Selling a Technology or Software Business?

The majority of live requirements in this sector come from trade acquirers, meaning established technology or services groups buying adjacent products, customers or engineering teams. The remainder are private equity houses building platforms, search fund buyers acquiring a single business to operate, and individual acquirers. The buyer type mix for this sector is shown in the demand figures above and is counted from current live requirements.

No. SaaS and subscription software attracts the largest share of registered demand, but there is separate live demand for cloud and hosting, cyber security, data and analytics, e-commerce technology, software development and engineering services, and specialist technology businesses. Each of those sub-sectors has its own page listing the current requirements.

Registered requirements in this sector concentrate on owner-managed and lower mid-market companies rather than early stage businesses. The turnover bands buyers have stated are set out in the figures above, and every individual requirement states its own range.

Not necessarily. Several requirements target businesses with turnover in the lower millions where the product, the customer base or the engineering team is the attraction. The honest test is whether the revenue is durable and whether the business can run without you, rather than the headline size.

Interest spans subscription software, hosted infrastructure, cyber security, data and analytics, e-commerce technology and bespoke development houses, from small specialist teams through to established platforms with recurring revenue.

No. Many buyers on the register will look at breakeven or loss-making businesses where the product, technical team or customer base has clear strategic value. Others require established profitability. Each requirement sets out its own criteria.

The register only shows a buyer's stated criteria. Your business is never listed. Any introduction is handled through BusinessWanted.com, and information is shared with a named acquirer only once you are ready to proceed.

A short description of what the business does, the last two or three years of headline financials, your recurring revenue mix, headcount, customer concentration and a note on the outcome you are looking for. Nothing formal is required at first contact.

No. Some buyers on the register are open to majority or minority investments, management buy-ins, or acquisitions structured around a phased handover. The route depends on the individual requirement and what the owner wants to achieve.

Each requirement states its own target turnover band, and many also set out profitability expectations, deal structure and the acquirer's funding position. Ranges run from owner-managed businesses through to established groups, so the individual mandate page is always the definitive statement of what that buyer will consider.

Nothing is published about your business. You read the acquirer's stated requirement, then write to our team quoting the mandate reference with a brief outline of your company. We review the fit and, where it is credible, make a discreet introduction. If you decide not to proceed, no trace of the approach is left.

Every acquirer has submitted a written mandate covering investment criteria, funding position, decision process and prior acquisition experience. Our team reviews each submission before publication, and requirements without a defined thesis or a credible route to completion are declined.