Rebrand reflects strategic decision to focus exclusively on healthcare investing
Craig Stern appointed Co-Managing Partner of RS2 Healthcare Partners alongside David Belluck
AKKR Strategic Capital served as lead investor in Loftware Continuation Vehicle in a transaction that provides additional committed funding to support Loftware’s future growth and enables new platform investments
BOSTON, May 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Riverside Partners, a private equity firm headquartered in Boston, is pleased to announce its rebrand to RS2 Healthcare Partners (the “Firm”), reflecting the Firm’s exclusive focus going forward on healthcare investing in the lower middle market. The new brand underscores the Firm’s longstanding and deepening commitment to investing in pharma services, medical device contract manufacturing, technology-enabled healthcare, and other high-growth healthcare subsectors.
RS2 Healthcare Partners builds on over 30 years of experience and formalizes the strategic decision to exclusively pursue investments with a healthcare orientation going forward. RS2 Healthcare Partners’ specialized strategy is supported by a highly experienced team of investment professionals alongside Healthcare, Clinical, and AI Advisory Boards comprising over 30 executives, clinicians, and technology experts from leading healthcare organizations.
David Belluck, Co-Managing Partner at RS2 Healthcare Partners, said, “RS2 Healthcare Partners reflects the investment strategy and sector specialization we have cultivated over three decades of focused lower middle market healthcare investing. Our dedicated healthcare platform — anchored by established industry relationships, an experienced investment team, and veteran Advisory Boards — creates a differentiated ability to partner with founders and management teams to build market-leading businesses. The rebrand reinforces our commitment to being the partner of choice to founders and management teams in the lower middle market and marks an important milestone in the evolution of our firm.”
The Firm also announced the appointment of Craig Stern as Co-Managing Partner, joining David Belluck in leading RS2 Healthcare Partners. Having worked alongside Mr. Belluck for 14 years with an exclusive focus on healthcare investing, Mr. Stern’s new role reflects both the depth of their partnership and the Firm’s dedication to building a world-class healthcare-focused investment platform.
Mr. Belluck added, “I am pleased to announce Craig Stern’s appointment as Co-Managing Partner of RS2 Healthcare Partners. Craig and I have worked side by side to build our healthcare investment platform, and his elevated role is a natural next step that is a testament to both the strength of our partnership and our shared commitment to the Firm’s continued growth.”
“We have been focused on creating a firm with a differentiated approach to healthcare investing, grounded in extensive sector expertise, a collaborative and values-driven culture, and trusted partnerships with founders and management teams,” said Craig Stern, Co-Managing Partner at RS2 Healthcare Partners. “We have deep conviction and a shared vision for the opportunity ahead and I am excited to co-lead the Firm going forward with David as we build on the strong foundation already in place.”
RS2 Healthcare Partners also completed a single-asset continuation vehicle (the “Continuation Vehicle”) for Loftware, Inc. (“Loftware” or the “Company”), a leading global enterprise labeling and artwork management provider of cloud-based software solutions. The transaction highlights the Firm’s healthcare expertise, as evidenced by Loftware’s life sciences vertical growing from a nascent business into Loftware’s largest and fastest-growing end-market and a key area for future growth. Accel-KKR’s (“AKKR”) dedicated secondary fund, AKKR Strategic Capital, served as lead investor of the Continuation Vehicle. The Continuation Vehicle provides Loftware with dedicated capital to support future growth. The transaction also provides RS2 Healthcare Partners with additional committed funding to pursue new platform investments.
RS2 Healthcare Partners originally acquired Loftware in 2014. Over the course of the investment, the Firm has supported the Company’s transformation from a US-focused labeling provider into the leading independent global platform offering mission-critical software and applications enabling its customers to design, deliver and trace labels across complex supply chains with significant regulatory and compliance requirements. During this period, Loftware completed four strategic add-on acquisitions that expanded its products and capabilities to establish an end-to-end, highly-integrated solution serving global supply chains. Loftware generates approximately $125 million in revenue and serves more than 10,000 customers across over 100 countries.
AKKR has been an investor in Loftware since March 2023, when the Firm sold a partial stake in the Company to AKKR. The Continuation Vehicle deepens this existing partnership and delivers meaningful benefits to all stakeholders. The transaction offered existing limited partners the options to maintain their existing investments or to receive liquidity or roll over their interests into the Continuation Vehicle with new unfunded capital commitments to support the Company’s growth plans.
Atlantic-Pacific Capital, Inc. served as exclusive financial advisor and placement agent, and Choate Hall & Stewart LLP served as legal counsel to RS2 Healthcare Partners.
About RS2 Healthcare Partners
Founded in 1989, RS2 Healthcare Partners (formerly Riverside Partners) is a Boston-based private equity firm with total capital commitments of $1.6 billion raised since inception. The Firm exclusively focuses on healthcare investing in the lower middle market. RS2 Healthcare Partners combines a disciplined investment strategy, specialized sector expertise, a highly experienced team of investment professionals and healthcare advisors, and a collaborative approach to partnering with founders and management teams. For more information, visit www.rs2healthcare.com.
About Loftware
Loftware is the global leader in product identification. Loftware’s cloud-based solutions power real-time collaboration, ensure compliance, improve authenticity, and deliver supply chain traceability from product development to consumer engagement. Loftware provides scalable, data-driven labeling and packaging technologies that help companies boost speed to market, enhance efficiency, and connect physical products to digital experiences. Trusted by global brands and backed by over 40 years of innovation, Loftware supports customers across industries with offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Slovenia, China, and Singapore. For more information, visit www.loftware.com.
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SOURCE Riverside Partners
