Software M&A Blog

2017 Top 10 Disruptive Tech Trends: Visual Intelligence Systems Visual Intelligence lies at the intersection of three multi-industry disrupting trends - artificial intelligence, computer vision and analytics. Just last month, Intel confirmed taking a 15 percent stake in HERE, the mapping and location services company owned by a consortium of car manufacturers,... Click here to read more Posted by Daniel Bernstein, Executive Vice President on 21 February 2017	2017 Top 10 Disruptive Tech Trends: IoT Software As tech M&A bulls ahead in 2017, the complex Internet of Things ecosphere continues to coalesce. While more players are still emerging, networks of alliances are forming to achieve more unified environments, providing accelerated growth opportunities for the IoT software community. In... Click here to read more Posted by Rob Schram, Executive Vice President on 15 February 2017
You Only Get One Chance with Buyers: Are You Ready? We're in the midst of the hottest tech M&A market ever. Top buyers see 300-500 opportunities every month. They will give you a chance, but only once. Don't blow it. Here are 13 questions to ask yourself before beginning any discussions with a buyer: 1. Preparation - Are you prepared for... Click here to read more Posted by Bruce Milne, CEO on 13 February 2017	2017 Top 10 Disruptive Tech Trends: AI Enablement We separated this year’s disruptive tech trends into two categories: Core – deep tech that is the basis of a lot of the disruption – and Contour – the implications and applications of those Core technologies. Leading the former group is AI Enablement. AIs need data, ways to acquire that data, and... Click here to read more Posted by Allan Wilson, Senior Vice President on 3 February 2017
Negotiation Tip: Don't Hide Known Issues As the seller of a tech company, you must prepare the negotiation battlefield to your advantage. Negotiating, whenever possible, should be conducted from a position of strength. The strength of your position is pre-determined by identifying your weaknesses and eradicating them. As Peri mentioned in... Click here to read more Posted by Peter Prince, Senior Vice President on 20 December 2016	Negotiation Tip: Determine your Position Beforehand One important prerequisite to consistent messaging is determining your position long before the conversations with buyers get under way. This is important for a couple of reasons. Firstly, in most situations there are multiple shareholders and often there are differing viewpoints regarding... Click here to read more Posted by Peri Pierone, Vice President on 7 December 2016
Negotiation Tip: Don't Imply Assent When negotiating the sale of your company, remember that it is precisely that: a negotiation. Upon receipt of an LOI that’s within range of your expectations, it’s important to get on the phone with the buyer to review the T&Cs. Your goal is to understand the term sheet and set a positive tone... Click here to read more Posted by Rob Schram, Executive Vice President on 25 October 2016	Negotiation Tip: Choosing the Right Attorney M&A law is a discipline unto itself. There are firms that dabble, and then there are the experts. Experts understand the intricate dance between buyer and seller that occurs during the negotiation and beyond. They know which “asks” are straw men, when to fold, and when to dig in their heels and... Click here to read more Posted by Ivan Ruzic, Senior Vice President on 21 October 2016
Negotiation Tip: Avoid Falling Victim to Serial Negotiations Negotiating a deal for your company demands great attention and precision. One of the most effective negotiating ploys by buyers is serial negotiations. After an LOI is signed, some buyers present issues individually, and you as the seller are pushed to reach a solution on each one before moving on... Click here to read more Posted by Jim Perkins, Executive Vice President on 19 October 2016	The Tech M&A Impact of Brexit Brexit came and went, and the buildup was bordering on manic in all aspects of the media; so what was the fuss really all about and how have things really changed? The buildup saw both sides of the debate positioning, counter-positioning and laying out the scare mongering statements and tactics to... Click here to read more Posted by Peter Prince, Senior Vice President on 14 October 2016
Keeping Up with (and ahead of) the Artificial Intelligence Surge Not only has Artificial Intelligence (AI) been a hot topic over the past few years, but it has also driven a large number of acquisitions. AI is a broad term that is applied to machines being able to mimic (or surpass) many human-like capabilities. These include learning, reasoning, planning,... Click here to read more Posted by Ivan Ruzic, Senior Vice President on 11 October 2016	Just When You Thought You Were Safe! Perhaps the most welcome phone call you can get as a CEO is the one that asks you if you are interested in selling your company. This is the realization of years of hard work, dedication and potentially financial independence. You slowly engage with the potential buyer and so excited are you that... Click here to read more Posted by Peter Prince, Senior Vice President on 6 October 2016
Top 10 Tech Trends: Data Security When you hear “data breach” or “computer hack”, you instantly think of a desktop PC or server room being the target, right? In today’s tech-savvy world, there are hundreds more products that are susceptible to such instances. With so many advancements to make vehicles, mobile devices, TVs and home... Click here to read more Posted by Jon Scott, Chairman on 4 October 2016	Top 10 Tech Trends: Enmeshed Systems As the lines between hardware and software continue to blur, enmeshed systems has solidified its place as a Top Tech Trend. Complex systems of enmeshed hardware and software enable many other leading trends and new tech, including the IoT, autonomous vehicles, connected health and more.... Click here to read more Posted by Steve Hassett, Vice President on 29 September 2016
Top 10 Tech Trends: IoT Software Take a look around – the technological juggernaut that is the Internet of Things is dominating the globe. We have smart factories, smart cars, smart appliances, smart TVs, smart watches; nearly every commodity has a “smart” version. As underscored by the Predix & Azure partnership announced... Click here to read more Posted by Rob Schram, Executive Vice President on 26 September 2016	Top Ten Tech Trends: Omni-channel Sales Technology is changing the consumer shopping experience in more ways than we could have imagined just a few years ago. Transactions are being made on the computer, over the phone, on mobile apps – chances are you’ve made a purchase through each of these channels already. For now, consumer brands... Click here to read more Posted by Daniel Bernstein, Executive Vice President on 20 September 2016
Misalignment: The Internal Deal Killer As a junior sales manager years ago, I was assigned to be a product specialist on a team charged with managing one of our biggest clients. In a planning meeting before an on-site visit to the client, I was tasked with the following: “Ensure the customer is completely comfortable with our product... Click here to read more Posted by Steve Jones, Corporate Vice President on 14 September 2016	Top 10 Tech Trends: Sports & Gaming Gaming is dominated by China, a $24B market with more mobile gamers than the US population. Cash-rich Chinese companies facing a consolidated market are looking west for growth opportunities, frequently through M&A. Cross-border transactions dot the recent landscape, some unusual. Leyou... Click here to read more Posted by Jim Perkins, Executive Vice President on 23 August 2016