M&A Advisory Services for Startups & Growth Companies

M&A advisory — also called mergers and acquisitions consulting — covers strategic preparation: market analysis, CIM writing, financial modeling, valuation, and deal support. Investment banks focus on running the deal process (sourcing buyers, managing auctions, negotiating term sheets) and typically require $50M+ deal sizes with 2-5% success fees. Most M&A advisory firms sit somewhere between — we handle the preparation side that founders need before engaging a bank, or in place of one for mid-market transactions under $100M.

Full-stack M&A preparation: market and target analysis, CIM/information memorandum writing, pitch deck creation, financial modeling with deal structure scenarios (earnouts, escrow, working capital adjustments), independent valuation, data room preparation, and due diligence support. We work on both buy-side and sell-side transactions across all industries.

Our M&A advisory starts at $10K retainer. For context, most M&A advisory firms charge monthly retainers of $5,000-$25,000 plus success fees of 3-7% of enterprise value — a $10M deal might carry a 5-7% fee, while a $100M deal runs 2-4%. Traditional investment banks layer $50-200K retainers on top. We focus on preparation and materials at a fraction of that cost, with no success fee on the advisory itself.

Our M&A preparation takes 4-8 weeks for a complete package (CIM, financial model, valuation, data room) — significantly faster than the industry standard of 8-12 weeks for preparation alone. A full sell-side process from engagement to close typically runs 6-12 months: preparation (8-12 weeks), buyer outreach (4-6 weeks), LOI negotiation (4-6 weeks), and due diligence through closing (8-12 weeks). We've handled urgent timelines as fast as 2 weeks for clients with approaching deal deadlines. Ideally, engage an advisor 12-24 months before you intend to close.

We've worked across 414 industries in 64 countries. Our M&A experience spans technology (SaaS, fintech, deep tech), manufacturing (batteries, energy), real estate, healthcare, consumer goods, and e-commerce.

Both. On the sell-side, we prepare founders for exit — CIM, valuation scenarios, and data room. On the buy-side, we help companies identify targets, build the financial case, and prepare acquisition financing materials. This dual perspective means we know exactly what each side looks for.

A CIM is the definitive document that presents your company to potential buyers or investors in an M&A process. It covers company overview, financials, market analysis, competitive positioning, growth strategy, and management team. Learn more about our CIM writing services.

Incomplete data rooms. In our experience, 7 out of 10 founders underestimate what buyers or investors will ask for. Missing financial records, unclear cap table, or inconsistent metrics can delay a deal by months — or kill it entirely. We build comprehensive data room checklists based on what we've seen across 884 projects.

We focus primarily on pre-deal preparation — the materials, analysis, and positioning that get you to a signed LOI. For post-merger integration (systems, teams, operations), we can connect you with specialized integration consultants. Our role ends when the deal closes and the materials have served their purpose.

Start with deal size and stage. Most M&A advisory firms specialize — some focus on $100M+ enterprise deals, others on middle-market or startup transactions. For growth companies, look for a firm that understands cap tables, liquidation preferences, and venture-style deal structures. Key questions to ask any mergers and acquisitions consulting firm: How many transactions at your deal size? Do they build the CIM and financial model in-house? Can they show you actual deliverables from past deals? We publish real case studies with outcomes — most M&A advisory firms don't.

Most M&A valuations use a combination of methods. EBITDA multiples are the standard for profitable companies — the buyer applies a revenue multiple or EBITDA multiple based on comparable transactions in your industry. For pre-revenue or high-growth startups, we use DCF (discounted cash flow) and the VC Method instead. A strategic buyer (a company acquiring for synergies) typically pays a premium over a financial buyer (a PE fund acquiring for returns). We model both scenarios so you know your range before entering negotiations.

A quality of earnings (QoE) report is an independent financial analysis that verifies your reported EBITDA and revenue are real, recurring, and sustainable. Buyers commission QoE reports during due diligence to catch one-time revenue spikes, aggressive accounting, or costs that should be normalized. Having your own sell-side QoE prepared before the buyer's team starts digging gives you control of the narrative and speeds up the process significantly.

At minimum: 3 years of audited financials, tax returns, cap table, corporate documents (articles, bylaws, board minutes), material contracts, IP documentation, employee agreements, and any pending litigation. For tech companies, add technical architecture docs, security audits, and customer concentration analysis. We've built data rooms for 50+ M&A transactions — the checklist runs to 80+ items. Our due diligence checklist covers the full list organized by priority.

Big 4 firms excel at $100M+ deals with armies of analysts. We focus on startups and growth companies doing $5M-$100M transactions. Senior-level attention from day one, startup-native understanding of cap tables and liquidation preferences, and delivery in 4-8 weeks at a starting price of $10K.