BluWave Top Private Equity Innovator Award

BluWave’s Top Private Equity Innovator Awards is based on exemplary innovation and leadership across several areas including: proactive due diligence practices, transformative value creation, ESG and modern private equity firm operations. The criteria considered for this award is determined by BluWave which conducts a rigorous process in consultation with leading limited partners, investment bankers and other thought leaders in the private equity ecosystem. The top 2% in the PE industry is based on BluWave’s review of the more than 5,000 PE firms in the U.S. and Canada from which the PE firms were selected as award recipients. BluWave is unaffiliated with GreyLion. GreyLion did not pay any compensation to BluWave or any third party directly or indirectly in connection with its receipt or use of this award. GreyLion received this award in 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.

The 2023 BluWave Top Private Equity Innovator Award is an annual recognition that was presented on February 15, 2023. BluWave, LP has not received investment capital from and holds no ownership interest in the PE firms evaluated or 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 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 5,000 PE firms in the U.S. and Canada from which the PE firms were selected as award recipients. GreyLion did not pay any compensation to BluWave or any third party directly or indirectly in connection with its receipt or use of this award, however GreyLion may pay compensation to BluWave for other services.

The 2024 BluWave Top Private Equity Innovator Award is an annual recognition that was presented on February 21, 2024. BluWave, LP has not received investment capital from and holds no ownership interest in the PE firms evaluated or recognized under the PE Innovator awards program. BluWave received no compensation from any of the PE firms in connection with this awards program. BluWave, however, may otherwise provide services to the PE firms and/or 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 5,000 PE firms in the U.S. and Canada, from which the 82 private equity firms were selected as award recipients. GreyLion did not pay any compensation to BluWave or any third party directly or indirectly in connection with its receipt or use of this award, however GreyLion may pay compensation to BluWave for other services.

The 2025 BluWave Top Private Equity Innovator Award is an annual recognition that was presented on February 25, 2025. BluWave, LP has not received investment capital from and holds no ownership interest in the PE firms evaluated or recognized under the PE Innovator awards program. BluWave received no compensation from any of the PE firms in connection with this awards program. BluWave, however, may otherwise provide services to the PE firms and/or 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 private equity firms were selected as award recipients. GreyLion did not pay any compensation to BluWave or any third party directly or indirectly in connection with its receipt or use of this award, however GreyLion may pay compensation to BluWave for other services.

The 2026 BluWave Top Private Equity Innovator Award is an annual recognition that was presented on March 4, 2026. 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. GreyLion did not pay any compensation to BluWave or any third party directly or indirectly in connection with its receipt or use of this award, however GreyLion may pay compensation to BluWave for other services.

The M&A Atlas Awards

These awards were presented on March 4, 2022 by M&A Atlas, a third-party that is not affiliated with GreyLion. For the awards, GreyLion was assessed based off written responses to questions on each award application. GreyLion does not know the exact number of applicants surveyed for the awards, and therefore does not know the percentage of applicants that received the awards. GreyLion did not pay any compensation to M&A Atlas or any third party directly or indirectly in connection with its receipt or use of this award.

Axial’s Top 50 Lower Middle Market Software Private Equity Investors & M&A Advisors

Axial’s Top 50 software list was generated based on a weighted formula leveraging private transaction data from the Axial platform on April 19, 2023. Metrics in the formula include the number of software deals brought to market via Axial (sell-side), how much interest those deals generated from Axial’s buy-side member base (sell-side), the number of specific software-focused investment mandates created in the platform (buy-side), and the number of software deals that progressed through the deal funnel achieving an IOI, an executed LOI, or successfully consummated transaction (buy- & sell-side). Axial is unaffiliated with GreyLion. GreyLion did not pay any compensation to Axial or any third party directly or indirectly in connection with its receipt or use of this award.