[September 21, 2026]

Truelink Capital, Goldenpeak, Allied Industrial Partners and Axiom Equity win Sagard Private Equity Emerging Manager of the Year Awards 2026

Sagard has named Truelink Capital II, Goldenpeak Fund I, Allied Industrial Partners and Axiom Equity as the winners of its 2026 Emerging Manager of the Year Awards.¹

Established in 2024, the awards are being presented by Sagard for the first time following the completion of Sagard's partnership with Unigestion. The awards recognize emerging managers, or those raising their first or second funds, across Europe and the U.S. that have distinguished themselves over the past year through fundraising, successful exits and broader business momentum.

The finalists were selected by a panel of intermediaries and institutional investors active in the emerging manager space, with the winners determined through voting by GPs, LPs and intermediaries.

Award winners recognized across categories include:

• Best U.S. Emerging Manager Fundraising: Truelink Capital is a Los Angeles-based private equity firm focused on the industrials and business services sectors. Truelink Capital II closed its second fund at its $2.0 billion hard cap in March 2026, exceeding its $1.5 billion target.
• Best European Emerging Manager Fundraising: Goldenpeak, a London-based private equity firm founded in 2025, specializes in high-growth business and information services companies across the UK and Ireland. The firm closed Goldenpeak Fund I at £375 million following a heavily oversubscribed 12-week fundraising process.
• Best U.S. Emerging Manager Exit: Allied Industrial Partners, an operationally focused lower-middle-market private equity firm specializing in industrial businesses, was recognized for the simultaneous acquisition by TPG of two of Allied Industrial Partner's portfolio companies, Waste Eliminator and Liberty Waste Solutions. During their ownership, Allied oversaw the transformation of these regional waste management and recycling services.
• Best European Emerging Manager Exit: Axiom Equity, a UK- and Ireland-focused private equity firm specializing in high-growth AI-powered software businesses in the lower middle market, was recognized for their partial exit from Joblogic, a UK-based field service management software provider. This transaction highlights Axiom Equity's approach to scaling mission-critical software businesses and driving value through operational growth.

The winners were recognized at the annual Emerging Manager Conference, held in Paris in September within IPEM Global 2026. Now in its sixth year, the conference has become a key event in the private equity calendar, bringing together emerging managers, institutional investors and other industry participants while showcasing the latest research and developments across the emerging manager market.

Sagard has a longstanding track record of investing in emerging managers. Over the past three decades, the team has backed more than 100 emerging managers, including the early funds of firms that have since become established industry leaders.

Kim Pochon, Global Head of Primary Investments at Sagard Private Equity, said: "We are proud to recognize Truelink Capital, Goldenpeak, Allied Industrial Partners and Axiom Equity for what they have accomplished over the past year. Emerging managers have long been an important part of our investment approach because they can bring differentiated strategies, deep specialization and strong alignment with investors. This year's winners demonstrate the breadth of talent we continue to see across both the U.S. and Europe, from building momentum with investors in a challenging fundraising environment to translating strong portfolio execution into successful exits."

Francesco Aldorisio, Global Head of Private Equity Investments at Sagard Private Equity, said: "The quality of this year's winners speaks to the strength of the emerging manager ecosystem. Attracting top-tier institutional investors and delivering meaningful realizations remain critical measures of a manager's ability to execute, particularly against a market backdrop that continues to demand discipline and differentiation. Truelink Capital, Goldenpeak, Allied Industrial Partners and Axiom Equity distinguished themselves across these areas, reinforcing their position among the market's most compelling emerging managers."

About Sagard Private Equity
Sagard Private Equity is a global middle market private equity and venture capital platform that brings together Sagard's activities in primaries, secondaries and co-investment as well as venture capital, offering diversified, long-term exposure to private markets for institutional and private wealth investors across North America, Europe and Asia. Following the completion of the previously announced combinations with Performance Equity Management, BEX Capital and Unigestion's private equity platforms, Sagard Private Equity manages over USD 23 billion in combined private equity assets. The combination results in one of the largest middle-market private equity solutions platforms globally, connecting more than 300 institutional investors and over 500 general partners through Sagard's international network.

About Sagard
Sagard is a global multi-strategy alternative asset management firm with over USD 46 billion in assets under management. We invest in venture capital, private equity, private credit, and real estate. We deliver flexible capital, an entrepreneurial culture, and a global network of investors, commercial partners, advisors, and value creation experts. The firm has offices in Canada, the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

For more information, visit www.sagard.com/private-equity-solutions or follow us on LinkedIn.

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