FundGuard Recognized as Best Accounting System Provider in the 2026 Waters Rankings

FundGuard has been named Best Accounting System Provider in the 2026 Waters Rankings, one of the industry's longest-running reader-voted technology awards.

The Waters Rankings are determined exclusively by votes from buy-side and sell-side practitioners, recognizing the technology providers making the greatest impact across capital markets.

The recognition comes at a pivotal moment for the industry. Before presenting this year's awards, WatersTechnology hosted a discussion exploring the trends shaping technology investment across capital markets. While the conversation covered topics ranging from AI and cloud to data management and governance, four themes emerged consistently.

1. AI has moved from experimentation to enterprise infrastructure

The panel agreed that AI is no longer an isolated innovation initiative. Financial institutions are embedding AI into production workflows, shifting the conversation from experimentation to the operational foundations required to support it.

2. Data quality has become a strategic priority

As AI becomes more deeply integrated into investment operations, the quality, consistency and context of underlying data have become critical. The panel also highlighted the growing complexity of managing fragmented data sources and unstructured information across the enterprise.

3. Governance must be built into operations

The discussion emphasized that AI governance cannot be treated as a separate control layer. Instead, governance, validation and oversight must become part of everyday operational workflows as firms move AI into production.

4. Architecture is becoming the differentiator

When evaluating technology partners, the panel noted that firms are increasingly prioritizing architectural fit, implementation risk and long-term operating model alignment over feature comparisons alone.

A shared direction for the industry

Taken together, these themes point toward a broader shift in investment operations. As firms modernize for AI, the focus is moving beyond individual applications toward the underlying operational architecture that connects investment operations, accounting and servicing through trusted, real-time data.

"This recognition reflects a broader shift taking place across investment management," said Lior Yogev, CEO of FundGuard. "As operating models become more interconnected, interoperability is becoming a strategic requirement. Firms need accounting infrastructure that connects investment operations without creating new silos. We are proud that the Waters community has recognized the approach we've taken from inception."

Built cloud-native and AI-native from inception, FundGuard's real-time, AI-native technology supports the full investment lifecycle, from middle-office investment operations through fund accounting, private markets portfolio accounting, trustee, depository and custody services. By bringing these functions together on a single real-time system of record, firms can reduce operational fragmentation, automate workflows and establish the trusted data foundation required for AI-enabled operations.

We are honored to receive this recognition and thank the WatersTechnology readers who voted for FundGuard, along with our clients, partners and employees whose collaboration continues to shape our platform.