Recognize Announces Majority Investment in Smartlink

Investment aims to Accelerate Smartlink's Growth in Digital Infrastructure Services

NEW YORK, July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Recognize, a private equity firm that invests in and builds digital services businesses, announced today a majority investment in Smartlink, a nationally scaled services provider to the digital infrastructure industry.

Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Annapolis, MD, Smartlink is a digital infrastructure partner for carriers, hyperscalers, data center operators, fiber providers, and tower owners. The company serves customers across all 50 states, executing programs across the digital infrastructure lifecycle, from real estate and engineering through deployment, integration, and long-term maintenance. Over the past 25 years, Smartlink has built a national platform with the people, experience, and operational discipline to execute complex infrastructure programs at scale. As investment accelerates across AI, data centers, edge computing, and next generation connectivity, Smartlink is helping customers build, operate, and maintain the critical infrastructure that powers the digital economy.

Jason Campbell, Chief Executive Officer of Smartlink, said, "We are excited about our new partnership with Recognize, whose team understands the opportunity in front of us. We believe their expertise and experience in digital services make them an ideal partner in our next phase of growth. Together with Recognize, we'll continue investing in our people, capabilities, and customer relationships so we can help build and maintain the digital infrastructure that will power the next generation of connectivity."

Mike Grady and Will Weimar at Recognize said, "Smartlink has done a tremendous job carving out a valuable role within the digital infrastructure space. We think Jason and the rest of the Smartlink management team have positioned the business well to benefit from the generational infrastructure buildout occurring as AI adoption necessitates increased wireless connectivity and data center footprints. They have built a scalable, tech-enabled platform with proprietary IP around data center asset tracking, and we are excited to continue investing behind technology differentiation and rapid organic growth. We will also be looking for highly strategic acquisitions in new verticals, services and geographies to expand on the Company's strong foundation."

Brendan Kelly, Founder and Board Member of Smartlink, said, "When we founded Smartlink more than 25 years ago, our vision was simple: build a company that customers could trust, create opportunities for our people, and never compromise on doing the right thing. I'm incredibly proud of what our team has built and excited about what's ahead. With Jason and the leadership team at the helm, and Recognize as our partner, Smartlink is well positioned to continue serving our customers while pursuing the significant opportunities emerging across digital infrastructure."

Moorgate Capital Partners served as financial advisor and Benesch Law served as legal advisor to Smartlink. Willkie Farr & Gallagher served as legal counsel and Houlihan Lokey served as financial advisor to Recognize.

About Smartlink
Smartlink is a national digital infrastructure services company helping customers build and operate the networks that power connectivity across the United States. The company delivers integrated real estate, technical, and managed services to wireless, wireline, and data center customers nationwide. To learn more, visit www.smartlinkgroup.com.

About Recognize
Recognize is an investor and business builder focused on next-generation Digital Services companies. Headquartered in New York, the firm seeks to back visionary founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams who are building innovative businesses that leverage AI, software, and digital platforms to deliver transformative outcomes to enterprises. Recognize provides deep operational expertise, industry relationships, and strategic capital to drive accelerated growth of these specialized businesses. To learn more, visit www.recognize.com.

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SOURCE Recognize