CEOs weigh in on the dual-path approach given today's financial environment
As a tech CEO planning for the next financing round, should I also consider a dual-path approach and investigate M&A exit options?
Given today’s challenging financial environment, CEOs, board members and investors should consider this question. To help you best decide whether or not to consider a dual-path process when planning your next financing, we asked B2B tech CEOs and business leaders this question.
Here are six reasons these leaders offered for why a dual-path approach makes sense:
· The Dual Approach May Align Well With Your Objectives
· Be Open to Considering Attractive Offers
· A Properly Managed Dual-Track Process Often Offers the Best Prospects
· Weigh the Options Based on Your Goals
· It's Always Best to Explore All Viable Options
· Stay Focused on Your Initial Plan as You Consider the Options
The Dual Approach May Align Well With Your Objectives
I just completed being on the buying side of an M&A transaction. New financing was a big goal for the business, and the approach aligned well in order to satisfy three objectives. 1) Our seller was able to get some liquidity and take some chips off the table. 2) We were able to bring in some growth capital to fuel the next stage of the business. 3) (Most critically), myself and my partner have joined the business in an executive capacity. We are providing operational leverage in the form of actual skills and 40+ hours a week of contributions to the operation. I believe this is an excellent approach for any seller considering even 1-2 of the aforementioned objectives.
Trevor Ewen, COO, QBench
Be Open to Considering Attractive Offers
As a CEO, you have a fiduciary responsibility to your shareholders to at least consider offers that are anywhere from reasonable to considerable premiums on the current value of your equity. If those offers are not already present, you'll need to determine how much time to spend cultivating such offers vs running the business and securing additional financing. With that said, you may want to consider the possibility that the business may be attractive to other organizations. If you've built a strong brand, a loyal customer base, and a solid foundation, your business may be acquirer-friendly. In that case, you should at least consider the merits of pursuing an M&A exit.
Matthew Ramirez, Founder, Rephrasely
A Properly Managed Dual-Track Process Often Offers the Best Prospects
Dual-path has been preferred as a potential exit strategy amongst fast-growing, venture-backed technology companies. The M&A aspect of the dual-path process is typically structured as a full-blown auction comprising multiple strategic and financial bidders rather than a direct negotiation with a single bidder. If managed and executed successfully, a dual-track process offers a company seeking to exit the best prospects for completing such an exit, potentially at a higher valuation than if the two alternatives were undertaken individually in isolation.
Yongming Song, CEO, Live Poll for Slides
Weigh the Options Based on Your Goals
I think it depends on your goals. If you're happy with where your company is now and only want to raise money to accelerate growth, then you should only pursue one path. But if you're looking to achieve a specific outcome (like a particular valuation, or a certain exit strategy) then it might make sense to pursue both paths.
That said, pursuing M&A and a financing are both really time-consuming, so it's not something to enter into lightly. If you're just starting out and haven't raised any money yet, you're better off focusing on just one path for financing. But if you've already raised a lot of money and are looking for another big round, then it may make sense to pursue both options. It depends on your goals, your company's stage, and how much time and money you're willing to invest.
Luciano Colos, Founder & CEO, PitchGrade
It's Always Best to Explore All Viable Options
Personally, I think that a CEO always either a) innately knows that the time is right to explore M&A exit options, or b) is approached, signaling that the time is right. While it's always best to explore all viable options as a CEO, and dedicate the commensurate amount of time to each based on potential outcomes, M&A itself has so much to do with macro factors that any CEO intimately involved with the business should know when it makes sense to pursue M&A, whether part of a funding round or otherwise.
Jeremy Ames, Senior Manager, Accenture
Stay Focused on Your Initial Plan as You Consider the Options
As a Startup CEO, you're faced with endless decisions when it comes to business strategy and direction. When planning for the next financing round, you should revisit your 1, 3, and 5-year plan (both personally and professionally) to determine if an alternative approach ought to be considered.
If an exit was not a part of your initial plan, it would likely be best to stay focused on the next financing rather than distract yourself with 'what could be' in the M&A market. Oftentimes there are opportunistic M&A options that arise and other times you are put into a position to push the company to a sale via using a banker or hitting the market with a pseudo road show. Both fundraising and M&A take a considerable amount of time, your most precious asset, so be cautious about following a dual-path approach.
Roman Villard, Founder, Full Send Finance
The NextPath Advisors team has helped several clients effectively manage a dual-path process with proven results. Click below to schedule a free consultation.