The Tech M&A Podcast

Corum Group

The Tech M&A Podcast pulls from the best of the Tech M&A Monthly webcast, hosted by Corum Group, the global leader in technology mergers and acquisitions. The podcast features special reports on sectors, buyers, trends and M&A processes, as well as panel discussions and interviews featuring both recent sellers and major tech buyers like Google, Microsoft, Salesforce and others.

  1. Episode 100: Inside the Deal with Seth Freedman

    2H AGO

    Episode 100: Inside the Deal with Seth Freedman

    In this episode of the Tech M&A Podcast, we chat with Seth Freedman, founder of Intelligent Observation, to explore the realities of building, scaling, and ultimately exiting a venture-backed software business. Over a six-year period, Seth grew the company from startup to acquisition, navigating the pressures of institutional capital and the strategic decisions that come with sustained growth. Seth shares how a timely outreach from Corum initiated his M&A journey and walks through the board-level decision between raising additional capital versus pursuing a sale. He offers candid insight into the emotional transition founders experience post-exit, the demands of running a company while selling it, and how a strategic "hiatus" period allowed Intelligent Observation to strengthen key metrics—particularly churn—before returning to market with a stronger position and a clearer value story. Takeaways Exits are a strategic fork in the road: For VC-backed companies, selling is often weighed directly against raising more capital and scaling further. Timing and positioning matter: Going to market before the business is fully prepared can limit outcomes—and knowing when to pause can create leverage. A hiatus can add real value: Stepping back to address how churn and sustaining growth can significantly improve buyer confidence and valuation. Selling while operating is demanding: Founders must balance diligence, negotiations, and day-to-day leadership at the same time. Expect the personal transition: The emotional shift after an exit often begins once the deal is done, not before. Timestamps 00:00 – Pre-roll and setup: audio, video, and resetting the take 01:09 – Introducing Seth Freedman and Intelligent Observation 02:04 – How Seth first learned about Corum and why the timing mattered 02:39 – The VC-backed fork in the road: raise more capital or pursue M&A 03:11 – Life after the sale: the founder transition after the excitement fades 03:52 – Lessons learned building and exiting a startup 04:39 – Advice for CEOs selling their company 05:21 – What's next: taking time before the next challenge 05:53 – The first attempt to sell and why it didn't close 06:52 – Using a one-year hiatus to fix churn, strengthen metrics, and return to market

    9 min
  2. Episode 99: Q1 2026 Tech M&A Market Research Report

    2D AGO

    Episode 99: Q1 2026 Tech M&A Market Research Report

    The Tech M&A Podcast

    16 min
  3. Episode 98: 12 Steps to Survive Due Diligence

    2D AGO

    Episode 98: 12 Steps to Survive Due Diligence

    Due diligence has become tougher, deeper, and more demanding than ever before—especially in today's fast‑paced tech M&A and private equity environment. Buyers now apply higher standards, deploy specialized diligence teams, and scrutinize every aspect of your business.   In this special report, we walk through 12 critical steps every CEO must take to survive due diligence—and protect deal value. From preparing your data room and managing disclosures to controlling working capital and hiring the right advisors, this video outlines the real‑world land mines that derail deals and how experienced sellers avoid them.   Whether you're actively pursuing an exit or planning ahead, these best practices will help you meet buyer expectations, maintain leverage, and get through diligence with confidence.   Key Takeaways -Due diligence today is not just document review—it's a full‑company stress test -Private equity firms now set the gold standard for diligence expectations -Preparation before LOI dramatically improves outcomes and leverage -Poor timing of disclosures can erode trust and kill deals -Working capital surprises are one of the most common last‑minute deal breakers -Strong advisors and intermediaries can be the difference between closing—or collapsing—a deal   Chapters 00:00 Why Due Diligence Is Harder Than Ever 01:30 Step 1: Understand the Buyer's Due Diligence Checklist 01:58 Step 2: Prepare Your Data Room in Advance 02:43 Step 3: Fix Accounting Issues Before Due Diligence 03:03 Step 4: Control the Timing of Disclosures 03:37 Step 5: Run Parallel Due Diligence and Contract Processes 04:08 Step 6: Get a Draft Agreement Early 04:43 Step 7: Appoint a Due Diligence Coordinator 05:03 Step 8: Inform Only Key Employees 05:28 Step 9: Watch Working Capital Closely 06:02 Step 10: Use Your Accountants Effectively 06:22 Step 11: Hire Experienced Tech M&A Legal Advisors 06:52 Step 12: Choose the Right M&A Intermediary 07:16 Why Experience Matters Most in the Final Mile of Diligence

