of the firm's strategies and shows only long US stocks with a 45-day lag.
- Quality growth can also trail the index for years — copying it is not a strategy.
- Halal lens: growth portfolios like Polen's tend to hold many technology, software and healthcare companies — these may more often be halal, but each still needs checking. Check each position's halal status in the Portfolio tab.
An introduction based on public sources — not investment advice. Spotted an error? Let us know.