Episode 113: 6 Risks of Using AI to Sell Your Software Company
The Tech M&A Podcast
AI can be a powerful tool in business, but it is not a substitute for expert guidance when selling a software or IT company. This video explains six key risks of relying too heavily on AI in tech M&A, including outdated valuation data, generic buyer outreach, incomplete buyer intelligence, and weak strategic positioning. Selling a technology company requires current market insight, buyer relationships, compelling storytelling, confidentiality, and professional deal strategy. Learn why AI should be used responsibly as an advantage in the M&A process — not as a shortcut for one of the...
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Episode 112: Tech M&A Market Research Report
The Tech M&A Podcast
July Tech M&A Report: Taking a look at the deal activity, emerging trends, and valuations across 29 subsectors in July of 2026.
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Episode 111: Tech M&A’s New Golden Era: Why Mega Deals, AI, and Private Equity Are Fueling Acquisitions
The Tech M&A Podcast
The tech M&A market may be entering a new golden era, driven by mega deals, AI disruption, massive tech balance sheets, and record levels of private equity capital. As technology moves faster and competition intensifies, the world’s largest buyers are increasingly using acquisitions to buy growth, innovation, market position, and strategic advantage. For tech CEOs, founders, and shareholders, this creates a powerful market opportunity. With more active buyers, more acquisition currency, and a wave of founders preparing for succession or exit, today’s environment may be one of the...
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Episode 110: Inside the Deal with Steve Wargalla
The Tech M&A Podcast
In this episode of the Tech M&A Podcast, we sit down with Steve Wargalla, Managing Director of QSTRAT, a supply chain software company that provides quoting and sourcing solutions for manufacturing and distribution businesses. After acquiring QSTRAT in 2016 with a clear five-year exit strategy, Steve spent nearly eight years growing the company before successfully selling it through Corum. Steve reflects on how attending one of Corum's educational seminars first introduced him to the firm, why having a structured M&A process made all the difference compared to his previous company...
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Episode 109: 2026 - Why Deals Fail Now
The Tech M&A Podcast
In this special report, we examine the most common mistakes that derail transactions—from poor preparation and unrealistic expectations to the costly mistake of engaging only a single buyer.
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Episode 108: Tech M&A Mid-Year Market Research Report
The Tech M&A Podcast
Mid-Year Tech M&A Report: Taking a look at the deal activity, emerging trends, and valuations across 29 subsectors in the first half of 2026.
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Episode 107: Succession Crisis 2026: Strategies for Tech Founders
The Tech M&A Podcast
A global succession crisis is emerging as millions of business owners approach retirement without a clear succession plan. According to recent studies, a significant percentage of family businesses and SMEs across North America, Europe, and Asia face leadership and ownership transitions within the next decade, yet many remain unprepared. In this episode of CEO's Desk, Corum Group CEO Bruce Milne explores the growing succession challenge facing technology founders and CEOs. He discusses the risks of delaying succession planning, the realities of family succession, management buyouts,...
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Episode 106: Inside the Deal with Luis Landgrave
The Tech M&A Podcast
In this episode of the Tech M&A Podcast, we chat with Luis Landgrave, co-founder of Algebraix, an edtech and fintech company serving private schools across Latin America, with a primary focus on Mexico. Over nearly two decades, Luis helped build Algebraix into a school management platform with an integrated fintech arm that processes tuition and payments on behalf of schools — momentum that ultimately led to a successful sale through Corum after years of inbound interest from investors and acquirers. Luis shares how a Corum seminar in Mexico City planted the seed nearly a decade before...
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Episode 105: Why Tech M&A Is Stronger Than the Headlines Suggest | CEO's Desk
The Tech M&A Podcast
Tariffs, rate concerns, geopolitical uncertainty — the headlines make it easy to wonder whether now is the right time to sell your software company. Corum Group CEO [Name] breaks down the actual data behind tech M&A valuations over the last decade, and the picture is more compelling than most CEOs realize. With the Dow at 50,000, stable multiples across all six tech sectors, and over $6 trillion in capital available for tech acquisitions, the fundamentals have never been stronger. If you're asking yourself whether to wait — this video is for you. Subscribe for weekly Tech...
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Episode 104: Inside the Deal with Heriberto Garcia
The Tech M&A Podcast
In this episode of the Tech M&A Podcast, we chat with Heriberto Garcia, founder and former CEO of Vialterna Comunicaciones, a leading modern telecommunications firm serving all of Mexico. Over 15 years, Heriberto built Vialterna into a powerhouse of connectivity before navigating a successful exit to a search fund — a buyer type he initially never expected to consider. Heriberto shares how a Corum seminar he attended three decades ago planted the seed for his eventual exit, and how that knowledge stayed with him until the timing was right. He offers candid advice on the importance of...
info_outlineIn this episode of the Tech M&A Podcast, we sit down with Brian Allen, former Managing Director and Chief Executive of Certus Solutions. Over the course of two decades, Brian grew Certus into a leading IBM-focused software and services provider in Australia and New Zealand, specializing in enterprise asset management. This journey culminated in a successful strategic sale to Egis, following a long-planned liquidity event for the company's shareholders.
Brian discusses his decade-long relationship with Corum Group, which began during a prior M&A process, and explains why he chose to re-engage professional advisors for the Certus exit. He shares candid insights into managing a complex transaction that included a strategic "hiatus" period, the importance of maintaining competitive tension during negotiations, and his advice for CEOs navigating their first or second sale. This episode offers a masterclass in long-term value creation and the discipline required to execute a high-stakes liquidity event.
Takeaways
- Plan for the long term: Successful exits are often the result of years of preparation to ensure maximum shareholder value.
- Specialization is key: Deep expertise in a specific ecosystem, such as IBM technologies, can position a firm as a dominant regional player.
- Maintain leverage: Using a "hiatus" or pause in a deal can be a strategic tool to reset expectations and ensure competitive tension.
- Professional representation matters: Engaging experienced advisors is critical when negotiating with large institutional buyers and global entities.
- Focus on the "Why": Understanding the specific timing for a liquidity event helps align the interests of all shareholders and stakeholders.
Timestamps
00:11 – Introducing Brian Allen and the growth of Certus Solutions
01:22 – A ten-year history: First learning about Corum Group via Zcom
01:55 – Navigating the 15-year journey toward a liquidity event
03:40 – Scaling as a premier IBM partner in Australia and New Zealand
06:15 – Why Certus chose professional M&A representation for this exit
08:30 – Life after the deal: Advising Egis and future plans
09:30 – Navigating the transaction "hiatus" and its impact on the deal
10:07 – Creating competitive tension to protect deal terms
10:21 – How the hiatus ultimately benefited the final outcome
10:27 – Final thoughts and wrap-up