    9 min

  4. 2D AGO

    Episode 97: Sell For Free Fallout

    What really happens when you try to sell a software company for free?   In this CEO's Desk episode, Corum Group addresses the unexpected fallout from launching First Look—a new tech M&A program designed to help owners sell for free by giving software and IT companies early exposure to qualified buyers.   While First Look attracted the right audience of smaller sellers, the promise of a free exit also triggered a surge of long‑waiting founders—many with established companies—who had delayed action for years hoping their software company exit would simply "happen."   Drawing on decades of experience advising founders through successful business exit strategies, this video explains why selling a tech company requires proactive positioning, competitive pressure, and broad buyer exposure—and why waiting for free often leads to undervalued outcomes.   If you're considering selling a software company, evaluating your exit timing, or navigating today's M&A advisory landscape, this candid discussion offers critical insight into why the best exits are planned, not discovered—and why now may be the strongest market to sell.   Key Takeaways "Free" is powerful—but dangerous. It often pulls sellers into fast, undervalued deals.\ Companies are sold, not discovered. Passive waiting rarely produces optimal outcomes. Early, broad buyer exposure matters. A single offer is not a real market. Many founders wait too long. By the time they act, the market window may already be closing. The best exits come from preparation. Global search processes consistently outperform opportunistic offers. Right now, is an unusually strong market for selling quality software and IT businesses.   Chapters 0:26 – Overwhelming Response from Sellers and Buyers Why demand exceeded expectations—and not just from small companies. 0:45 – The Unexpected Fallout Begins Why Corum had to hit pause after launch. 1:24 – The Myth: "Companies Are Bought, Not Sold" Why waiting for discovery is a costly mistake. 3:22 – Why Founders Cave to 'Free' Speed, convenience, and the emotional pull of no commissions. 4:03 – Why First Look Was Created Helping companies who aren't ready—or right—for a full global search. 4:26 – First Look vs. a Global Partner Search Who First Look is for—and who should not use it. 4:57 – Final Warning: Don't Miss the Window Why this may be the best market founders will see to sell their tech company.

    6 min

  5. MAR 24

    Episode 96: Inside the Deal with Brian Allen

    In this episode of the Tech M&A Podcast, we sit down with Brian Allen, former Managing Director and Chief Executive of Certus Solutions. Over the course of two decades, Brian grew Certus into a leading IBM-focused software and services provider in Australia and New Zealand, specializing in enterprise asset management. This journey culminated in a successful strategic sale to Egis, following a long-planned liquidity event for the company's shareholders. Brian discusses his decade-long relationship with Corum Group, which began during a prior M&A process, and explains why he chose to re-engage professional advisors for the Certus exit. He shares candid insights into managing a complex transaction that included a strategic "hiatus" period, the importance of maintaining competitive tension during negotiations, and his advice for CEOs navigating their first or second sale. This episode offers a masterclass in long-term value creation and the discipline required to execute a high-stakes liquidity event. Takeaways     Plan for the long term: Successful exits are often the result of years of preparation to ensure maximum shareholder value.     Specialization is key: Deep expertise in a specific ecosystem, such as IBM technologies, can position a firm as a dominant regional player.     Maintain leverage: Using a "hiatus" or pause in a deal can be a strategic tool to reset expectations and ensure competitive tension.     Professional representation matters: Engaging experienced advisors is critical when negotiating with large institutional buyers and global entities.     Focus on the "Why": Understanding the specific timing for a liquidity event helps align the interests of all shareholders and stakeholders. Timestamps     00:11 – Introducing Brian Allen and the growth of Certus Solutions     01:22 – A ten-year history: First learning about Corum Group via Zcom     01:55 – Navigating the 15-year journey toward a liquidity event     03:40 – Scaling as a premier IBM partner in Australia and New Zealand     06:15 – Why Certus chose professional M&A representation for this exit     08:30 – Life after the deal: Advising Egis and future plans     09:30 – Navigating the transaction "hiatus" and its impact on the deal     10:07 – Creating competitive tension to protect deal terms     10:21 – How the hiatus ultimately benefited the final outcome     10:27 – Final thoughts and wrap-up

    11 min

  6. MAR 18

    Episode 95: CEOs Who Sold Their Companies Share Real M&A Lessons | 2026 Sellers Panel

    Selling a company is one of the most complex—and emotional—transactions a founder will ever face.   In this 2026 Annual Sellers Panel, CEOs who successfully built and sold their companies share real‑world insights from inside the M&A process. From global deal dynamics and valuation expectations to earnouts, advisor selection, partner alignment, and emotional resilience, this panel offers candid lessons every founder should hear before going to market.   The discussion highlights what surprised sellers most, where preparation mattered, and why having experienced advisors, aligned partners, and clean financial reporting can make or break an outcome.   If you're a tech founder or CEO thinking about an exit—now or in the future—this panel delivers practical, experience‑driven advice from those who've already been through it.   Corum is the world's leading educator on tech trends, valuations, growth strategies and Tech M&A. If you are a Tech CEO/founder and would like to  learn to prepare, position, research, value, negotiate and execute due diligence for maximum price and optimal structure in an M&A transaction, attend one of our upcoming events. Visit corumgroup.com/events for a full global event schedule.     Takeaways Tech M&A is truly global, with buyers and sellers spanning multiple continents A company is ultimately worth what the market is willing to pay, not expectations Valuation discussions require research and realism Earnouts and post‑close roles must be clearly defined upfront Partner alignment and transparency are critical during negotiations Strong preparation of financials reduces pressure during due diligence Experienced M&A advisors help smooth negotiations and protect value Once committed to an exit, founders should make every decision around building value   Chapters   01:42 – What was your process for selecting an advisor 04:54 – What was your motivation for going through the M&A process? 07:39 – During the M&A process, what surprises did you encounter along the way? 11:53 – What advice would you give to CEOs selling their company?

