Private equity deal volume doesn’t move in a straight line. It moves in cycles. Boom periods are followed by pullbacks. Capital floods into the market, then pauses. Valuations expand, compress, and expand again. If you’re …
If you’re a founder who has built a company from scratch, you’ve likely noticed something over the past decade. Private equity firms aren’t just chasing large corporate carve-outs anymore. They’re calling founders directly. Lower middle …
Over the past decade, one of the most significant shifts in the lower middle market has been the rise of independent sponsors. If you’re a founder building a company in the $3–$20 million EBITDA range, …
When multiple private equity firms express interest in acquiring your company, it feels like the ideal position to be in. Competitive tension.Leverage.Optionality. And while all of those are advantages, they also introduce complexity. The biggest …
Earnouts are one of the most misunderstood components of private equity deals. On paper, they look simple: hit certain performance targets, receive additional compensation. In practice, they are nuanced, risk-sensitive, and deeply influenced by post-close …
When you sell to private equity, your board stops being symbolic. It becomes operational. For many founder-led companies, the board before a transaction is informal, advisory, or lightly engaged. After a PE deal, governance becomes …
One of the biggest misconceptions about selling to private equity is that founders walk away. In many cases, they don’t. In fact, private equity firms often prefer that founders stay on—at least for a period …
When founders think about selling to private equity, they usually picture the deal team. The partners.The principals.The investment committee. What many don’t anticipate is the portfolio operations team. If you stay involved after closing, chances …
The first time a private equity term sheet lands in your inbox, it feels like progress. It’s validation. Momentum. A tangible step toward liquidity. But a term sheet is not a finish line. It’s the …
When founders think about selling to private equity, most focus on one number: Purchase price. But compensation in a PE deal is rarely that simple. Private equity transactions are structured. Layered. Incentive-driven. They’re designed to …