A study led by Professor Josh Lerner (Jacob H. Schiff Professor of Investment Banking at Harvard Business School) on 5,000 U.S. transactions over a 25-year period, commissioned by the World Economic Forum, found that U.S. companies owned by private equity firms are significantly more likely to pursue economically important innovations than companies that are not owned by private equity investors.

Professor Lerner research has also concluded that private equity firms patent six times more than firms under different ownership.

To read more about how private equity companies promote research and development see:  Private equity investment spurs innovation