Search fund accelerator backing solo searchers
Search Fund Accelerator
- HeadquartersNew Orleans, LA S6
- Founded2015 S2
- Websitesearchfundaccelerator.com
- Last verifiedOctober 20, 2026
At a glance
| Deal types | Platform S3 |
|---|---|
| Geography | United States S5 |
| Sectors | Healthcare Services, Auto Services & Collision, Roofing, Industrial & Manufacturing, Education, Accounting & Professional Services |
What Search Fund Accelerator buys
Search Fund Accelerator is a search fund investor with offices in New Orleans and Denver. Instead of backing independent searchers, it recruits a small group of mostly MBA graduates each year, trains them, and works next to them while each one looks for a single US company to buy and run as CEO. When a searcher finds the right business, SFA puts up the equity from its own pool of committed capital, so the deal does not hinge on lining up outside investors. SFA says 85% of its searchers have bought a company since it started in 2015.
SFA publishes no size range or industry list. Searchers look nationwide and choose niches that match their own backgrounds. Its 27 companies so far are mostly service businesses: behavioral and respiratory therapy, roofing, elevator, pump and boiler service, truck washing, HR outsourcing, tutoring and training, along with a few small manufacturers and a distributor. An owner usually meets SFA when one of its searchers reaches out directly.
Portfolio by sector
From the firm's portfolio page S7.
Audio Post-Production
- Barking Owl
Behavioral Health Training Services
- QBS
Behavioral Healthcare
- Transitions Counseling
Children's Behavioral Therapy
- Behaven Kids
Commercial Reroofing & Roofing Services
- Legacy Roofing
Communications Expense Management
- One Source Communications
Composites Manufacturing
- Amalga
EdTech / In-Person Tutoring
- Grade Potential
Homeowner Association Services
- Alliance CAS
Interior Design
- P&I
Outsourced HR Services
- HRtoGO
Pressroom Chemical Production
- Tower Products
Professional Training
- Heroic Public Speaking
Pulmonary & Sleep Therapy
- Advantage Therapy
Pump Service & Maintenance Provider
- Pump Reliability Solutions
Sales Training
- Applied Concepts
Specialized Distribution
- Metric Marine
Truckwashing Services
- JLE Truckwash
Window and Glass Repair and Installation
- TrueView Windows & Glass
Past investments: APM Steam, Acorn Legal Solutions, OnSite Truck & Trailer Service, Manley's Boiler, Iris Solutions, ETI Precision, A-1 Elevator Service, ETG Fire
Greymont’s take
How Search Fund Accelerator fits a seller
SFA suits an owner who wants to hand the business to one full-time successor rather than sell to a larger company or a fund that will merge it into a platform. The buyer is a searcher who moves in as CEO, can earn up to a quarter of the equity, and is coached by SFA's team, which fills the first board seats. Because SFA writes the equity check itself and judges each deal jointly with the searcher, there is no separate investment committee to win over late in the process. SFA also says it would rather keep growing a company than flip it, and 19 of its 27 companies are still held.
Owners should ask how much operating experience the searcher brings, how long the owner is expected to stay to help with the handover, and how much of the price is paid in cash at closing.
Questions owners ask
Who actually buys my company if I sell to Search Fund Accelerator?
One of SFA's searchers, usually a recent MBA graduate, buys the company and becomes its full-time CEO. SFA provides the equity from its committed fund and its team sits on the board, while the searcher can earn up to 25% of the equity.
What kinds of businesses has SFA bought?
Mostly service companies, including behavioral health and respiratory therapy providers, commercial roofing, elevator and pump service, truck washing, outsourced HR and tutoring, plus a few small manufacturers and a specialty distributor.
Does SFA look at companies outside the United States?
No. Its searchers run nationwide searches across the United States, and SFA says it does not support searches abroad and cannot invest in businesses outside the US.
Does SFA plan to resell the company quickly?
It says it prefers that a growing company keep compounding under the same CEO rather than be flipped. The CEO and the board decide together when to sell, and leveraged recapitalizations are one way it returns capital without a sale.
Sources
- S1Search Fund Accelerator home page Accessed October 20, 2026
- S2Search Fund Accelerator: Who We Are Accessed October 20, 2026
- S3Search Fund Accelerator: How It Works Accessed October 20, 2026
- S4Search Fund Accelerator: SFA Economics Accessed October 20, 2026
- S5Search Fund Accelerator: FAQ Accessed October 20, 2026
- S6Search Fund Accelerator: Offices Accessed October 20, 2026
- S7Search Fund Accelerator: Our CEOs & Searchers (2026 infographic) Accessed October 20, 2026
- S8Search Fund Accelerator: The Case Against Partnered Searches Accessed October 20, 2026
- S9JLE Truckwash home page Accessed October 20, 2026
- S10Alliance CAS home page Accessed October 20, 2026
Compiled by Greymont Advisors from public sources, including the firm’s own website and press releases. Greymont is not affiliated with Search Fund Accelerator. Figures are as reported on the dates shown and may have changed. Request a correction