Mergers & Acquisitions

Merger & Acquisition Advisory & Support

Venture First provides highly tailored advisory and support services for companies and funds preparing for both buy-side and sell-side transactions.  Our professionals and principals have completed over $3 billion in transactions across multiple industry verticals with particular specialties in technology- and data-driven companies.  Though most transaction professionals use generic overly simplistic packaging to frame a transaction, followed by a “spray and pray” approach to outreach, Venture First prides itself on crafting a more nuanced vision and narrative for an opportunity, paired with a more focused “surgical strike” approach.  We believe the results are better for both buyers and sellers, optimizing success for both while reducing disruption during the process.

Sell-Side M&A

Venture First advises clients on asset sales and provides in-depth transaction support for equity sales.  During these processes, we leverage a combination of skillsets throughout our team to optimize results, maintain company performance, reduce management distraction, augment the process with data and insights, and move swiftly towards closing.  By preparing thoroughly ahead of a transaction, our team is often able to anticipate issues or concerns proactively and provide guidance to management to mitigate them ahead of time.  Every transaction is different, though key components of our process often include:

• Comprehensive review of operating conditions, management team, corporate strategy, differentiators, and growth prospects.

• Clear and achievable improvement strategies to maximize valuation

• Development of an institutional-grade deck

• Creation or augmentation of an in-depth financial model

• Curation of a highly focused acquiror target list

• Build-out of an anticipatory data room

• Market research and competitive analysis

• Valuation and private transaction comparables

• Introduction to banking relationships

• Limited document review by general counsel and transaction professionals

• Board and investor materials and communication to accompany process

• Ongoing timely diligence support

• Weekly management calls and streamlined communication

Buy-Side M&A

Venture First helps funds, companies and entrepreneurs make key acquisitions through thoughtful partnership.  Every buy-side process is unique and requires thorough understanding of the client and long-term objective resulting from the deal.  By working diligently to understand end goals at the beginning of the process, VF works hard to customize a process and deal structure that optimizes the chances for success.  Some key aspects of buy-side transaction advisory and support typically include:

• Front-end consulting to understand strategy and differentiators for both target and host companies and their teams

• Creation or augmentation of an in-depth financial model

• Curation of a highly focused outreach list if target is unknown

• Build-out of transaction data room for use by all parties

• Market research and competitive analysis

• Valuation and private transaction comparables

• Introduction to banking relationships

• Limited document review by general counsel and transaction professionals

• Board and investor materials and communication to accompany process

• Ongoing timely diligence support

• Weekly management calls and streamlined communication

• Post-acquisition integration consulting via Venture First or through partnerships