Ampersand Capital Partners has been recognized as one of GrowthCap’s Top Growth Equity Firms of 2025, highlighting its longstanding expertise in healthcare and life sciences investments. The Boston-based firm, managing $3 billion in assets, stands out for its focused strategy on growth-oriented opportunities in laboratory products, contract manufacturing, pharma services, and specialty pharma. This accolade underscores Ampersand’s ability to identify momentum, support scaling companies, and deliver long-term value in a competitive market, as evidenced by its consistent performance and recent portfolio activities.
Ampersand Capital Partners Earns Prestigious Recognition in Growth Equity Landscape
Ampersand Capital Partners continues to solidify its position as a leading player in the growth equity space with its inclusion in GrowthCap’s Top Growth Equity Firms of 2025 list. This recognition comes at a time when the growth equity sector faces heightened competition and complexity, demanding superior judgment in identifying genuine market momentum and partnering effectively with management teams during pivotal scaling phases.
Founded in 1988, Ampersand has built a nearly four-decade track record of specializing in the healthcare and life sciences sectors. The firm pursues middle-market opportunities, focusing on companies that form the essential infrastructure—or “picks and shovels”—of the broader life sciences ecosystem. These include providers of laboratory products and services, contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs), pharmaceutical services, and specialty pharmaceutical entities. By concentrating on these mission-critical tools and services, Ampersand supports innovators advancing breakthrough medicines, medical devices, and therapeutic technologies.
With approximately $3 billion in assets under management, Ampersand maintains a disciplined approach to growth investments. The firm deploys capital to accelerate expansion while collaborating closely with portfolio company leadership to enhance operational performance, pursue strategic add-ons, and capitalize on sector tailwinds. This hands-on partnership model draws on Ampersand’s blend of private equity acumen and deep operating experience, enabling sustained value creation over extended holding periods.
The firm’s global footprint enhances its competitive edge. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Ampersand operates additional offices in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and London, United Kingdom. This international presence allows the team to engage with a diverse range of opportunities across North America and Europe, tapping into regional strengths in life sciences innovation and manufacturing.
Ampersand’s sector focus proves particularly advantageous in the current environment. The life sciences industry benefits from persistent demand for advanced therapies, diagnostic tools, and outsourced development services. Companies providing enabling technologies—such as analytical instruments, bioconjugation services, and formulation expertise—remain resilient even amid broader market fluctuations. Ampersand’s investments target these areas, positioning portfolio companies to serve pharmaceutical and biotech innovators effectively.
Recent activity demonstrates the firm’s active deployment strategy and value-creation execution. In early 2026, Ampersand completed the acquisition of Purna Pharmaceuticals, a Belgian provider of development and manufacturing services for liquid and semi-solid dosage forms. This move strengthens Ampersand’s capabilities in pharmaceutical services and establishes a trans-Atlantic platform through collaboration with MedPharm, an existing portfolio company specializing in topical and transdermal drug development and manufacturing. The combination creates synergies in formulation, scale-up, and global client service, addressing growing needs for specialized CDMO solutions.
Other portfolio developments further illustrate Ampersand’s momentum. In recent months, entities like Gannet BioChem expanded through the acquisition of Laysan Bio, bolstering activated polymer and bioconjugation offerings critical to biopharma development. Specac enhanced its precision capabilities via the acquisition of Amax Precision Ltd. These strategic moves reflect Ampersand’s commitment to inorganic growth, operational integration, and market expansion within its core themes.
Leadership and talent recognition complement the firm’s institutional achievements. In 2025 and into 2026, Ampersand professionals earned individual accolades from GrowthCap, including placements on the Top 40 Under 40 Growth Investors list. Such honors highlight the depth of expertise within the organization, from senior managing partners to emerging leaders driving deal sourcing, diligence, and post-investment support.
GrowthCap’s selection process for the Top Growth Equity Firms emphasizes qualitative factors beyond mere returns. Honorees distinguish themselves through sector specialization, analytical depth, operational support infrastructure, expansive professional networks, leadership continuity, and overall reputation. Ampersand’s repeated appearances on GrowthCap lists—including prior years in both private equity and growth equity categories—affirm the consistency of its approach.
The broader growth equity market in 2025 and early 2026 reflects a cautious yet opportunistic tone. Investors prioritize firms with proven track records in niche verticals, particularly those insulated from cyclical pressures. Healthcare and life sciences stand out as defensive yet innovative sectors, with secular drivers including aging populations, technological advancements in biologics and precision medicine, and increasing reliance on outsourced services. Ampersand’s narrow focus aligns well with these dynamics, enabling the firm to source differentiated opportunities and execute value-creation plans effectively.
As Ampersand progresses through 2026, the firm remains well-positioned to capitalize on ongoing consolidation in pharma services, demand for advanced analytics in drug development, and the expansion of specialized manufacturing capacities. The Top Growth Equity Firm designation serves as external validation of Ampersand’s strategy, reinforcing its appeal to entrepreneurs, management teams, and limited partners seeking a trusted partner in the life sciences domain.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, financial recommendations, or an endorsement of any security, fund, or firm. Private equity investments involve significant risks, including illiquidity and potential loss of capital.
