MiddleGround Capital, an operationally focused private equity firm that makes control investments in North American middle market B2B industrial and specialty distribution companies, has received the ‘Top Private Equity Innovator of the Year’ Award by BluWave.

BluWave, a private equity-focused B2B Intelligent Marketplace, has placed MiddleGround among the top 1% of PE firms for its innovation across proactive due diligence, transformative value creation, progressive PE firm operations, and ESG. BluWave created the awards this year to recognize private equity firms for exemplary innovation and leadership. The award recipients were selected based upon a rigorous assessment in consultation with leading limited partners, investment bankers and other thought leaders in the private equity ecosystem.

“We are humbled to be named ‘Top Innovator of the Year’ by BluWave,” remarked John Stewart, Founder and Managing Partner. “When Lauren Mulholland, Scot Duncan and I set out to form MiddleGround, we strived to build a different type of private equity firm. From our focused investment strategy to our operators-first approach to value creation to our best-in-class culture and compensation to our mantra of leaving everything better than we found it, innovation is in our DNA. For our entire team to be honored in this way by BluWave, a trusted partner in our industry, is validation that we are on the right path.”

“Investing as a sector and/or strategy specialist is the path of the future. No longer can you be competitive as a generalist. MiddleGround specializes by sector and strategy, mainly because of our operational-first mentality founded by true Operators. Value Creation, operational improvement and ESG is at our core, and we are incredibly proud to be recognized by BluWave because of these principals!” said Lauren Mulholland, Founding Partner.

“We have always prioritized innovation at MiddleGround. It is at the very core of our creation as three partners from very different backgrounds,” said Scot Duncan, Founding Partner. “BluWave’s Top 50 List includes so many incredible firms, we’re truly honored to be recognized amongst the best,” he added.

“The private equity industry is rapidly evolving, and we applaud MiddleGround Capital for their leadership raising the bar across the four areas measured to achieve new levels of business success,” says Sean Mooney, Founder and CEO, BluWave. “They are transforming the private equity industry by the way they holistically approach building businesses and are very worthy of this recognition.”

Click here to hear directly from MiddleGround what makes them so unique:

About MiddleGround Capital

MiddleGround Capital is a private equity firm based in Lexington, KY with over $2.0 billion of assets under management. MiddleGround makes control equity investments in middle market B2B industrial and specialty distribution businesses. MiddleGround works with its portfolio companies to create value through a hands-on operational approach and partners with its management teams to support long-term growth strategies. For more information, please visit: www.middlegroundcapital.com.

About BluWave

BluWave is an innovative B2B Intelligent Marketplace that uses technology, data, and human ingenuity to connect more than 500 leading private equity firms and thousands of proactive businesses with best-in-class, pre-vetted, third parties for critical due diligence, value creation, and preparing for sale needs. BluWave’s invitation-only Intelligent Marketplace includes private equity-grade service provider groups, independent consultants and interim executives. For more information, please visit www.BluWave.net.

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