Key Takeaways
- • BluWave named Bertram Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, its 2026 Private Equity Innovator of the Year, citing its use of data and technology through Bertram Labs and a distinctive firmwide investment evaluation process.
- • BluWave's fifth annual Top Private Equity Innovator Awards recognized 105 North American PE firms, representing the top 2% of the more than 6,000 firms it evaluated in the U.S. and Canada.
- • Selection was made by a cross-functional committee that consulted limited partners, investment bankers, industry thought leaders and service providers, weighing more than 75 factors and over 400,000 data points.
- • Awards criteria span proactive due diligence, transformative value creation, modern PE firm operations and corporate citizenship practices.
- • BluWave states it received no compensation from award recipients and holds no ownership stake in them, though it may separately provide services to some firms.
Summary
BluWave, a Nashville-based market network and enablement platform that connects private equity firms and their portfolio companies with vetted service providers, consultants, senior advisors and interim executives, announced the recipients of its fifth annual Top Private Equity Innovator Awards and its 2026 Private Equity Innovator of the Year. The company said the awards recognize the top 2% of North America's most innovative PE firms each year.
Bertram Capital, a San Francisco-based firm, was named Private Equity Innovator of the Year for its innovative use of data and technology through Bertram Labs, paired with a distinctive firmwide investment evaluation process. Sean Mooney, Founder and CEO of BluWave, said the 2026 honorees "stand out for their ability to pair innovation with disciplined execution," adding that their leadership is "empowering business growth, expanding employment, and reinforcing private equity's role as a catalyst for economic progress and value creation."
According to the release, recipients were chosen by a cross-functional committee that assessed candidates in consultation with a broad group of limited partners, investment bankers, industry thought leaders and service providers. The committee evaluated more than 6,000 PE firms using more than 75 factors and over 400,000 data points. The full list of 105 recipients includes firms such as Bain Capital, Clearlake Capital, GTCR, Nordic Capital, Summit Partners, TA Associates and Thoma Bravo.
BluWave disclosed that it received no compensation from recipients in connection with the program and holds no ownership interest in them, though it may provide other services to some PE firms or their portfolio companies; it said its assessments were independent of those arrangements. The company also noted that its Private Equity Insights Report, drawn from its proprietary project data, is a market indicator of dealmaker sentiment and portfolio strategy. Full selection criteria and recipients are available at bluwave.net/awards.
Bertram Capital, a San Francisco-based firm, was named Private Equity Innovator of the Year for its innovative use of data and technology through Bertram Labs, paired with a distinctive firmwide investment evaluation process. Sean Mooney, Founder and CEO of BluWave, said the 2026 honorees "stand out for their ability to pair innovation with disciplined execution," adding that their leadership is "empowering business growth, expanding employment, and reinforcing private equity's role as a catalyst for economic progress and value creation."
According to the release, recipients were chosen by a cross-functional committee that assessed candidates in consultation with a broad group of limited partners, investment bankers, industry thought leaders and service providers. The committee evaluated more than 6,000 PE firms using more than 75 factors and over 400,000 data points. The full list of 105 recipients includes firms such as Bain Capital, Clearlake Capital, GTCR, Nordic Capital, Summit Partners, TA Associates and Thoma Bravo.
BluWave disclosed that it received no compensation from recipients in connection with the program and holds no ownership interest in them, though it may provide other services to some PE firms or their portfolio companies; it said its assessments were independent of those arrangements. The company also noted that its Private Equity Insights Report, drawn from its proprietary project data, is a market indicator of dealmaker sentiment and portfolio strategy. Full selection criteria and recipients are available at bluwave.net/awards.
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