Company Name: SI - Special Investigations Limited Company
Location: Herndon, Virginia
Year Founded: 2014
Website: specinv.com
SI – Special Investigations Limited Company (SI) has been recognized as a top honoree in the 2024 CO—100 Awards Global Star category for its exceptional achievements in global expansion.
Based in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, SI provides professional investigations, intelligence, and cybersecurity services through its three specialized business units: SPECINV, SI Cyber, and SI Training. Under the leadership of CEO Michael Pocalyko, the service-disabled, veteran-owned small business exemplifies how a nimble high-growth enterprise can have a broad impact worldwide.
Advancing innovation through high-stakes global investigations
Since its founding in 2014 as a portfolio company of Monticello Capital, SI's business model has been rooted in international expertise. This foundation has enabled the firm to handle high-profile global cases, including the Guatemala port case, which involved a complex web of corruption spanning three continents.
When SI received the first crisis call, the firm deployed an investigator with intelligence and diplomatic expertise in less than 48 hours to accompany U.S. attorneys into a Guatemalan prison. Through the company's efforts, the U.S. component of this immensely complicated case was resolved.
Another landmark investigation saw SI navigating dangerous environments in Haiti to counter baseless allegations against a corporate leader. By uncovering the truth, SI helped thwart international sanctions and upheld the integrity of its client.
"SI's comprehensive investigation over many months — including in the most dangerous neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince — basically 'proved a negative' in the face of deeply prejudiced, corrupt local officials, embassy intrigue, and roaming street gangs," Pocalyko said.
SI's ability to overcome complex geopolitical challenges and deliver results under intense pressure has further solidified its reputation as a trusted leader in high-stakes investigations. According to Pocalyko, scenario planning and constant reevaluation of options and decisions are essential to carrying out these investigations, as is access to the right resources.
"The success of any investigative operation is constrained only by resources made available to us by our government, legal, or corporate clients," he said.
SI's corporate culture is communitarian — always about client delivery, emphasizing mission-task-purpose in the nation’s service.
Special Investigations' CEO Michael Pocalyko
Overcoming internal and external challenges to drive growth
Despite its successes, SI's journey has not been without obstacles, including those caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, SI shifted to remote operations and used virtual investigative techniques to meet government and commercial client needs while maintaining profitability. The company's investigations into the #MeToo environment, cryptocurrency fraud, and local government fraud increased during this time, as did SI's revenues.
These strategic pivots resulted in record-breaking net margins, including a 72.22% margin in 2023, as SI streamlined operations and focused on high-value clients. However, an additional challenge came when SI contended with online misinformation during a hypersensitive case. In the face of severe restrictions on responding publicly, the firm stood its ground.
"When the wildest falsehoods about our firm appeared online, fueled by social media and what we knew to be a foreign influence operation, SI was prohibited by law from responding — threats, including death threats, followed," Pocalyko shared. "SI never leaked and never responded. Instead of cowering, SI advanced."
This experience allowed SI to emerge stronger than ever, entering the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024 nearly debt-free, with only a tiny strategic Paycheck Protection Program loan balance remaining (which will be liquidated completely in the second quarter of fiscal year 2025). The company's resilience will also serve it well as it faces increasingly complex financial fraud cases and the overall elevation of the investigative profession.
"We're addressing these challenges by making sure that our own investigators and our wide network of relationships are increasing in technical sophistication and advanced systems knowledge, particularly in cyber assurance and the cryptocurrency markets," said Pocalyko.
Balancing global expansion with local commitment
Looking ahead, SI plans to expand its influence in the Middle East and South Asia, particularly in the financial sectors of the Persian Gulf States and in India. These plans are a natural extension of its global capabilities and financial expertise, which have already cemented its reputation in the European Union and Central America.
"Our 'corporate DNA' ... has always been global," Pocalyko said. "Our government contracts have all had some measure of an international component, and our people are highly experienced [and] well skilled in the methodologies of the U.S. Intelligence Community."
While SI seeks new international opportunities, its focus on local commitment remains steadfast. Under the leadership of Pocalyko and Managing Director Ellen Cole, the company continues to foster community engagement in Northern Virginia, with Cole providing decades of mentorship to women in small businesses.
Meanwhile, SI actively supports its local community through partnerships with the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce and various professional associations. The company launched a training academy for Virginia investigators in 2024.
"To enhance the ethics and quality of investigators, we formed SI Training, offering best practices — and the best and brightest of our colleagues nationwide — for the foundation of the next generation in the profession," Pocalyko told CO—.
"SI's corporate culture is communitarian — always about client delivery, emphasizing mission-task-purpose in the nation's service," Pocalyko explained.
Entering 2025, SI understands and is well prepared for the challenge of maintaining its core business and local commitments in Washington, D.C., as it expands into more global markets. The company has intentionally built a team that has significant experience in business development, capital conservation, scaling professional services, sector growth in financial services, and international markets.
As Pocalyko puts it, "Our broad experience and our respect for today's dynamic business environment are at the heart of our expansion now and in the next decade."
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