An earnout can look like a fair way to bridge a valuation gap. Then the business misses its targets because the acquired platform cannot support the growth plan. That is the danger in tech debt acquisitions. In mergers and acquisitions, technical debt can undermine the growth plan. Parties may agree on targets before agreeing on […]
Tech Debt Acquisitions: The Earnout Problem Read More »
Your earnings can look strong on paper and still rest on software, vendors, and people a buyer can’t count on after close. A quality of earnings review focused only on historical results can miss technology-dependent costs. That blind spot is where purchase price reductions often begin. If you’re selling, raising capital, or acquiring a technology-dependent
Quality of Earnings Now Includes Technology Risk Read More »
A deal can look financially attractive until you examine the systems that keep the business running. Cyber threats can turn weak access controls and untested backups into expensive post-close problems. Aging platforms and undisclosed incidents can increase cyber risk, driving remediation costs and lost operating capacity. Cybersecurity due diligence helps you evaluate a transaction in
Cybersecurity Due Diligence Red Flags That Cut Price Read More »
A target can look attractive on paper during mergers and acquisitions, but hidden technology problems can threaten revenue, post-close value, and the integration plan, making buy side due diligence essential. A buy side technology due diligence checklist helps you test whether the systems, people, vendors, data, security controls, and technology costs support the investment thesis.
Buy-Side Technology Due Diligence: What Kills Deals Read More »
Trust Debt M&A: What Acquirers See First A deal can look healthy until the buyer starts asking for evidence. That is where trust debt M&A becomes expensive. Trust debt is the gap between what leadership says about technology and what the systems, contracts, reports, and operating habits can prove. Acquirers don’t expect perfection. They do
Trust Debt M&A: What Acquirers See First Read More »
In high-stakes M&A transactions, a deal can look sound on paper and still hand you a technology problem that drains cash, delays integration, and weakens the value you thought you bought. For buy-side deal teams and executives, technology due diligence gives you a clearer view before money changes hands. It tests whether the target’s systems,
Technology Due Diligence Before an Acquisition: What Leaders Need to Know Read More »
A key technology vendor getting acquired can look like somebody else’s business news. It isn’t. If that vendor runs your critical infrastructure technology, such as your CRM, ERP, payroll, data platform, security tools, or customer-facing systems, the deal can change your cost, risk, roadmap, and operating options fast. You don’t need to panic or start
When Your Technology Vendor Is Acquired: A CEO Playbook Read More »
The first budget surprise in a deal is usually not the purchase price. It is the cleanup that follows. If you wait until after the letter of intent, you are often negotiating with the clock against you. Skipping thorough IT due diligence early in the process creates blind spots that threaten your total deal value.
How to Negotiate Acquisition Integration Costs in the LOI Read More »
In the fast-paced world of M&A transactions, a mid-market deal rarely falls apart because of one ugly system. Instead, these acquisitions typically collapse because the buyer identifies a pattern they do not trust. That pattern emerges quickly during the evaluation phase. Weak ownership, messy reporting, rising cyber exposure, and heavy vendor dependence all tell the
Technology Due Diligence Red Flags That Kill Mid-Market Deals Read More »
The deal model says you're buying growth, capability, and strategic advantage. The uneasy part is that a large share of that value may sit inside systems your team hasn't really inspected yet. That's where CEOs get trapped. The strategy is clear. The revenue story is attractive. The sellers sound confident. But underneath the pitch, you're
Technology Assessment for Acquisition: A CEO’s Playbook Read More »
