SFES

Safeguard Scientifics Inc

A growth-capital firm and holding company that backs young technology and healthcare businesses, lending them not just funding but hands-on help with management, strategy, and operations. It began in 1953 as the Lancaster Company, founded by Warren Musser and Frank Diamond to invest in small firms. The name came from an early star investment, Safeguard Industries, whose check-protecting machines punched dollar amounts into paper to "safeguard" checks—so successful it became the parent's namesake in 1981. Its early stake in a Tupelo cable venture was later sold to Ralph Roberts, who grew it into Comcast.