Only active investment banks & M&A advisory firms on the Axial platform are eligible for league table rankings.

To qualify, a firm must be in good standing and must have marketed at least one deal that garnered interest from an Axial buyer in the previous period.

League Tables are published quarterly, showcasing the top 25 lower middle market investment banks from the previous quarter. The exception is in Q4, when we release an annual edition that highlights the top 25 lower middle market investment banks for the entire calendar year.

Axial’s league table ranking methodology is driven by three factors:

• Client Quality: Representing clients that buyers actively seek, measured by buyer interest in deals.
• Buyer Targeting: Precision in selecting and approaching the right buyers.
• Process Effectiveness: Delivering successful outcomes at every stage from NDA signature to closure.

The league table methodology remains largely consistent. However, the Axial team conducts annual reviews to identify any opportunities for refinement and improvement.