Up to $30M to the Winner, Introducing the Three DC-Area Companies Selected for Mauloa’s Second SMB Accelerator
Three Maryland, family-owned companies - Strategic Factory, Got Electric, and AceCo - selected for middle-market
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Three Maryland, family-owned companies – Strategic Factory, Got Electric, and AceCo – selected for middle-market accelerator where winner receives an investment offer from Mauloa.
POTOMAC, MD / ACCESS Newswire / September 1, 2026 / Following the success of its inaugural SMB Accelerator, private equity firm Mauloa once again screened scores of businesses across the DC-area this summer. Today, Mauloa is proud to announce the three companies selected for its second SMB Accelerator: Strategic Factory, Got Electric, and AceCo. Upon the program’s conclusion, the winning company will receive an investment offer from Mauloa of $10-30 million.
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Mauloa Founding Partner, Andrew Sachs said, “We’re proud to partner with these three companies for our second SMB Accelerator. Each of them is not only a strong business but a great place to work and a stalwart in their community. We look forward to working closely with them over the coming months, where we’ll provide free access to our expertise, our relationships, and possibly strategic capital – all done the ‘Mauloa Way’ without using debt, taking control, or ever forcing a sale.”
Keith Miller, President & CEO, Strategic Factory, said: “We’re honored to be selected for the Mauloa SMB Accelerator. This is a tremendous opportunity to work alongside a team that genuinely understands what it takes to build a thriving regional business, and we’re excited to learn, sharpen how we operate, and grow alongside the other companies in our cohort. Programs like this can make a real difference to businesses like ours and for the broader DC and Baltimore communities, so we’re grateful to be part of it.”
Featured SMB Accelerator Companies:
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Strategic Factory (Owings Mills, MD) – A family-owned, Maryland-based marketing company and one-stop-shop for printing, signage, branded apparel, promotional products, and digital marketing services, led by Keith Miller, a Maryland EY Entrepreneur of the Year award winner.
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Got Electric (Ijamsville, MD) – A full-service electrical contractor serving Maryland, Virginia, and the DC Metro area, with expertise spanning residential and commercial electrical work, generator installation, and commercial solar and battery storage systems, led by President Grant Gotlinger, whose team was recently ranked No. 4 among Maryland’s Top Solar Contractors and No. 92 nationally by Solar Power World.
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AceCo (Silver Spring, MD) – A multi-generational, family-owned demolition and environmental remediation company serving the greater Washington, D.C. area since 1936, led by President Stephen D. Smith, with Michael D. Citren and Rob Wilson serving as co-owners.
In addition to a series of working sessions over the coming months, the program will also feature an invite-only event for participants, media, and strategic partners, hosted by Shulman Rogers. Throughout the program, the companies work directly with the Mauloa team across the following critical areas:
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Working Capital Empowerment: Andrew Sachs works hands-on with participants to strengthen their balance sheets and maximize the cash their business actually puts in the bank – not adjusted earnings on a spreadsheet.
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Marketing Architecture: Managing Partner Kai Sato helps participants deploy strategies to attract talent, acquire target customers, and amplify word-of-mouth.
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Culture as Strategy: Bolstering human capital growth without undermining what makes the business great.
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AI Integration: Practical implementation of emerging tools to drive efficiency and competitive advantage. All of this is provided at no cost to participants, before any investment is made.
The Mauloa SMB Accelerator concludes November 25, 2026, at which time one of the companies will be presented with an investment offer of $10-30 million.
Typically providing owner liquidity and working capital, Mauloa invests in companies without taking control or using debt, which is uncommon for most PE firms. Mauloa’s unique investment approach allowed it to launch a cost-free accelerator to companies within 100 miles of the Washington DC-area, generating over $20M in annual revenue, and producing over $3M in cash flow.
With offices in Chevy Chase and Potomac, Mauloa and its predecessor funds have invested in DC-area companies for over 20 years. Its founding partner, Andrew Sachs, received two degrees from Georgetown University and has been a longtime YPO member in the region. Its chairman is Proshares co-founder Louis Mayberg, an alumnus and benefactor of George Washington University. Given the strong reception to the inaugural program from the DC-community, Mauloa is continuing the Accelerator in 2026 and beyond.
About Mauloa
We are long-term investors who provide owner liquidity and working capital to family-owned businesses to accelerate growth. We invest $10-30 million for 30-40% of your middle-market company without using debt, ruining your culture, or ever forcing you to sell. Instead, we all receive regular cash distributions from profits, which keeps everyone’s interests ENDLESSLY aligned. Qualified companies must do over $20M in revenue, generate at least $3M in cash flow (not EBITDA), and be led by people that we “like, trust, and admire.” Originally founded in 2007 as Sachs Capital, Mauloa, which means “endless” in Hawaiian, has deployed over $200M and partnered with more than 20 companies, mostly in business services.
Media Contact:
Kai Sato
press@mauloainc.com
SOURCE: Mauloa
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