    15 min

  7. MAR 18

    Episode 94: Tech M&A in February 2026: Deal Volume, Valuations & Mega Deal Trends Explained

    February 2026 was an active month for technology mergers and acquisitions, with 394 tech M&A transactions, including five billion‑dollar mega deals and a top disclosed transaction valued at $9.9 billion.   In this market update, we break down the latest tech M&A data from the Corum Index, including deal volume, valuation multiples, private equity activity, cross‑border trends, and sector‑level performance across horizontal, vertical, infrastructure, gaming, IT services, healthcare, AI, cybersecurity, and supply chain management.   You'll hear where valuations are expanding, which subsectors are commanding premium multiples, and how strategic buyers, private equity firms, and non‑tech acquirers are shaping today's deal landscape. If you're a founder, CEO, investor, or corporate development leader, this report offers practical insight into exit timing, buyer demand, and market momentum.   Takeaways February 2026 recorded 394 tech M&A deals, including five $1B+ mega transactions Private equity acquired 23 platform companies; VC‑backed exits totaled 105 35% of deals were cross‑border, highlighting strong global buyer demand Startups represented 45% of all transactions, with an average target age of 12 years The horizontal sector continues to lead in total deal volume and value Supply Chain Management (SCM) delivered the highest revenue and EBITDA multiples Healthcare, education software, AI, cybersecurity, gaming, and infrastructure saw robust activity Strategic buyers increasingly pursued AI capabilities, data platforms, and sector‑specific software Valuation multiples varied widely by subsector—underscoring the importance of positioning and timing   Chapters 00:13 – Mega Deals and Market Scale 00:24 – Private Equity, VC Exits & Cross‑Border 00:47 – Vertical vs Horizontal Sector Performance 04:22 – IT Services Valuation Trends (Developed & Emerging Markets) 06:15 – Consumer Sector Deals 09:06 – Infrastructure Sector Valuations

    12 min

  8. MAR 18

    Episode 93: 5 Costly Tech M&A Myths That Kill Founder Value (And How to Avoid Them)

    After 40 years advising technology founders on mergers and acquisitions, one thing is clear: old myths about selling a tech company refuse to die—and they cost founders millions.   In this video, a veteran tech M&A advisor breaks down five dangerous myths that still derail otherwise great exits. From the belief that "companies are bought, not sold," to the risks of amateur buyer outreach and flawed bid timelines, this discussion explains why preparation, process, and professional execution matter more than ever.   If you're a tech founder, CEO, or shareholder thinking about an exit, recapitalization, or strategic sale, this video explains how to avoid undervaluation, missed markets, and broken deal dynamics—and how to position your company for the best price, structure, and outcome.   Takeaways Companies are sold, not magically bought—waiting rarely produces premium outcomes "Soft" signals to buyers don't work; credible market engagement does Serial buyer outreach weakens leverage—competitive tension drives valuation Rigid bid timelines often backfire in today's regulatory environment Amateur outreach burns bridges and reduces optionality The best exits are driven by experienced deal professionals, not luck Optimal outcomes require focus on price, structure, tax efficiency, liabilities, and post‑deal terms   Chapters 00:18 – Myth #1: Companies Are Bought, Not Sold 00:43 – Myth #2: Soft Overtures to Buyers Work 01:02 – Myth #3: The Serial Buyer Approach 01:22 – Myth #4: Beware of Bid Timelines 01:47 – Myth #5: Amateur Buyer 02:15 – What Actually Drives Optimal Exit Outcomes

    4 min
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Ratings & Reviews

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About

The Tech M&A Podcast pulls from the best of the Tech M&A Monthly webcast, hosted by Corum Group, the global leader in technology mergers and acquisitions. The podcast features special reports on sectors, buyers, trends and M&A processes, as well as panel discussions and interviews featuring both recent sellers and major tech buyers like Google, Microsoft, Salesforce and others.

Information

  • Creator
    Corum Group
  • Years Active
    2012 - 2026
  • Episodes
    99
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 Corum Group Ltd.
  • Show Website
    The Tech M&A Podcast

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