The past 12 months have been a big year for us at the Acquisition Lab and Build Wealth.
It was the year I started publicly inviting our community to invest alongside me in fractional acquisitions, which are projected to earn over 400% in returns over the next three to six years.
We bought an entire real estate portfolio.
Acquired 6% of a $100 million manufacturing facility.
And took out the full GP (General Partnership) of the world’s largest mass timber building.
Meanwhile, Acquisition Lab members surpassed $400 million in small business acquisitions.
Today, I want to share not just what we did – but where we’re going next, and how you can join us.
If we haven’t met, I’m Walker Deibel – WSJ bestselling author of Buy Then Build, creator of Acquisition Lab, and a guy who’s been buying small businesses since 2006.
Some I’ve bought outright, others through fractional acquisitions — a model I started in 2013 to diversify and bet on great teams. I still own and operate several companies, advise sellers, and run Acquisition Lab, which has helped members acquire hundreds of millions in small businesses.
Now, I’m opening that model up to the community.
The Story Behind the $100M Investment
A few years ago, I got involved with a real estate group some of my mentors were working with. Over time, I became a general partner (GP) on a few of their deals.
Earlier this year, they came to me with a small ask: help raise $1.35M for a three-building portfolio and parking lot.
Source: FasterCapital
I already knew the project and loved it. Still did my diligence, of course, but I was in.
My only hesitation? I’m known for small business acquisitions—not real estate. But this was my A-team. I trusted them deeply and believed in the project.
So I told my community: “I’m in. It’s 15 minutes from my house. If you’re interested, we need to raise this little piece.”
And then something wild happened.
We got $4.5 million in commitments… in four hours.
That’s when I realized: there’s serious demand for deals like this.
Why I Haven’t Built a Fund Around Small Business Acquisitions
People ask me all the time: “Why don’t you just build a fund around Acquisition Lab deals?”
Fair question. But here’s the thing.
Acquisition entrepreneurship is designed to be entrepreneur-centric. These aren’t assets you set and forget. They’re companies with customers, cash flow, and infrastructure—meant to be operated by people.
If we turned Lab deals into a fund, we’d need:
- A focused investment thesis (not dozens of unrelated businesses)
- A portfolio of 12–24 companies (minimum)
- Structures that prioritize investor returns, often at the entrepreneur’s expense
It becomes less about building businesses and more about managing fund mechanics.
So instead of forcing a structure that doesn’t fit, I’m bringing institutional-grade deals to the community.
How the JOBS Act Changed the Game
Let’s talk about regulatory tailwinds for a second.
Back in 2016, the SBA changed its financing rules for small business acquisitions. Largely because of that, in that year alone, I bought three companies. That was the moment I realized: people need to know about the opportunities available in small business acquisitions.
Fast forward to today, and the JOBS Act is doing something similar to the SBA financing rules of 2016 – but in a different way.
Before, I couldn’t just go out and publicly say, “Hey, I’m investing in this deal – who wants to join me?”
But now, because of the JOBS Act, I can.
Source: Finance Strategists
And after our first fractional acquisition filled in just four hours, I had this moment where I realized we could bring our community together to invest in these kinds of deals.
The reality is, most limited partners (LPs) and minority investors aren’t doing extensive diligence on their own. But I am.
This year alone, I’ve spent six figures on diligence for just three deals. I just brought on a former VP from Goldman Sachs to underwrite a whole new portfolio for this year.
What We’re Really Building
This isn’t just about great deals.
We’re building something that acts like a family office — but for all of us.
I source the projects, run extensive diligence to make sure they meet my criteria, bring them to the community, and accredited investors can choose to invest based on their own risk profiles.
It’s part of a larger strategy I call the Wealth Stack: active income from business acquisitions and passive fractional investments across private equity, real estate, and debt working together to build long-term, diversified wealth.
The Start of Our Portfolio
Two major investments are already shaping up to be game-changers: a $100M engineered stone factory and the world’s largest mass timber building.
Both align perfectly with the Wealth Stack strategy, giving our community access to high-growth, institutional-grade deals.
Investment #1: The $100M Engineered Stone Factory
At the start of 2024, I made a private investment in a factory I’d been tracking for nearly a year.
This wasn’t just another facility—this was category-defining.
Source: Grand View Research
Backed by Breton in Italy, a global leader in engineered stone tech, this was their 81st supported factory. The management team? They’ve already built multiple $100M+ facilities.
The product itself? 10X better than traditional options. More durable, more sustainable, and designed to dominate the market.
At first, I was just investing privately. But as the next round came together, I saw the valuation jump by $50M — validated by the law firm taking us public.
We’re on track to go public in 2026.
That’s when I brought it to our community. And the valuation has already climbed. We have the facility, equipment, customers — and we’re self-listing, which means we control the timeline.
This is one of the most exciting investments I’ve ever made.
Investment #2: The World’s Largest Mass Timber Building
The second big deal? A once-in-a-generation development in St. Louis.
For decades, a dead-end highway had cut off an entire section of the city. Then one of the wealthiest families in the country stepped in — removed the highway, built a stadium, and opened up the district.
Now, we’re not just constructing a building. We’re designing a neighborhood.
I knew I wanted in.
We structured the deal as a co-GP opportunity. I personally joined the GP — aligning not just as an investor, but as someone actively involved in execution.
We invited the community to invest alongside us — not as passive LPs, but as co-GPs. Together, we raised $4M and took out the full GP.
Now, institutional investors are coming in to fill the $40M LP positions — and we’ve laid the groundwork for a project that will reshape the city for decades.
What’s Coming in the Rest of 2025
Look, I didn’t do this alone. I did it with you.
And now? I’m teed up for one of the biggest years yet.
For 2025, we’re looking at a full pipeline – in Q1 alone we’ve released an evergreen private credit fund, and a “roll-up style” energy fund (both are open!) – and there’s more lined up and ready to go. It’s going to be an exciting year.
And here’s the thing: Yes, I’m doing this.
But what makes it even better? We’re investing together.
This has never just been about stacking cash for myself – it’s been about inviting you to build wealth alongside me.
Fractional Acquisitions vs. Buying a Business
People often ask me, “Walker, should I invest in fractional acquisitions or buy an existing company?”
And my answer? Yes.
It’s not either-or. It’s about how you build your Wealth Stack.
- If you’re a high-income employee and not ready to buy a business yet → Fractional acquisitions can help you start investing.
- If you’re ready to make the leap and buy a company → Do that first. Build safety. Build cash flow.
- If you’re already sitting on extra cash and thinking about buying 12 companies because you’ve been reading too much on Twitter → Maybe slow down and diversify with fractional acquisitions instead of stacking risk.
A Smarter Way to Play the Private Markets
This isn’t about buying a business, swapping yourself out as manager, and heading to the beach.
This is about strategically building wealth through:
- Institutional-grade investments
- Professional teams
- Supply & demand imbalances
- The right market tailwinds
- GP-level diligence (that most investors aren’t doing)
And because I’m the one putting my name on these deals, vetting them, and managing these funds – you get access to opportunities most people never see.
That’s why the next year is going to be even bigger than the last.
If you’re ready to invest alongside me, get access to the Deal Room now — or join my investor list to be the first to hear about upcoming opportunities.
