Description Ardsley Partners is hardly shouting from the rooftops. The $1 billion equity-focused hedge fund company keeps a low profile. Through various funds (including Ardsley Offshore Fund, Ardsley Partners Fund II, Ardsley Partners Institutional Fund, and Augusta Partners), the company invests globally in rapidly growing companies. It favors chemical and chemical-based product makers; its portfolio has included Aventine Renewable Energy Holdings, Pioneer Companies, Solutia, and Tronox. Ardsley Partners was founded in 1987 by CEO Philip Hempleman who is a generous donor to the Democratic Party, including Hillary Rodham Clinton.