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Will my business be the next Unicorn?
Introduction The IT market has spawned some hugely successful businesses such as Facebook, Uber, Snapchat, and LinkedIn. With the memory of the last recession now fast fading IT is once again centre stage with investors keen to find the next success story. There are more start-ups being launched every year and more investment being made available. Company valuations are also on the rise with more than 30 technology companies in Europe now worth more than $1bn (£590m). Europe actually compares well to the US, which produced 39 billion-dollar companies between 2003 and 2013. These high growth startups are being referred to, as “Unicorns” as they are extremely rare! The 30…
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Time to sell/invest
Introduction Perhaps you have spent the last few years working hard to build your business and are now looking to sell it to relax and spend some quality time with the family. Alternatively you might be looking to attract some investment to support an expansion, acquisition or diversification. Whatever the reason you will need to determine the present and projected future values for your business. Historically the calculation was a fairy straightforward one based on turnover, costs and projected growth but today there are a number of ways to come to a value. Regardless of the mechanism adopted it still holds broadly true that any business is worth is precisely…
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Investors & Data Rooms
Introduction Were enjoying a period of expanding markets and high levels of corporate activity with many companies looking to take-on investment and acquire other businesses. In almost all case the first step will be a Due Diligence (DD) exercise to re-assure the investor that their money will be wisely invested and spent. DD exercises are highly demanding and it makes sense to be as prepared as possible in advance. This article provides an overview of the market, the approach to DD and the types of data you will need to consider. A few numbers… First a few statistics to set the scene: Global merger and acquisition activity hit $3.5 trillion…
