Edison Partners Management, LLC

Edison Partners is a growth equity firm established in 1986, providing both financial and intellectual capital to support the scaling of technology companies. The firm's mission is to accelerate entrepreneurs' visions and increase their chances of success, drawing inspiration from the principles of Thomas Edison. Edison Partners maintains offices in Princeton, New Jersey, and Nashville, Tennessee.

The firm specializes in growth equity investments, targeting high-growth technology companies in sectors such as financial technology (FinTech), healthcare IT, enterprise software, vertical SaaS, and marketplaces. Edison Partners typically invests in companies outside Silicon Valley with revenues ranging from $10 million to $40 million. Beyond capital, the firm offers strategic guidance and operational support through its "Edison Edge" value creation platform, which includes strategic advisory, a C-level network, and executive education programs designed to help portfolio companies navigate and accelerate growth.

Led by Managing Partner Chris Sugden, Edison Partners manages over $2.2 billion in assets, with an active portfolio valued at over $10 billion. Recent notable activities include leading a $175 million growth investment in K1x and a $24.5 million growth investment in Mappedin in April 2026, as well as a $20 million growth investment in CleanDesign in the same month. The firm also recently announced the sale of its investment in Bindplane to Dynatrace in April 2026. Edison Partners is recognized as a top growth equity and founder-friendly investor.

Latest updates

Edison Partners' Laufer Recognized as Rising Private Equity Leader

Event summary

  • Ben Laufer, Principal at Edison Partners, has been named to Private Equity International’s “40 under 40: Future Leaders of Private Equity” list.
  • Laufer led or co-led investments including a $65M majority investment in KnowledgeLake and a $60M growth round in Recycle Track Systems (RTS).
  • He founded Edison Partners’ Corporate Development and Exit Readiness Center of Excellence.
  • Laufer joined Edison Partners in 2023.
  • Edison Partners manages over $2.2 billion in assets and targets companies with $10-$40 million in revenue.

The big picture

The recognition of Laufer highlights the increasing importance of operational expertise and founder-focused dealmaking within the private equity landscape. Edison Partners, with over $2.2 billion in assets, is positioning itself to capitalize on the demand for growth equity in specialized software sectors. The firm’s focus on value creation through its Center of Excellence underscores a shift towards more active portfolio management and a longer-term investment horizon.

What we're watching

Succession Dynamics
Laufer’s rapid ascent within Edison Partners suggests a deliberate effort to cultivate the next generation of dealmakers, which could accelerate the firm’s evolution and potentially impact partner equity structures.
Value Creation
The success of Edison Partners’ Corporate Development and Exit Readiness Center of Excellence will be a key indicator of the firm’s ability to generate alpha beyond initial investment returns.
Investment Focus
Continued investment in AI-enabled software within regulated industries will reveal the extent to which Laufer’s expertise aligns with Edison Partners’ broader sector strategy and risk appetite.

CleanDesign Secures $20M to Optimize Industrial Power with AI

Event summary

  • CleanDesign, a software-driven energy technology company, received a $20 million growth investment led by Edison Partners.
  • The funding will be used to scale CleanDesign’s Hybrid Energy Management Systems (hEMS) across North America, particularly in the mining sector.
  • CleanDesign’s hEMS platform optimizes power usage by combining battery storage, proprietary software, and AI, reducing fuel consumption and emissions.
  • The company reports customers are seeing up to 20% reductions in emissions and cost savings.
  • Edison Partners’ Steve Zieja and Gregg Michaelson will join CleanDesign’s Board of Directors as part of the investment.

The big picture

CleanDesign’s investment highlights the growing demand for software-driven solutions to optimize energy consumption in traditionally underserved industrial sectors. Edison Partners, with $2.2 billion in assets under management, is doubling down on digital infrastructure investments, signaling a broader trend of capital flowing into companies that can retrofit existing industrial assets with intelligent software. The company’s focus on remote locations with high diesel costs creates a compelling value proposition, but scalability will depend on demonstrating consistent results across diverse operational environments.

What we're watching

Market Adoption
The success of CleanDesign hinges on expanding beyond early adopters in remote mining and drilling services; broader adoption in more complex industrial settings will be key.
Competitive Landscape
While CleanDesign emphasizes its hardware-agnostic software, competition from integrated energy solutions and larger industrial automation providers could intensify as the market matures.
Highline System
The development and market reception of CleanDesign’s ‘Highline’ system, designed to connect to grid power, will indicate the company’s ambition and ability to expand its product offerings.
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