Private equity firm Aphias Capital plans to make a majority growth investment in SNZweig Advisors, the professional-services platform being created through the combination of Stambaugh Ness and Zweig Group. The new firm will bring financial, strategic, technology and transaction advisory services together for architecture, engineering and construction companies as AEC firms face increasing pressure to modernize operations, adopt AI and manage talent and margin challenges.
The architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry is entering a period in which financial performance, technology adoption, workforce strategy and business growth are becoming increasingly interconnected. Aphias Capital is betting on that convergence with a planned majority growth investment in SNZweig Advisors LLC, the advisory platform being formed through the combination of Stambaugh Ness and Zweig Group.
The transaction is expected to become effective by the end of 2026. Financial terms were not disclosed.
SNZweig will be built specifically around the AEC sector, combining capabilities that have traditionally been provided by separate accounting, consulting, technology and transaction-advisory firms. The platform is intended to give AEC companies a more integrated source of support for issues spanning ownership, growth, capital, technology, talent, risk, compliance and operational performance.
The combination follows a strategic partnership between Stambaugh Ness and Zweig Group that began in March 2025. Aphias’ investment is designed to accelerate that relationship and provide capital for the platform’s next phase of expansion.
The technology component is particularly relevant as AEC firms move toward more connected digital operating models. Instead of treating technology as a standalone IT function, SNZweig plans to combine technology advisory with financial, strategic and transaction services.
That model reflects a broader change in the AEC market. Firms are increasingly using cloud platforms, AI, data analytics, connected project-management systems and automation to improve productivity and compensate for workforce constraints. Deloitte’s 2026 Engineering and Construction Industry Outlook identifies digital transformation, AI-driven analytics, connected jobsite technologies, BIM and agentic AI as important areas of technology development for the sector.
The labor challenge is significant. Deloitte estimates that the U.S. engineering and construction industry will need 499,000 additional workers in 2026, up from 439,000 in 2025. The consultancy also points to rising wages, project complexity and the need for digital skills as forces pushing companies toward automation and technology-enabled workforce strategies.
AI adoption is also moving from experimentation toward operational use. Deltek reported in September 2026 that 78% of architecture and engineering firms were using generative AI, but only 38% reported measurable business impact. The gap highlights a challenge for AEC companies: deploying AI is becoming easier, while integrating it into repeatable business workflows and measuring its value remains more difficult.
That environment gives an integrated advisory platform a potentially broader role than traditional accounting or consulting. A firm evaluating an acquisition, for example, may simultaneously need financial due diligence, technology assessment, tax advice, integration planning, cybersecurity analysis and post-transaction operational support.
SNZweig says it plans to expand its technology capabilities and service lines while extending its national footprint. Growth is expected to come through both organic expansion and acquisitions of firms aligned with its AEC specialization.
The platform will also build its talent base across advisory, audit, tax, technology and consulting. That combination is significant because technology investment alone does not resolve the operational problems facing many AEC firms. Firms need people who can translate new systems and AI capabilities into project delivery, financial management and business-development processes.
The broader AEC technology market is already moving toward connected platforms. Autodesk’s 2026 AI research, based on 2,500 global industry leaders across design-and-make sectors, identifies security and accuracy as major concerns as organizations expand AI adoption. The research also argues that competitive differentiation is increasingly tied to how effectively companies integrate AI with existing systems, processes and teams rather than simply gaining access to AI tools.
That trend creates a market opportunity for specialized advisory providers that understand both the technology and the business models of professional-services firms. AEC organizations have historically operated with highly specialized workflows, making industry knowledge an important component of technology and transformation projects.
SNZweig’s strategy is therefore less about introducing a single software product and more about creating an integrated professional-services infrastructure around the AEC business. Its proprietary technology and industry intelligence are intended to complement conventional financial and consulting services.
The structure of the new organization also reflects regulatory requirements around professional services. SNZweig Advisors LLC will provide advisory, tax, technology and consulting services under an alternative practice structure, while Stambaugh Ness LLC, as a licensed independent CPA firm, will provide audit and attest services. SNZweig Advisors and its subsidiary entities are not licensed CPA firms.
The deal also brings investment-bank and legal advisers into the transaction. Lazard Frères & Co. and Kirkland & Ellis advised Aphias, while Citizens Capital Markets & Advisory and Vedder Price advised Stambaugh Ness and Zweig Group.
For the AEC market, the transaction illustrates another dimension of digital transformation: consolidation is increasingly occurring not only among technology vendors, but also among the professional-services firms helping customers implement technology and reshape their businesses.
As AEC companies contend with labor shortages, changing project demand, tighter cost controls and accelerating AI adoption, the boundaries between financial consulting, technology consulting and operational strategy are becoming less distinct. SNZweig’s formation is designed around that convergence, with Aphias providing growth capital to scale the model.
Whether the platform can translate that integrated structure into measurable client outcomes will depend on execution, technology investment, acquisition integration and the firm’s ability to retain specialized AEC talent. But its launch reflects a broader market shift toward professional-services providers that combine industry specialization with technology and business transformation capabilities.
Market Landscape
AEC professional services are being reshaped by AI adoption, digital transformation, labor shortages, cloud platforms, data integration and industry consolidation.
Deloitte expects digital tools, AI, automation and connected workflows to play a growing role in helping engineering and construction firms address capacity and productivity constraints.
Meanwhile, Deltek’s 2026 research shows a meaningful gap between AI adoption and measurable business results in architecture and engineering firms, reinforcing the importance of integration, workflow redesign and technology strategy.
SNZweig’s model sits at the intersection of these trends by combining financial services, consulting, technology advisory and transaction expertise around one industry-specific platform.
Top Insights
- Aphias Capital plans to provide majority growth capital as Stambaugh Ness and Zweig Group combine to create SNZweig.
- SNZweig will integrate financial, strategic, technology and transaction advisory capabilities specifically for AEC businesses.
- The platform plans to expand its technology capabilities, national footprint, service lines and acquisition strategy.
- AEC firms are increasingly connecting AI and digital transformation with workforce, profitability, project delivery and business-growth strategies.
- The alternative practice structure separates advisory services from audit and attest work performed by the independent CPA firm.
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