Independent jewelers’ reliance on purpose-built software has drawn private equity interest, with Serent Capital acquiring The Edge, a Shelton, Connecticut-based platform that provides point-of-sale, inventory management, and repair tracking to thousands of stores.

The deal also brings a leadership change: Josh Brenner has been named CEO, taking over from founder Dick Abbott, who is retiring after nearly 25 years and will assist with the transition.

The Edge was created by Abbott, a former jeweler, to handle the daily operational needs of independent retail jewelers.

Its software spans point of sale, inventory management, repairs, appraisals, and customer records, and has become a mission-critical system for a fragmented base of stores across the United States.

The company will remain headquartered in Shelton, Connecticut.

For Serent Capital, a growth-focused private equity firm that backs founder-led B2B software and technology-enabled services businesses, the platform investment adds a vertical-specific asset with deep end-market penetration.

The firm has partnered with over 75 founder-led software companies across 18 years.

Serent plans to support ongoing product investment and growth at The Edge.

Balance Point Capital provided financing for the acquisition, structuring a package that offers capital flexibility for the platform’s next phase of development.