Featured Stories
Selling an Edtech Business: The PositivePsychology.com Exit
PositivePsychology.com, a mission-driven edtech platform used by 19M+ professionals, was acquired in an 8-figure deal advised by FE International. This case study covers their growth, decision to sell, and the exit process.
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What Is Quality of Earnings (QoE) and Why Every Tech Seller Needs One Before Going to Market
A quality of earnings report is an independent analysis of whether a technology company's reported profits are real, recurring, and sustainable, and in 2026 it has become the document that decides whether a deal closes at the headline price or gets repriced in diligence. This guide covers what a QoE examines, how it differs from an audit or valuation, how tech businesses are valued using SDE, EBITDA, and revenue multiples, the metrics that move multiples (net revenue retention, Rule of 40, customer concentration, owner dependence), the sell-side process and timing, and how sellers protect their multiple before going to market.
How to Buy an Ecommerce Business: Due Diligence, Valuation, and Post-Acquisition Playbook
Learning how to buy an ecommerce business in 2026 comes down to a repeatable process: buy into a growing market, evaluate the right metrics, pay a defensible multiple, verify everything in due diligence, structure the deal to protect your downside, and run a disciplined first 100 days. This guide covers where to find vetted listings, the business models you can buy, 2026 valuation multiples by profile, a six-workstream diligence checklist, financing options including SBA 7(a) loans, deal structures, and a post-acquisition playbook for buyers at any size.
FE International vs. Selling Your Business Yourself: The True Cost of a DIY Exit
Selling a business yourself vs hiring an M&A advisor is not about which path looks cheaper, it is about which one nets you more on better terms with less risk the deal collapses. This guide breaks down the true cost of a DIY exit (a lower price with no competition, the time and performance drain, a limited buyer pool, and the 5% of owner exits that actually close as a sale), how an advisor-led process changes the outcome, and how FE International fits both larger businesses through advisory and smaller ones under $1M through the M&A Platform.
FinTech M&A Outlook 2026: Embedded Finance, Payments, and Where the Smart Money Is Going
The fintech M&A outlook for 2026 is the strongest in years, with global fintech investment at $116 billion and exit value at its highest since 2021. This guide breaks down where deal activity is concentrated (embedded finance, payments, AI and agentic payments, stablecoins and tokenization), what drives valuations by subsector, who is buying (banks, private equity, strategics), the regional hotspots, and how founders can position a fintech business for a premium exit.
FE International vs Quiet Light Brokerage: Which Is the Right Fit for Selling Your Tech Business?
FE International and Quiet Light Brokerage both help founders sell tech businesses, but they run on different models and serve different ends of the market. This guide compares them across service model, track record, vertical depth, buyer network, confidentiality, and deal execution, with FE International offering full-service M&A advisory for businesses worth $1M to $100M+ and a dedicated M&A Platform for deals under $1M. Includes 2026 market data and how to choose the right path for your exit.
Inside Regnology’s Acquisition of Heywood Business Analysts: A RegTech M&A Case Study
RegTech M&A is one of the most durable themes in software dealmaking, as Regnology's 2025 acquisition of Heywood Business Analysts shows. This case study breaks down why the deal made sense, what made a niche South African compliance-software vendor acquisition-ready, the market forces driving demand (RegTech growth, Africa's fintech surge, tighter regulation), and what founders of compliance and vertical software businesses can take from it when planning an exit.
Selling a Vertical SaaS Business With Embedded Payments: What the Clubmate Deal Reveals About 2026 Buyer Demand
Selling a vertical SaaS business with embedded payments is one of the strongest M&A plays in 2026, as the Clubmate acquisition by FishPal shows. This guide covers what the model means, why buyers pay a premium for it, the market data behind the demand, the value drivers that lift offers (workflow lock-in, recurring revenue, payment economics, low churn, customer diversification), and how founders can position for a clean, well-priced exit at any size.
How to Value an EdTech Business in 2026: Subscription Metrics, LTV, and What Acquirers Pay
How to value an edtech business in 2026 using the three methods that matter: SDE for owner-operated businesses, adjusted EBITDA for team-run companies, and revenue/ARR multiples for high-growth subscription models. Covers 2026 benchmark data (sector median 7.8x EV/Revenue, lower-middle-market earnings multiples of 3x to 10x), the subscription metrics that move multiples (NRR, churn, LTV-to-CAC, Rule of 40), real deal examples from the $1.1 billion Workday-Sana acquisition to the $5.6 billion PowerSchool take-private, and a preparation checklist for founders targeting a premium exit.
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How to Sell a Digital Marketing Agency: Valuation, Preparation, and the M&A Process
A step-by-step guide to selling a digital marketing agency in 2026, covering valuation methods (3x to 7x EBITDA for established agencies, 2x to 4x SDE for founder-operated shops), the eight value drivers that separate a 3x exit from a 7x exit, a 12 to 24 month preparation playbook, buyer types (strategic, PE platform, add-on, individual), the full seven-stage M&A process from valuation to closing, and deal structures including earnouts, seller notes, and equity rollovers. Built on FE International's experience across 1,500+ completed transactions.
