Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on Youtube.
Timestamps
0:00 Opening: VC vs. M&A valuation mindset differences
0:26 Honesty about why you're selling matters; "It's amazing" isn't enough
0:51 Deal breakers preview: IP ownership, messy cap tables, data security
1:18 Intro: Welcome to Sidekick
2:00 Round of intros: Carly (Multiverse), Hannes (Seven Education), Sam (CMS)
3:30 Market gap: well-integrated companies get high multiples, niche ones drop
4:44 Deal volume: big transactions and small ones, middle is thinning out
5:20 What does an M&A process look like from start to finish?
6:53 Timeline: LOI to deal signing typically takes 3–4 months
8:02 How do buyers actually value your company? (EBITDA vs. ARR multiples)
11:40 Red flags and deal breakers: IP ownership, messy cap tables, data security
13:54 Earn-outs discussion: problems and alternatives (equity rollover)
15:32 Creating buyer competition when one buyer demands exclusivity
31:57 Closing summary: three key takeaways from Carly, Hannes and Sam
What actually happens when someone wants to buy your company?
Following our M&A report published last week, we recorded live at the Brighteye Founder Summit in London a conversation about how M&A really works with Carly Becker (Chief of Staff and Strategic Projects - M&A) from Multiverse, Hannes Aichmayr (Director of M&A and Corporate Development) from Seven Education and Sam Pout from CMS.
How do buyers decide what your company is worth? What can kill a deal during due diligence? How do you create competition between buyers? And what should founders be doing years before they actually want to sell?
They unpack the gap between VC and M&A valuations, earn-outs, exclusivity, what buyers are looking for in the age of AI, and the mistakes that can leave money on the table. A practical M&A reality check for founders and investors.
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