Edison Partners Earns Second Consecutive BluWave 2026 Top PE Innovator Award

Growth equity firm recognized for second straight year among the top 2% of North America’s most innovative private equity firms

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Edison Partners, a leading growth equity firm, today announced it has been named a 2026 Top PE Innovator Award winner by BluWave. This marks the firm’s second consecutive year receiving this distinction.

The fifth annual BluWave Top Private Equity Innovator Awards recognize the top 2% of private equity firms across North America. Honorees were selected from more than 6,000 U.S. and Canadian firms following a rigorous evaluation across 75 factors and more than 400,000 data points, spanning proactive due diligence, transformative value creation, modern firm operations and corporate citizenship practices.

“True innovation in private equity happens at the firm level,” said Chris Sugden, Managing Partner at Edison Partners. “Over four decades, we’ve built a model that drives durable growth for lower middle market companies. That experience guides everything we do, including how we support founders and management teams through our value creation platform. Being recognized by BluWave two years in a row is a meaningful validation of our approach.”

Since 1986, Edison Partners has backed more than 270 high-growth vertical SaaS, financial technology, healthcare IT and marketplace businesses. The firm’s active portfolio has created an aggregated market value over $10 billion, and it manages over $2.2 billion in assets. Edison Edge, the firm’s value creation platform, delivers tailored operational and strategic support to portfolio companies across the investment lifecycle. Its most recent Net Promoter Score of 75, approximately double the industry average, underscores the impact of that hands-on approach.

“This year’s top private equity innovators are proving that thoughtful innovation fuels real economic impact,” said Sean Mooney, Founder and CEO of BluWave. “By rethinking how value is created, they are leading the industry forward and delivering meaningful outcomes for businesses, communities, and investors alike.”

The BluWave recognition adds to a growing list of honors for Edison Partners, including being named a TOP 50 Private Equity Firm in the Middle Market and a Top 50 PE Firm for Founders, as well as earning Founder-Friendly Investor recognition from Inc. for five consecutive years.

For more information on the BluWave 2026 Top Private Equity Innovator Awards, including the selection process and full list of recipients, visit bluwave.net/awards.

About Edison Partners
Edison Partners is a leading growth equity firm providing the financial and intellectual capital that CEOs and their executive teams need to grow and scale their companies. The firm’s team brings more than 275 years of combined investing, operating and sector experience to each investment, accessible via the Edison Edge value creation platform, which is tailored to each business’ strategy, stage and operating needs. Edison targets high-growth vertical SaaS, financial technology, healthcare IT and marketplace companies located outside Silicon Valley with $10 million to $30 million in revenue. Investments also include buyouts, recapitalizations, spinouts, and secondary stock purchases. Named as a Top Growth Investment Firm by GrowthCap for two years running, Edison’s active portfolio has created aggregated market value exceeding $10 billion. Edison Partners manages over $2.2 billion in assets. For more information on Edison Partners, please visit edisonpartners.com and follow on LinkedIn.

About BluWave
BluWave is the execution and value creation resources platform of the private equity industry. Trusted by hundreds of PE firms and thousands of their portfolio companies, BluWave connects the exact-fit third-party resources business builders need to assess, create, and grow value. The company combines proprietary AI technology, data-driven insights, and a concierge-grade experience to help PE firms and their portfolio companies execute with speed, precision, and confidence.

For more information about BluWave, visit BluWave.net.

*BluWave, LP has not received investment capital from and holds no ownership interest in the PE firms recognized under the Top Private Equity Innovator awards program. BluWave received no compensation from any of the PE firms in connection with this awards program. However, BluWave may otherwise provide services to the PE firms and/or their portfolio companies, but BluWave confirms that its assessment of the PE firms was independent of any such service arrangements. Top 2% in the PE industry is based on BluWave’s review of the more than 6,000 PE firms in the U.S. and Canada, from which the PE firms were selected as award recipients.