Edison Partners Earns Dual Recognition as a Top Middle Market and Founder-Focused Private Equity Firm
Edison Partners, a leading growth equity firm with a long-standing presence in the lower middle market, has announced that it has been named to Grady Campbell’s 2026 TOP 50 Private Equity Firms in the Middle Market™, as well as to the prestigious TOP 50 PE Firms for Founders list, a dual honor that underscores the firm’s consistent excellence in investment performance, founder alignment, and value creation across multiple technology-enabled sectors. This recognition places Edison Partners among an elite group of private equity firms that have demonstrated not only strong financial outcomes but also a deep commitment to partnering with entrepreneurs and management teams in a way that supports sustainable growth, operational excellence, and long-term value creation. According to Chris Sugden, Managing Partner at Edison Partners, this dual recognition is a powerful affirmation of the firm’s differentiated investment philosophy and operating model, which has been refined and strengthened over more than four decades of investing in growth-stage companies. He emphasized that Edison’s approach combines flexible growth capital with hands-on operational expertise, allowing founders to scale their businesses while preserving the culture, mission, and strategic vision that made their companies successful in the first place.
Understanding the Significance of Grady Campbell’s TOP 50 Rankings
The TOP 50 PE Firms in the Middle Market awards, presented annually by Grady Campbell, a strategic branding firm with more than 35 years of experience serving the private equity industry, are widely regarded as one of the most respected benchmarks of excellence for small and mid-sized private equity firms. These rankings are designed to recognize firms that demonstrate outstanding performance across multiple dimensions, including investment strategy, operational value creation, leadership, culture, and reputation within the private equity ecosystem. In parallel, the TOP 50 PE Firms for Founders list specifically highlights firms that excel in building authentic, long-term partnerships with founders, offering not just capital but also strategic guidance, operational resources, and collaborative support that enable entrepreneurs to scale their businesses without sacrificing control or vision. For Edison Partners, being included on both lists reflects a rare balance between institutional-grade investment discipline and a founder-centric mindset that prioritizes trust, transparency, and shared success.
A Differentiated Approach to Lower Middle Market Investing
At the core of Edison Partners’ success is its differentiated approach to lower middle market investing, an area that requires a nuanced understanding of growth-stage dynamics, founder motivations, and operational challenges. Unlike traditional buyout firms that often focus on financial engineering or aggressive cost-cutting, Edison Partners positions itself as a true growth partner, investing in companies that have established product-market fit and are ready to scale but still benefit significantly from strategic and operational support. This approach has enabled Edison to build deep, long-lasting relationships with founders who value a partner that understands the complexities of scaling technology-driven businesses in competitive markets. By aligning capital deployment with hands-on operational engagement, Edison helps portfolio companies accelerate growth, improve execution, and build resilient organizations capable of navigating changing market conditions.
Founder-First Philosophy as a Competitive Advantage
Edison Partners’ inclusion in the TOP 50 PE Firms for Founders list highlights the firm’s unwavering commitment to a founder-first philosophy that has become a defining element of its brand and reputation. This philosophy is rooted in the belief that founders are not only the visionaries behind their companies but also critical drivers of long-term value creation when supported by the right partners. Edison works closely with founders to understand their goals, whether those involve rapid scaling, market expansion, product innovation, or long-term independence, and then tailors its investment strategy accordingly. This collaborative approach allows founders to retain a meaningful voice in strategic decision-making while benefiting from Edison’s experience in areas such as go-to-market strategy, talent development, financial planning, and operational scalability. As a result, many founders choose to partner with Edison not just once, but repeatedly, returning to the firm for subsequent ventures based on positive past experiences.
A Track Record Spanning Nearly Four Decades
Since its founding in 1986, Edison Partners has backed more than 270 companies across a diverse range of sectors, including vertical SaaS, financial technology, healthcare IT, and marketplace businesses. This extensive track record reflects the firm’s ability to adapt its investment strategy to evolving market trends while maintaining a consistent focus on growth-oriented, technology-enabled companies with strong fundamentals. Over the years, Edison has developed a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities that founders face at different stages of growth, allowing it to provide targeted support that evolves alongside each portfolio company. The firm’s longevity in the private equity and growth equity landscape is a testament to its disciplined investment approach, strong relationships, and ability to generate attractive outcomes for founders, management teams, and investors alike.
Edison Edge: A Platform for Scalable Value Creation
A central pillar of Edison Partners’ value creation strategy is Edison Edge, the firm’s proprietary platform designed to deliver tailored resources, expertise, and operational support to portfolio companies. Edison Edge brings together a network of seasoned operators, functional experts, and strategic advisors who work closely with management teams to address critical growth challenges and unlock new opportunities. Through Edison Edge, portfolio companies gain access to best practices in areas such as sales and marketing optimization, pricing strategy, customer success, product development, and organizational design. This platform-driven approach enables Edison to provide consistent, high-impact support across its portfolio while still customizing solutions to meet the unique needs of each company. By embedding operational excellence into the investment process, Edison Edge plays a key role in driving long-term growth and enhancing enterprise value.
Measuring Success Through Founder Satisfaction and Outcomes
One of the most compelling indicators of Edison Partners’ effectiveness as a growth partner is its exceptionally high Net Promoter Score, which currently stands at 75, approximately double the average for the financial services industry. This metric reflects the willingness of founders and management teams to recommend Edison to their peers, a powerful endorsement in an industry where trust and reputation are paramount. High founder satisfaction is further evidenced by the firm’s strong rate of repeat partnerships, with many entrepreneurs choosing to work with Edison again after successful exits or growth milestones. These outcomes underscore the firm’s ability to deliver on its promise of being a value-added partner that respects founder vision while providing the tools and expertise needed to scale successfully.
Balancing Growth, Culture, and Long-Term Vision
Edison Partners’ approach is distinguished by its emphasis on preserving what makes each portfolio company unique, even as it pursues ambitious growth objectives. Rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all playbook, Edison works collaboratively with founders and leadership teams to build on existing strengths, reinforce company culture, and align growth initiatives with long-term strategic goals. This balance is particularly important in sectors such as SaaS, fintech, and healthcare IT, where innovation, customer trust, and talent retention are critical drivers of success. By prioritizing cultural alignment and strategic clarity, Edison helps portfolio companies scale in a way that is both sustainable and authentic.
The Role of Reputation in the Private Equity Ecosystem
Recognition from Grady Campbell carries significant weight within the private equity community, as the firm’s awards are based on a comprehensive evaluation of brand strength, market presence, and industry impact. For Edison Partners, being named to both the TOP 50 Private Equity Firms in the Middle Market and the TOP 50 PE Firms for Founders lists enhances its visibility and reinforces its reputation as a trusted partner for growth-stage companies. This recognition also serves as a signal to founders, investors, and industry stakeholders that Edison consistently delivers value through a combination of strategic insight, operational expertise, and genuine partnership. In an increasingly competitive private equity landscape, such differentiation is essential for attracting high-quality opportunities and building enduring relationships.
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.
