# The Firefly Group The Firefly Group is a Private Equity based in St. Louis, United States. ## Overview - **Organization type:** Private Equity - **Headquarters:** St. Louis, United States - **Region:** North America - **Address:** St. Louis, United States - **Assets under management:** Undisclosed - **Website:** www.thefireflygrp.com - **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-firefly-group ## Regulatory record - **Reports private funds:** No ## About The Firefly Group was co-founded by David Mann, Derrick Smith, and Mark Sneider to invest in growth-oriented, lower-middle-market companies. Mann previously co-founded Spring Mill Venture Partners and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy, while Sneider brings experience from Oak Investment Partners and Roark Capital. Smith led a Midwest family office focused on acquiring and operating lower-middle-market businesses before launching the firm. Drew McCuiston, a co-founder who now serves as an advisor, was previously CFO of portfolio company EOS Worldwide. The firm deploys growth equity and buyout capital across North America, targeting platform companies with at least $1 million in EBITDA. Its sector focus includes human capital services, multi-unit franchises, and companies that use the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). The firm pursues both majority and minority equity positions in new platforms and supports add-on acquisitions for existing partner companies. Confirmed sectors include HRTech, Industrial Tech, Mobility & Transportation, and Healthcare Services. The partnership operates from dual headquarters in St. Louis and Indianapolis. Three named co-founders lead the firm, supported by an advisor who was instrumental in a signature portfolio company. The team's prior institutions — McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, Harvard Business School, and the U.S. Naval Academy — feed a professional network that shapes its Midwest-centric deal flow. The firm’s structural differentiator lies in its 'Entrepreneurial Toolkit,' an operational framework provided to portfolio companies that turns the GP into a hands-on strategic partner rather than a passive equity holder. Drew McCuiston’s role as a director at Periculum Capital, combined with his tenure as CFO of Firefly portfolio company EOS Worldwide, creates an unusual feedback loop between portfolio management and investment banking relationships. ## Sectors - HRTech - Industrial Tech - Mobility & Transportation - Healthcare Services ## Offices - Indianapolis, United States ## People - David Mann — Co-Founder - Derrick Smith — Co-Founder - Mark Sneider — Co-Founder ## Questions ### Who runs investment decisions at The Firefly Group? Three co-founders — David Mann, Derrick Smith, and Mark Sneider — lead the firm. Each brings a track record from elite institutions: Mann from Spring Mill Venture Partners and the U.S. Navy, Sneider from Oak Investment Partners and Roark Capital, and Smith from a family office that acquired and operated Midwest businesses. Drew McCuiston, a co-founder and advisor, was previously CFO of portfolio company EOS Worldwide. ### What investment profile does The Firefly Group target? The firm targets growth-oriented, lower-middle-market companies with at least $1 million in EBITDA. It pursues majority or minority equity positions in new platform investments and supports add-on acquisitions for existing partner companies. The geographic focus is the continental United States, with a concentration on the Midwest. ### How does The Firefly Group support its portfolio companies operationally? The firm provides an in-house 'Entrepreneurial Toolkit' — a structured set of operational resources — designed to help leadership teams build lasting value. Drew McCuiston’s experience as CFO of EOS Worldwide, a current partner company, reflects the firm’s preference for implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System as a management discipline across its holdings. ### What is the firm’s relationship with EOS Worldwide? EOS Worldwide is a partner company of The Firefly Group. Advisor and co-founder Drew McCuiston served as its CFO, and EOS — the Entrepreneurial Operating System that EOS Worldwide licenses — is a framework the firm actively embraces for managing its portfolio, embedding a shared management discipline across investments. ### Which sectors does The Firefly Group explicitly target for new platform investments? The firm’s confirmed sector focus includes human capital services (HRTech), multi-unit franchises, and companies that utilize EOS operating methods. The Altss research record also tags Industrial Tech, Mobility & Transportation, and Healthcare Services as active investment areas for the firm. ### How does the firm’s Midwest identity influence its deal sourcing? Dual offices in St. Louis and Indianapolis place the partnership at the center of a region where many lower-middle-market companies — particularly family- and founder-owned industrial and service businesses — are capital-constrained and succession-driven. The co-founders’ prior Midwest investment experience channels a flow of proprietary, relationship-based deals that large coastal funds often overlook. ## Related profiles - [The Explorer Group](https://altss.com/profile/the-explorer-group) - [The Garage](https://altss.com/profile/the-garage) --- Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/the-firefly-group Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology