Post-Acquisition Operational Value Add: The New Era of Private Equity

M&A in 2025: From Hesitation to Acceleration After a few cautious years, dealmaking has roared back. Falling interest rates, renewed board confidence, and AI-enhanced due diligence are changing how and why deals get done. Across the market, I’m seeing several clear shifts: • Policy and macro tailwinds Lower rates and reduced regulatory friction are reigniting deal flow in technology, defense, and healthcare. • Private equity urgency With nearly $3 trillion in dry powder, PE firms face pressure to exit aging portfolio companies, driving sponsor-to-sponsor transactions and carve-outs. • Buyer-led M&A Strategic acquirers are prioritizing long-term integration value over short-term price, with AI cutting diligence costs and improving post-deal alignment. • Spin-offs and separations Public companies are “shrinking to grow,” and U.S. spin-off volume has doubled in 2025 as boards refocus on core value creation. • Industry convergence Cross-sector M&A, from tech entering healthcare to defense integrating AI, continues to outperform by creating new ecosystems and business models. 2025 may not just be a rebound year for M&A, it’s shaping up to be a reinvention. #MergersAndAcquisitions #PrivateEquity #CorporateStrategy #DealMaking #Leadership #AI #Boardroom #Integration #SpinOffs #MAndATrends

Alirity and Engaging MCS have joined forces to support Private Equity-backed mid-cap businesses in maximising their technology, data, and change programmes.     This partnership brings together deep experience in IT, data, and change leadership with a clear understanding of how value is created and realised throughout the Private Equity investment cycle.     Together, we help investors and portfolio companies:     → Carry out enhanced due diligence, identifying opportunities and potential risks earlier in the deal cycle to improve investment confidence.   → Access experienced IT and data leadership and delivery capability on a flexible basis through a virtual CIO or CDO model.   → Design and deliver pragmatic, agile, technology, data and change initiatives that enable measurable value creation.   → Plan for exit from Day 1, ensuring value creation can be clearly demonstrated and maximised when the time comes. Built on clarity, pragmatism and agility, our collaboration is about working alongside PE-backed mid-cap businesses to diagnose, design, and deliver solutions in a way that suits their specific environment. By combining flexible leadership from both Alirity and Engaging MCS, we help organisations navigate change at the right pace and overcome the unique challenges of PE-backed environments to achieve their value creation goals. Nigel Williams, Founder and Managing Director from Engaging MCS, reflects: “Having dealt with the team at Alirity over several years, I know that Alirity are an ideal partner for dynamic portfolio companies. They appreciate the unique challenges that IT leaders of PE-backed mid-cap companies face and bring a flexible, agile approach, providing just the right level of technology capability to augment and amplify what’s available in-house, and adjusting as requirements evolve through delivery.” Jon Bray, Director at Alirity and Head of Strategic Projects and Partnerships, adds: “We are pleased to be working alongside Nigel and EMCS. Our combination of PE industry expertise, trusted advisory support for senior leadership, and flexible delivery capability will add meaningful value to ambitious clients in the PE sector.” We’ll be sharing more about this partnership and our joint work over the coming weeks.     If you’d like to learn more sooner, please visit our websites and connect with Jon or Nigel.  → https://lnkd.in/eqAE2ujF → https://engagingmcs.com/

M&A as the platform for growth and transformation: The rules for growth are being rewritten and the next decade will reward only those who can transform at speed, scale, and precision. Incremental change is no longer sufficient, and companies should adopt a modernized approach with speed, agility, and value at the core—this approach is Transformational M&A. https://lnkd.in/gt_JQG-h

Private equity is rewriting the rules of due diligence. The old playbook built on financial modeling and leverage is giving way to something far more powerful: operational due diligence. Today’s most competitive PE firms are asking new questions before they close a deal. - How scalable is this business model? - Is the leadership team ready to drive transformation? - What’s the company’s digital maturity and data capability? By bringing portfolio operations leaders and operating partners into diligence earlier, firms are identifying transformation opportunities long before closing—and accelerating value creation from day one. At Esse Ki, LLC, we see this shift up close. The firms that will win the next decade are the ones integrating leadership, technology, and operational strategy into their diligence process. The differentiator isn’t capital anymore, it’s capability. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gHp2detY #PrivateEquity #OperationalExcellence #DueDiligence #PortfolioOperations #ExecutiveSearch #ValueCreation #EsseKi

🌊🚨 AI ACQUISITION FEVER = EXIT OPPORTUNITY? 🚨🌊 Big Tech is spending $100B+ chasing the next AI breakthrough, but here’s what’s wild: this tidal wave is creating surprise exit doors for traditional businesses! M&A deal flow just hit 7,700 transactions (PwC), and even old-school sectors: manufacturing, consumer brands, oil & gas: now field calls from data-hungry buyers and private equity. At Capital Connect, our recent partnership with Sowell Management means extra muscle to help owners ride this AI-driven M&A surge. If you’re a business owner considering your next move, now’s your chance. Don’t wait for the market to cool off! Ready to make your legacy move? Let’s talk. #CapitalConnect #MandA #AITrends #BusinessExit #CapCon #SowellManagement #DealFlow #LegacyBuilder Sources: PwC, EY, StartupHub.ai

