Partner with us

We Acquire Small Software Businesses

Sacramento Labs builds, acquires, and manages software products for the long term.We acquire products we understand deeply and believe deserve a durable, long-term home. We are not a private equity firm. We don’t impose artificial timelines or optimize purely for short-term outcomes. Instead, we focus on building healthy software businesses that can grow sensibly and sustainably over time.If you’ve built something useful and are looking for a long-term owner or operating partner, we should talk.

What We're Looking For

Here’s what tends to be a good fit for us:

Business profile• Profitable or near-profitable SaaS or internal software products• Typically $100K–$2M ARR (flexible for the right fit)• B2B preferred• Stable customer base with real usage• Flat, slow, or steady growth are all fine, and we’re happy to invest in sensible growth when it makes the business healthier

Technology• Ruby on Rails web applications strongly preferred• Other stacks may be considered if the product and business are a strong fit• Desktop or agent software for Windows, macOS, or Linux is also a good fit alongside a web application

Founders and Teams• Solo founders or small teams• Founders may fully exit, stay involved part-time, or stay involved long-term• Ongoing involvement can take many forms and is shaped around what makes sense for the product and the people involved• If there is an existing team, local or hybrid in the greater Sacramento area is a plus

Situations that often fit well• You enjoy the product but want help with ownership, operations, or execution• You want liquidity without abandoning customers or employees• Growth is possible, but you want to pursue it thoughtfully and sustainably• You want a partner who will continue improving the product rather than radically changing it

Know a company that might be a good fit? We offer a $10K referral fee. We occasionally acquire software businesses through introductions from founders, operators, and friends in our network. If you introduce us to a software company we were not already in active conversations with, and we end up acquiring that business, we’ll pay a $10,000 referral fee after the transaction closes. A few notes for clarity: The introduction must be a direct, warm introduction (email or message). Public listings or cold forwards don’t qualify. Referral fees are paid after closing and are contingent on a completed acquisition. There’s no expectation of ongoing involvement unless explicitly discussed. If you’re unsure whether a company might be a fit, feel free to reach out and ask.

How We Operate Post-Acquisition

Our approach is practical and long-term:

• We respect existing customers, pricing, and product direction• We focus first on reliability, clarity, and maintainability• We make changes incrementally and deliberately• We care more about durability than growth for its own sake, and we support sustainable growth when it’s possible• We optimize for long-term cash flow and quality of life, not short-term optics

When founders stay involved, roles and expectations are defined collaboratively and can evolve over time.

Deal Structures

We’re flexible on structure and aim to align incentives. Common approaches include:

• Full acquisition• Majority or minority partnership• Upfront payment with earn-outs• Seller financing• Ongoing revenue or profit sharing

The right structure depends on goals and context, not templates.

Why Sacramento Labs

We take a long-term ownership approach

• We actively build and manage the products we own• We value durable, profitable software over hype• We care about customers, teams, and sustainability• We value clear communication and straightforward relationships

Our goal is to be a good home for software and the people behind it.

Ian Alexander

Co-Founder

Garrett Milster

Co-Founder

Talk to us

If you think your software might be a fit, send us a short note with what your product does, approximate ARR and customer count, a brief overview of the tech stack, and what you’re looking for from us (exit, partnership, ongoing involvement, etc). No pitch deck required. If you’re not sure if it’s a fit, reach out anyway. All conversations will be kept confidential. Email us at hello@sacramentolabs.com.