CM Equity Partners

What CM Equity Partners does

CM Equity Partners (CMEP) is a New York-based private equity firm founded in 1995 that invests exclusively in the federal solutions, aerospace, and defense sectors. The firm provides growth capital, funds management buyouts, and supports recapitalizations for companies typically generating $40-250 million in revenue and $5-25 million+ in EBITDA, deploying equity checks of $10-50 million across equity, structured equity, and mezzanine debt. CMEP operates with a small investment team of 8-10 professionals and takes a collaborative, operationally engaged posture: partners hold active security clearances, enabling direct participation in cleared portfolio companies — a meaningful differentiator in the federal contracting space.

CMEP's active portfolio spans federal IT services (A-TEK, Sabre Systems), federal cybersecurity (ShorePoint), intelligence community specialists (National Securities Company, JANUS Research Group), security analytics (Dexis Interactive), and the aerospace specialty chemicals distributor GracoRoberts, which operates three e-commerce platforms (gracoroberts.com, skygeek.com, silmid.com). Since inception, the firm has completed over 70 transactions in its target verticals, with realized exits including the IPOs of ICF International (2006) and ATSC (2007) and the 2021 sale of Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA) to Arlington Capital Partners, where SPA was combined with MCR to form an approximately $350M revenue advisory firm. GracoRoberts has executed at least six acquisitions under CMEP ownership, including Pacific Coast Composites (2023), SkyGeek.com (2022), Able Aerospace Adhesives (2021), and Sky Mart (2026).

Economically, CMEP generates revenue through standard private equity mechanics: recurring management fees on committed capital and lumpy carried interest tied to realized exits. The firm is privately held with no parent company, no public listing, and no disclosed LP base or AUM. Its go-to-market is direct, sourcing deals through founder relationships, sector intermediaries, and federal/A&D industry contacts rather than through intermediaries or broad marketing channels. The technology stack is not applicable — the firm's underlying platform is deal origination, portfolio oversight, and sector relationships rather than software or proprietary technology.

Name

CM Equity Partners

Legal name

CM Equity Partners

Website

https://cmequity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CM Equity Partners is a New York-based private equity firm founded in 1995 that provides growth capital, management buyout funding, and recapitalizations to companies in the federal solutions, aerospace, and defense sectors, with a focus on businesses generating $40-250M in revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Equity Investment

NAICS

Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)

Keywords

• Private equity investing
• Federal solutions investment
• Aerospace and defense
• Growth capital
• Management buyouts

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Private Equity Management and Performance Fees: CM Equity Partners generates revenue through management fees on committed capital and carried interest (performance fees) from successful exits of portfolio companies. The firm invests across equity, structured equity, and mezzanine debt instruments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CM Equity Partners is a private equity firm that provides growth capital, funds management buyouts, and supports recapitalizations for companies in the Federal Solutions, Aerospace, and Defense industries. The firm invests across a broad spectrum of the capital structure including equity, structured equity, and mezzanine debt, with typical investments of $10-50 million in companies generating $40-250 million in revenue and $5-25 million+ in EBITDA. CMEP partners with management teams to build value through active engagement, long-term strategic planning, operational support, executive recruiting, and add-on acquisitions.

Product overview

CM Equity Partners is a private equity firm, not a software/SaaS product company. The company provides investment services to the Federal solutions, aerospace, and defense industries. Its portfolio consists of portfolio company investments including A-TEK (federal IT services), Dexis Interactive (security analytics), National Securities Company (intelligence community solutions), GracoRoberts (aerospace specialty chemicals distributor with ecommerce platforms), Sabre Systems (government cybersecurity and digital transformation), ShorePoint (federal cybersecurity services), and JANUS Research Group (C4ISR and training solutions). These represent equity investments and portfolio holdings, not modular software products or platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Equity Investment Services CM Equity Partners provides growth capital, funds management buyouts, and supports recapitalizations for companies in the Federal solutions, aerospace, and defense industries. CMEP partners with management teams to build value through industry knowledge, relationships, operating experience, and corporate finance, M&A, and private equity expertise. The firm invests across equity, structured equity, and mezzanine debt with flexible investment horizons and majority/minority positions, with investments of $10-50 million per transaction in companies with $40-250M revenue and $5-25M+ EBITDA.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 70 transactions completed in Federal Solutions Sector and A&D industry
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DLA PiperadvisoryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 2 February 2026DLA Piper advised CM Equity Partners and GracoRoberts in the acquisition of Sky Mart, structuring and executing the transaction for the aerospace chemical distributor expansion into Latin American MRO market.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Arlington Capital Partners: Washington, D.C.-based private equity firm exclusively focused on federal services, government IT, and aerospace & defense. Closest direct peer to CMEP, having acquired SPA from CMEP in 2021, with overlapping cleared-partner network and identical target-company profile ($40-250M revenue, $5-25M+ EBITDA federal solutions platforms).
• AE Industrial Partners: Private equity firm investing in aerospace, defense, and government services. Directly comparable to CMEP in vertical focus on A&D, with similar strategy of building platforms through add-on acquisitions and providing growth capital to mid-market federal solutions and aerospace companies.
• Veritas Capital: New York-based technology and government services private equity firm. Direct peer to CMEP given its exclusive focus on federal IT, defense, and government technology, often acquiring companies at similar revenue and EBITDA scales and competing for the same cleared-platform assets.
• Enlightenment Capital: Chevy Chase, MD-based private investment firm focused on defense, government services, and homeland security. Direct peer to CMEP given its specialty in providing flexible capital (equity, debt, mezzanine) to mid-market federal solutions companies, very similar investment size range and target profile.

Emerging players

• Paladin Capital Group: Washington, D.C.-based private equity firm specializing in cybersecurity and digital infrastructure. Comparable to CMEP given its investment in ShorePoint (federal cybersecurity) and broader overlap on cyber-focused federal services platforms like Sabre Systems and A-TEK.
• DCVC (Defense.Com Venture Capital): Venture capital firm investing in deep tech, defense, and government technology companies. Adjacent to CMEP given shared federal/defense end-market focus, though DCVC operates primarily at venture stage versus CMEP's buyout/growth equity orientation.

Broad incumbents

• The Carlyle Group: Global alternative asset manager with a dedicated Aerospace, Defense & Government Services franchise. Broad incumbent that competes with CMEP for larger, more mature federal/A&D platforms but typically at significantly higher AUM scale and broader sector mandate.
• KKR & Co. Global investment firm with a Federal Services investing strategy (e.g., KKR's platform investments in government IT services). Larger, broader incumbent that overlaps with CMEP at the upper end of the federal solutions market but competes in a wider range of sectors.
• Booz Allen Hamilton Strategic Ventures: Major federal consulting firm that operates venture and investment activities adjacent to the federal solutions space where CMEP invests. Comparable as a federal domain incumbent providing strategic capital and ecosystem relationships relevant to CMEP's portfolio companies.

Regional players

• NewSpring Capital: Mid-Atlantic growth equity and private credit firm with a dedicated Federal Services practice. Comparable to CMEP in deploying growth and structured capital to lower middle-market federal services and government IT companies, with similar ticket sizes and active management approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CMEquityPartners
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cm-equity-partners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments6 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CM Equity Partners