PE value creation is shifting from bold strategy to flawless execution. The real edge now lies in how well you deliver. The 2025 Simon-Kucher Value Creation Study shows a clear shift in how PE firms are creating impact. Operational improvements now take center stage, with execution quality overtaking strategy as the biggest differentiator. What drives top-performing firms:  - Prioritizing operational excellence and pricing discipline  - Leveraging GenAI and digital to accelerate impact  - Turning strategy into measurable results through tighter execution cycles Today, the most successful investors are not just setting smart strategies, they are mastering the art of follow-through. For private equity investments, strategy sets the direction, but execution delivers the value. The winners are those who focus on and do both with precision, from pre-deal commercial due diligence to post-deal value creation. Download the 2025 Value Creation Study to explore how leading firms are redefining the playbook for PE performance: skp.link/koa7 #SimonKucher #PrivateEquity #M&A #ValueCreation #CDD

Investor-backed companies don’t just move faster — they outperform. Nearly half (46%) of PE-backed TMT companies meet or beat value creation goals. That’s not luck. It’s repeatable discipline: define ownership, cut stalled bets early and act with speed. Want to know what they're doing differently? See why investor discipline works: https://pwc.to/43bfojF

Raising capital. Planning for an M&A. Preparing for a shareholder meeting. Or simply aligning your team around the next growth milestone. In the fast-moving world of SaaS and Enterprise Software, company valuation is not a one-time event. It is a strategic asset. And if you are scaling with a strong CAGR forecast, you know how critical it is to anchor decisions on clear, data-backed insights. We see this every day at ToTheTop. Whether you're a Founder, CFO or Head of RevOps, understanding your company’s worth is no longer just about pleasing investors during an investment pitch. It's about identifying the KPIs that truly move the needle, realigning your narrative with your valuation drivers, and making decisions that protect and unlock value. What’s different about valuation in horizontal B2B software (CRM, ERP, HRIS, ITSM)? For one, the metrics matter. A 30% YoY growth in Net Revenue Retention can impact your valuation more than doubling ARR. CAC efficiency, customer cohorts, payback period and gross margin expansion all reshape your strategic conversation. At ToTheTop, we’ve built valuation services around what today’s decision-makers need: Expert-led, AI-enhanced valuation frameworks that deliver investor-grade clarity and credibility. From strategy to execution, we help companies translate operational data into robust valuation reports that speak to board members, financial institutions, shareholders and buyers alike. Our track record in SaaS and Enterprise Software speaks for itself. We’ve supported dozens of companies with strong growth trajectories in Europe and the US, delivering the valuation clarity they needed to close funding rounds, prepare exits, or simply plan with confidence. Company valuation is not a checkbox. It anchors ambition in reality and lets you step into every investor conversation with confidence. If this topic resonates with your momentum, let's exchange about it! #ToTheTop #GrowthStrategy #SaaS #ARR #CFO #BusinessValuation #InvestmentReady #CEO

Raising funds, preparing for M&A, planning an exit... Whatever your strategic goal, one element makes the difference between a compelling story and a missed opportunity: a solid long-range plan. In the high-growth world of SaaS and enterprise software, investors are not just looking at your ARR today. They want visibility on your next 5 to 10 years. They need to see how your business model scales, how metrics evolve, and how external drivers impact your trajectory. Too often, companies approach fundraising or strategic deals with short-term financials and vague narratives. That’s a risk. In today’s competitive environment, investor confidence is built on clarity, consistency, and credible forecasting. At ToTheTop, we work with CEOs, CFOs, and RevOps leaders to structure expert-led long-range plans, supported by AI-enhanced forecasting frameworks. Our mission: to help you align your execution with your ambition. This means: - Building investor-ready financials backed by robust market research - Stress-testing your valuation assumptions with scenario planning - Translating long-term strategy into metrics that stand investor scrutiny Whether you're about to raise a growth round, enter an M&A process, or prepare your exit roadmap, the quality of your forward-looking story is key. And the earlier you start, the better the results. We’ve done this with multiple SaaS companies, across Europe and the US, and helped them secure strong valuations by delivering structured, data-backed narratives aligned with investor expectations. If this topic resonates with your momentum, let's exchange about it! #ToTheTop #Valuation #Collaboration #VerticalSaaS #HeadOfRevOps #InvestorReadiness #KPI #CEO

In today’s dynamic business landscape, capital strategy is no longer just about access — it’s about agility. Rising interest rates, shifting investor sentiment, and accelerating technological change are reshaping how businesses fund growth and manage risk. Companies that thrive in this environment are those that align financial structure with strategic purpose — using data, foresight, and disciplined execution to stay ahead. At Arventis Advisory, we’re seeing a growing focus on: 🔹 Capital efficiency — optimizing debt and equity mix for resilience. 🔹 Transaction readiness — building value through transparency and governance. 🔹 Strategic partnerships — unlocking capital through alliances and co-investments. Corporate finance is no longer confined to balance sheets — it’s a strategic enabler of transformation.