an investment partner in Blue Water Capital Venture Fund II, a growth stage private equity fund for infotech companies, and in the Maryland Angels Council, an organized group of angel investors providing financing and mentoring for technology and bioscience companies in the Mid-Atlantic Area.

Acorn provides "shirt sleeve" support to its portfolio companies, serving on the Board of Directors or Board of Advisors of each firm. Acorn assists by identifying and networking resources needed by start-ups, by drawing on the experience of Acorn principals in management, recruiting, business strategy and financing, and by providing high risk capital after "friends and family" but before institutional venture financing.

Acorn prefers to receive inquiries electronically. Please submit an executive summary of the business plan. After our positive response, then submit the full plan. It is helpful if firms seeking financing review our criteria for business plan content before providing the plan.

Acorn is the private equity investment vehicle for the Oakes Family, located in the Washington DC and Atlanta, Georgia areas. The principals are William Oakes Jr., William Oakes III, and Patricia Oakes Poulos. Banking services are provided by Bank of America Private Bank of Chevy Chase, Maryland. Investment Banking is provided through Thomas Weisel Partners of San Francisco, California. Saul Ewing of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Shaw Pittman of Tyson's Corner, Virginia serve as Legal Counsel for Acorn, LLC. Kaiser Scherer&Schlegel of Washington, DC are the firm's public accountants.