Gridiron Capital is Recognized with 2024 Top PE Innovator Award

BluWave’s Third Annual Awards Program Recognizes Gridiron Capital Amongst the Top 2 Percent of North America’s Most Innovative Private Equity Firms

 NEW CANAAN, CT, February 21, 2024 – Gridiron Capital, LLC (“Gridiron Capital”), an investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams, is pleased to announce that BluWave, a Business Builders’ Network that connects the private equity industry with best-in-class talent, industry consultants, and service providers, today announced Gridiron Capital as a 2024 Top PE Innovator Award winner.

BluWave’s third annual Top Private Equity Innovator Awards recognize the top 2% of private equity firms that differentially embrace proactive due diligence, transformative value creation, modern private equity firm operations, and corporate citizenship practices.

“We are honored to be recognized this year as a top 2024 Private Equity Innovator,” said Tom Burger, Managing Partner. “As former founders, members of our own family businesses, and operating and senior executives, we understand the challenges and operational skills needed in building and running successful businesses.”

Kevin Jackson, Managing Partner at Gridiron Capital, added, “Gridiron’s investment in its team, operational capabilities, technology, and culture of innovation has served us well in our evolution as a firm.  We are grateful for the talented, dedicated, and innovative team at Gridiron and our partnership companies that embrace innovation to drive enduring value creation.”

The Top Private Equity Innovator awardees were selected by a cross-functional committee that assessed candidates in consultation with a broad universe of limited partners, investment bankers, industry thought leaders, and service providers in the private equity ecosystem. As part of their selection process, the committee evaluated more than 5,000 private equity firms and utilized more than 75 different factors, incorporating more than 400,000 data points.

“The 2024 top private equity innovators are providing differential leadership in the world of business,” said Sean Mooney, founder and CEO of BluWave. “Their innovative practices are strengthening companies, creating jobs, and catalyzing a rebound in our economy.”

The Top Private Equity Innovator Awards are distinctive in that they involve no financial obligations from any participants and the selection process is independent of any customer relationships.

As the go-to connector of private equity-grade resources for due diligence and value creation needs of the business builders of PE, BluWave has a one-of-a-kind perspective that enables it to uniquely understand best practices and innovation in the private equity industry. For further information on the BluWave 2024 Top Private Equity Innovator Awards, including the selection process, selection criteria and recipients, please visit bluwave.net/awards.

About Gridiron Capital

Gridiron Capital is an investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams, and creating value by building middle-market companies into industry-leaders in branded consumer, B2B and B2C services, and niche industrial segments in the United States and Canada. We help transform growing companies by winning together through hard work, partnerships grounded in shared values and a unique culture that comes from hands-on experience building and running businesses. As a team led by former operators and entrepreneurs, we know what it takes to run successful businesses on a day-to-day basis. Additional information is available on the firm’s website: www.gridironcapital.com.

About BluWave

BluWave is the Business Builders’ Network for private equity-grade service provider needs. The company’s platform combines AI, technology and data with concierge-like consultative support to expertly connect businesses with proven providers across due diligence, value creation and prep for sale. The BluWave Vetted™ network is an invite-only ecosystem of top-tier service-providing groups and individuals. Based in Nashville, Tenn., BluWave ranks as one of America’s fastest-growing companies and today serves hundreds of leading private equity firms and their thousands of portfolio companies.

Visit BluWave.net to learn more.

*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. This award was given as of 2/21 after 7:15 am ET for the period of 2024.