These firms are being recognized for thriving and being leaders in the institutional investing market.

Saluda Grade Winner

Saluda Grade Asset Management LLC is an alternative investment firm specializing in asset-based finance and focused on residential real estate. A firm spokesperson tells Chief Investment Officer its model features three complementary pillars—asset management, origination partnerships and capital markets—that drive outcomes and define its competitive edge.

The asset management team spans credit and growth equity, leveraging expertise to invest in whole loans, securitizations and growth-stage companies. The origination partnerships rely on strong relationships with top lenders in niche markets and specific regions. The capital markets team has issued more than $9 billion in securitizations across nearly 40 transactions since its inception in 2019.

“Saluda Grade’s innovation lies in how we’ve reimagined the structure and strategy of an alternative investment firm within the residential real estate space, a sector rarely specialized in by traditional private credit shops,” the spokesperson says.

Recently, Saluda Grade brought industry leaders together by hosting an industry conference, ASG 2025, to connect originators, lenders and other industry professionals.

In the past 24 months, Saluda Grade has developed and implemented proprietary technology to support portfolio management, pricing, risk management and work-flow automation across all departments.

Saluda Grade provides educational resources to its clients and their teams, sharing timely information on market trends, capital markets dynamics and evolving financing structures.

“We actively share insights and provide ongoing guidance to support their development and deepen their understanding of the ecosystem,” a company spokesperson says.

In addition, Saluda Grade works closely with its portfolio companies as a capital partner and as a resource for training, development and strategic guidance. More specifically, it shares with those companies insight into how to build a successful and thriving business, strengthening their own understanding of operational best practices, capital deployment strategies and industry trends.

“By providing clients with strategic guidance informed by our experience, we believe Saluda Grade helps teams sharpen their perspective on what drives success in today’s residential finance market, while driving the institutionalization of these market segments at large,” the firm spokesperson says.

Finalists

• Kerberos Capital Management
• L&G – Asset Management, America
• Seix Investment Advisors