Demystifying Tech M&A: Trends, Strategies, and Playbook Essentials

Image

The Tech M&A landscape is a dynamic and ever-changing one. This session will discuss current trends and key statistics, providing insights into:

• Who's Getting Acquired: Unveiling trends in target profiles across the tech sector.
• Acquisition Drivers: Exploring the motivations behind acquisitions, whether they are strategic synergies (growth) for corporate buyers or financial metrics (profitability) for private equity buyers.
• The FTC Factor: Discussing the impact of regulatory scrutiny on Tech M&A deals.
• Navigating the Acquisition Pathway: Unpacking the steps involved in a successful tech M&A process, from preparation to closing.
• Building a Winning Tech M&A Playbook: Covering critical elements such as:
          - Preparation is Key: Strategies for positioning your company to be an attractive acquisition target.
          - Building Relationships: Maintaining ongoing dialogue with potential buyers to explore future opportunities.
          - The Banker's Role: Understanding when to engage with investment bankers for deal execution.
          - Unsolicited Offers: Strategies for responding to unsolicited offers or buyer interest.

This session is designed for both companies seeking acquisition opportunities and those looking to maximize their value as potential targets. Join the discussion and gain valuable insights for navigating the ever-evolving world of tech M&A.

------------------------------------------------------------

Speaker bios:

Lucas Buchanan, former COO & CFO @ Silk Road Medical

Lucas Buchanan brings more than 25 years of expertise in commercialization, operations, business development and finance. As the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Silk Road Medical, he helped lead the company from founding through IPO in 2019 (NASD:SILK) and ultimate sale to Boston Scientific in 2024 for $1.3B. His background includes investing, finance and commercial roles at The Vertical Group, Impax Laboratories, Medtronic and Ernst & Young.

Mr. Buchanan currently serves on the Board of Directors for Endologix LLC, a global medical device company specializing in innovative therapies for vascular disease, and Procyrion, Inc., a medical device company dedicated to improving outcomes for patients with cardiac and renal impairment, and as a strategic advisory board member of CRG LP, a healthcare focused investment fund. 

He holds a BA in Economics from Duke University and an MBA in Health Care Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

------------------------------------------------------------

Matt Sachse, Managing Partner @ AQ Technology

Matt Sachse is a founder and Managing Partner at AQ Technology Partners. Matt has spent his entire career representing technology companies in strategic transactions all over the world and brings more than 22 years of experience to the firm. 

Matt has successfully structured and closed over 100 transactions in his career and his recent work includes completed transactions in areas such as audio/video (“A/V”), network virtualization, financial software, business intelligence/analytics, marketplaces, and vertical SaaS (e.g. automotive, bill payment/presentment).

Prior to founding AQ, Matt co-led the technology investment banking practice at Pagemill Partners, where over 11+ years he helped grow the practice into the leading mid-market strategic advisory platform to high growth and emerging technology companies. While at Pagemill, Matt completed transactions across a variety of technology sectors spanning both software (e.g., enterprise/vertical applications, wireless, infrastructure, embedded) and hardware (e.g., A/V, communications, networking).

Matt holds a B.A. in economics from Stanford University and while completing his degree at Stanford, Matt played professional baseball in the Seattle Mariners organization for seven years.

------------------------------------------------------------

Nadia Gil, SVP of Strategy @ Hitachi Digital

Nadia Gil has over 20 years of experience in strategy, innovation, transformation and operational excellence with a specialty in strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and integrations. She has led or worked on over 200 transactions with a total closed value of over $41B.

She has cross-functional leadership experience managing large teams located all over the world, and also has P&L management and senior leadership communications experience.

She has also been an early seed investor since 2010 with a focus on automation, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, cloud, machine learning and water.

Nadia is currently Senior Vice President of Strategy at Hitachi Digital, where she is in charge of AI, Cloud and Digital strategy projects. Prior to Hitachi she was Chief of Strategic Planning and Corporate Development at Brady Corp. Prior to Brady she was Head of Business Strategy at Google, where she specialized on Cloud Cybersecurity and several other Google products. Earlier in her career she worked at Siemens, Deloitte Consulting, PwC Strategy, and Cognizant in similar senior strategy roles.

Nadia received an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and is also a licensed Certified Fraud Examiner.

------------------------------------------------------------

Paren Knadjian, Partner @ EisnerAmper - Moderator

Paren Knadjian is the Partner-in-charge of the firm's Los Angeles office and a member of the Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) practice. Paren brings over 20 years of hands-on experience in mergers and acquisitions, as well as equity and debt financing. Throughout his career, Paren has guided more than 300 successful M&A and capital markets transactions, with a combined value exceeding $3.5 billion. Paren has worked on both the buy-side and sell-side, providing clients with clear, practical advice and a deep understanding of the complexities involved in each deal. 

Prior to joining the firm, Paren served as a Principal at KROST, a public accounting and consulting firm, where he led the firm's Technology market vertical. He advised clients and colleagues on emerging trends in technology and media, focusing on areas such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. Paren also has extensive experience as a C-level executive across several high-tech sectors. He has served as CEO of two SaaS companies in financial services and new media and has acted as CFO for multiple companies in healthcare, marketing, e-commerce, and film and television. Additionally, he co-founded two companies that were successfully acquired.