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Independent ranking affirms nearly two decades of disciplined underwriting in the lower middle market
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NEW YORK, August 18, 2026 — Avante Capital Partners, a private credit firm focused on the lower middle market, was ranked No. 2 in Global Mezzanine in PitchBook’s 2025 Annual Global Manager Performance Score League Tables. It is the second consecutive year Avante has held the No. 2 position in this category. PitchBook, an independent data provider owned by Morningstar, calculated the ranking using performance data as of December 31, 2025. No compensation, cash or non-cash, was provided in connection with the ranking.
The Performance Score measures a fund family’s historical performance relative to a peer group of funds pursuing the same strategy within a similar vintage window, drawing on fund track-record data in the PitchBook Platform. Avante’s firm-level score is 86.2, placing it second among 62 mezzanine fund families. Scores run from 0 to 100, with 50 representing a neutral, peer-average result. A score of 66.2 marks the top-decile threshold across all 2,203 fund families PitchBook scored, drawn from 1,542 general partners across 29 strategic and geographic categories. At 86.2, Avante’s score sits well into that top decile.
“This ranking reflects a strategy we have applied consistently for a long time, not a departure from it,” said Chaz Cocuzza, Managing Director, at Avante Capital. “We underwrite the same way in every market cycle, and that discipline is what shows up in a result like this.”
“Being recognized two years running in the same category tells our investors and our sponsor partners that the outcomes have been repeatable,” said Amanda Kim, Managing Director at Avante Capital. “We take that responsibility seriously, particularly with the lower middle market companies that depend on us to follow through.”
Avante provides flexible junior and senior capital to companies generating roughly $3 million to $30 million in EBITDA, frequently partnering alongside private equity sponsors and independent sponsors on transactions that require structuring beyond a standard senior loan. The firm has built its mezzanine track record over multiple fund vintages, maintaining zero realized cash loan losses historically while working with founders and management teams that are often underserved by larger capital providers. That combination of flexibility and consistency is central to how Avante positions itself in a segment of the market where reliable execution is not guaranteed.
About Avante Capital Partners
Avante Capital Partners is an award-winning private credit and equity firm in the lower middle market. Since 2009, Avante has been successfully providing flexible capital solutions to growing businesses generating at least $3M in cash flows across numerous industries. Avante is a value-add partner to private equity firms, independent sponsors, and business owners throughout the United States. For more information, please visit avantecap.com.
Past performance is not indicative of future results. This announcement is intended for institutional investors only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security.
Media Contact:
Jesse Beck
jesse@avantecap.com
Key takeaways
- PitchBook ranked Avante Capital Partners No. 2 in Global Mezzanine in its 2025 Annual Global Manager Performance Score League Tables, marking the second consecutive year the firm has held this position in the same category.
- Avante’s firm-level Performance Score of 86.2 places it second among 62 mezzanine fund families and well into the top decile across all 2,203 fund families PitchBook scored, where 50 is a neutral, peer-average result and 66.2 marks the top-decile threshold.
