An $18M offer. $13M cash at close. $5M tied to an earnout. That's $13M and a “maybe.” 💰 A bigger offer isn't always a better deal. Scott Mitchell of @SDRVentures explains why owners shouldn't count earnouts as guaranteed purchase price. Full article linked in comments 👇

1,326 active independent sponsors on the platform. 20 firms made the list. 🏆 Meet Axial’s Top 20 Independent Sponsors for 2026. Read about each featured firm. Link in comments 👇

From self-funded searchers to a $220M PE fund. After graduating from @HarvardHBS, Alex de Pfyffer & Ross Porter launched a self-funded search. Today, Heritage Holding has completed nearly 50 acquisitions across 12 active platforms. They share the journey on Masters in Small Business M&A - link in comments. #PrivateEquity #SearchFunds #MergersAndAcquisitions #HBS

3,047 deals came to market via Axial in Q1 2026. 🏭 Industrials led both volume and pursuit rate for the 3rd straight quarter. 🚚 Transportation up 20.65% YoY. 🛍️ Consumer Goods down 11.36%. Full breakdown in comments.

50 firms. One list. Our Top 50 Technology Investors & M&A Advisors of 2026 highlights the Axial members most active & sought after in tech M&A across the platform. See who made the cut 👇

Who’s Buying in the Lower Middle Market in 2026? Axial’s latest report breaks down the data behind today’s buyer landscape — who’s buying, what they’re targeting, and how behavior is shifting over time. Included in the report: 👥 The number of active Axial buyers 💰 Deal demand by EBITDA range & firm type 📈 Trends in new buyers joining the platform 📊 Average TEVs by firm type 🏆 Featured 2025 closed deals #MandA #PrivateCapital #DealFlow #BuyerTrends #BusinessAcquisitions

Why did deals die in 2025? Axial analyzed 75 executed LOIs that failed to close - here's what killed them: 🔍 25.3% - Non-QoE diligence issues 📊 21.3% - QoE EBITDA gaps 🔁 14.7% - Post-diligence renegotiation 🚪 13.3% - Seller withdrawal 💸 10.7% - Financing breakdowns #MandA #LOI #DueDiligence #LMM #DealData

🚀 New Winning LOI We’re breaking down the LOI for a tech company offering outsourced IT & cybersecurity services with $10M–$12M revenue & $750K–$1M EBITDA. 👇 💼 Deal Snapshot • Change of Control | $6M–$8M transaction value • 8.5x–9x EBITDA multiple • 79% cash, 10% rollover equity, 11% seller note • 88 days to executed LOI, 120 days to close • Private Equity buyer #MandA #LOI #TechDeals #Valuation

🎙️ New Episode: Masters in Small Business M&A Ep. #40 — Furniture Industry M&A with Bo Stump of Stump & Company. From domestic manufacturing ➡️ global sourcing ➡️ e-commerce, the furniture supply chain has transformed. Here’s how it impacts valuations, buyers & exits. 📺 Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/u_rP9VmZd3s?si=_Vdr… #InvestmentBanking #MergersAndAcquisitions #Podcast #SMB #Dealmakers