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The Premium Exit Question Most PE investors are asking the wrong question at exit. They're focused on: "When will we hit our target metrics?" But in three of our last four deals, the spread between lowest and highest offers was 50% to over 100%. Same business. Same financials. Same timing. The only difference? Who was bidding. Here's what I've learned from facilitating exits: Premium valuations don't come from waiting for targets. They come from finding buyers who can create exponentially more value with your asset than you can. A software business with R20M revenue might be worth 4x to another PE firm. But to a UK strategic acquirer who can plug it into existing sales channels and scale it across Europe? 7-8x. The insight: You're not looking for buyers who will pay the most for what the business is today. You're looking for buyers who will pay a premium for what they can make it tomorrow. One question worth exploring: In whose hands is this business worth more than in ours? Because the answer to that question might be worth more than hitting your original EBITDA target.

WHY SMALL DEALS ARE LEADING 2025   While the big headlines cool down, it’s the quieter moves that are reshaping the financial landscape.   The M&A environment is changing. We are seeing fewer mega-mergers and more mid-market transactions with a clear strategic rationale. These deals are agile, targeted, and focused on creating tangible value rather than just making noise.   As financing conditions gradually normalise after the last rate cycle, capital is becoming more selective. Scale alone no longer guarantees profitability or market support. Investors are rewarding clarity, discipline and credible execution. Recent transactions in areas such as Spanish renewable platforms, fibre networks and infrastructure carve-outs point to a clear pattern: capital is shifting towards focused, well-structured and sustainable opportunities.   Boutiques and specialised teams are proving that deep sector knowledge can outweigh sheer balance sheet size. Less structure, more agility. Less volume, more purpose.   Behind these deals lies a different way of working: understanding the business in depth, building trust over time, and negotiating with precision. In this space, proximity replaces noise, and strategic vision matters more than scale for the sake of it.   In M&A, success isn’t measured by the size of the deal but by the logic behind it.   For me, it’s a useful reminder: in finance, as in professional growth, it’s not always about doing something bigger, but about doing something that makes sense. True sustainability lies in choosing well, not simply choosing more.   I’m genuinely curious to hear how you see this shift from your side of the market. Do you think the next phase of M&A will be driven more by size, or by focus and purpose?   #CorporateFinance #MergersAndAcquisitions #Finance #Strategy #Business #MidMarket #ProfessionalGrowth

💥 The buy-and-build boom is accelerating. Our latest data shows this cornerstone of PE value creation is now the dominant playbook: 65% of PE-backed exits in 2025 involved buy-and-build (vs. 53% in 2020) 15% of portfolio companies are serial acquirers, completing 5+ deals (double five years ago) 🏆 The top consolidators: HUB International (108 deals), Visma (86), PIB Group (79), Phenna Group (71), and Your.World (65). Services, Financials, and TMT are leading the charge, proving scale is still the sharpest edge in private markets. Read how the best investors make buy-and-builds work: 🔗 https://okt.to/HPmRFZ

Every clause, every assumption, every decision you made 18 months ago shows up in the term sheet today. Your next raise isn’t about more capital it’s about less friction. When you’re raising tens or hundreds of millions, every term, every clause, every assumption is magnified. What separates successful raises at this level isn’t just growth, it’s transaction readiness. Here’s what I’ve seen: - Investors demand fewer variables, not more. They want clarity, not complexity. The simpler and more inevitable your growth and structure look, the less they discount. - You must make it easy to say “yes.” When your business is framed for the raise and the outcome (exit, IPO, strategic acquisition) you reduce friction in every discussion. - Structure before size. Revenue and growth matter but structure (governance, capital architecture, metrics, proof-points) is what unlocks the premium multiple. According to leading deal evaluators, things like a large growing market, strong moat, predictable cash flow and scalable unit economics are what really push valuations at this level. rareliquid.com+1 - Don’t just show the engine, show the runway and the destination. If you can clearly articulate how your business scales, what the next acquisition or expansion looks like, how the capital converts into outcome, you’re competing with companies already at the next league. You don’t get funded because you’re impressive. You get funded because your business is engineered to remove every investor’s reason to say no. The capital doesn’t create readiness, readiness creates the capital.

