# Independent Sponsors Dataset

DFX currently tracks 1,043 independent sponsors in the Independent Sponsors Dataset, as of 12 October 2026.

Canonical page: https://dfxintel.com/datasets/independent-sponsors

Independent sponsors (buyers who raise capital deal by deal), their observed deals, the capital providers named as financing them, and the companies on the lower middle market record.

## Figures

- Independent sponsors: 1,043 (as of 12 October 2026)

## Limitations

- The headline count includes candidates as well as verified sponsors; only verified sponsors are listed by default.
- Capital relationships are the ones DFX has read, mostly in lender and sponsor news archives, so they undercount.
- DFX does not pair companies with sponsors: blind audits found the pairs wrong too often, so they were withdrawn.

## Method

Independent sponsor methodology and sources: https://dfxintel.com/independent-sponsors/methodology

## Cite this dataset

DFX Intelligence. (2026). Independent Sponsors Dataset [Data set]. Retrieved 12 October 2026, from https://dfxintel.com/datasets/independent-sponsors