Many lifestyle founders believe that their businesses are exit-ready. Or indeed that they can be scaled for exit within a few months. This is unfortunately rarely the case After 20 years advising in M&A, I've seen the same pattern: businesses coming to market with strong financials, a solid management team and decent market position...but scratch beneath the surface and the cracks appear. The reality? Growth and exit readiness isn't about ticking boxes. It's about honest assessment across four critical dimensions: → Commercial positioning that demonstrates genuine market demand → Operational capability that proves scalability → Financial structure that truly withstands buyer scrutiny → Plus of course innovation and horizon scanning that provides a defensible proposition for future growth. Want to check how ready your business is? https://lnkd.in/eadrSVBd #MandA #PrivateEquity #ExitStrategy #DueDiligence

Understanding Valuation & Projections 💡 Investment Terms Demystified: Valuation & Projections 💡 📅 Projected Revenue — The expected sales a company aims to hit in the future based on growth trends and business plans. It helps investors gauge the company’s potential size. 📈 EBITDA Profitability Timeline — This tells you when a company expects to become profitable on an operational basis, ignoring financing costs. It shows the path to sustainable earnings. 🏷️ Valuation — The company’s estimated market value, often based on revenue, earnings, or comparable companies. It’s crucial for understanding the price you pay for ownership. 🚪 Exit Strategy — The plan for investors to realize returns by selling their stake, typically via an IPO, acquisition, or secondary sale. Knowing this timeline helps evaluate risk and reward. These terms help investors see the bigger picture beyond just current financials. #InvestmentEducation #Valuation #GrowthProjections #PrivateEquity #InvestorTips

Your Exit Plan Only Works If It Aligns With Your Vision ... An exit strategy isn’t just a financial decision, it’s a personal one. Too often, founders focus on valuation, timing, or the mechanics of the sale without asking a fundamental question: Does this exit align with what I want next? Before making any decisions, take a moment to step back and look at the bigger picture. - What do you want life to look like after you step away? - Does your business’s direction support that vision? - Are your expectations realistic based on where the business stands today? A successful exit is rarely about luck or timing; it’s about clarity. When your personal goals and business vision move in the same direction, the result isn’t just a sale. It’s a legacy you can be proud of.

Stop guessing your company's worth. High-growth potential is often buried under complex financials, leaving owners unsure of their true value and investors struggling to spot genuine opportunities. 📈 The difference between a good business and a great investment is clarity. High-value clients and investors need more than just a number; they require a clear, data-driven roadmap that pinpoints growth levers and mitigates risks. This is about transforming potential into measurable enterprise value. Imagine having a platform that not only provides a precise valuation but also illuminates the exact steps to enhance that value. For business owners, this means optimizing operations for maximum return and preparing for a premium exit. For investors, it offers a transparent view of a company's strengths and a reliable forecast of its future performance. Unlock the full potential of your business or your investments. #BusinessValuation #InvestmentStrategy #GrowthMindset #PrivateEquity #MergersAndAcquisitions

What Investors Look for in Growth Companies 🔍 Key Metrics Investors Use to Evaluate Growth Companies 🔍 YoY Growth: Shows momentum — how fast is the company growing compared to last year? EBITDA: Core earnings measure — profit before non-operating costs. Margins: Efficiency gauge — how much profit stays from each dollar earned. Capital Allocation: How wisely is the company spending investor money? Marketing? R&D? Operations? Exit Valuation: The potential worth of the company at sale or IPO — critical for estimating returns. Understanding these helps you think like an investor and spot strong opportunities. #InvestorEducation #FinancialTerms #GrowthInvesting #BusinessMetrics

Unlock the core valuation drivers that private equity firms, strategic buyers and sell-side advisors use to place value on middle-market companies. In this video, Jude David, JD, DCL, MBA explains how EBITDA, growth trends, market multiples, deal structure and buyer psychology all combine to determine what your business is worth—and how you can position for a premium exit.