M&A Masters

When you hear the word drone, you might think of the military uses, the proposed Amazon.com delivery drones, or those jokers who shut down airports by flying drones around runways.

But drones are serious business, says Gretchen West of Hogan Lovells in Silicon Valley.

There are little-known commercial uses of drones that save time, money, and lives that will only expand in the near future… as long as government regulations can keep pace with development of new technology.

The industry is maturing quickly, as is M&A activity in this space. We talk about that, as well as…

• The many layers of technology integrated into drones… and how that creates opportunity for other companies
• The growing list of unexpected industries that can benefit from drones
• More than pictures and video – the ways drones collect data you’ve never heard about
• Where the FAA and other government agencies stand on drones – and how it’s changing
• And more

It’s a tight talent market out there in the technology industry. And that’s especially for all C-suite positions right now, says Stephen Kuhn, partner at Advantary. Yet companies, especially startups, are facing pressure from their boards to hire senior executives.

And that means they’re sometimes rushed into bad hiring decisions.

Stephen talks about a short-term solution to this issue that can have long-term positive impact on companies facing these challenges, as well as…

• A strategy for getting breathing room to recruit the right people, while still achieving important milestones in the company’s growth.
• The incubator marketplace that brings together corporate M&A and startups
• What companies doing cross border deals need in their back pocket
• A little-known decision-making processes to work through tough issues
• And more

The politics of healthcare is a mess in this country, as you know.

But Matthew Hanis, executive producer and host of the Business of Healthcare, is more interested in practical measures for incrementally improving a system that is the most expensive in the world and doesn’t offer a great quality of care in exchange.

We also talk about the M&A landscape in healthcare, including the trend towards increasing vertical integration, as well as...

• How to balance profits with patient care
• The key difference between a single payer system and universal healthcare
• The 3 biggest upcoming regulatory reforms to keep an eye on
• The largest contributor of waste in healthcare
• And more

M&A activity has been heating up in the last few years… and 2019 is no exception. At the same time there has been a lot of movement in the healthcare sector, but due to its unique nature, special care has to be taken when dealing with acquisitions in this industry.

Patrick Krause, a director at investment bank MHT Partners focused on healthcare, has shepherded a lot of deals in this sector. He shares how he helps turn M&A transactions into win-win-win deals, where both Buyers and Sellers are happy – and patients benefit, too.

Tune in to find out…

• How to bridge the gap between medicine and business
• The extra steps you must take to invest in certain healthcare-related businesses
• The four “sectors” in the healthcare industry – and how to handle each
• Ways to increase profits but also quality of care to patients
• And much more

What did due diligence in M&A deals look like before virtual data rooms? Teams of lawyers and other experts combing through paper files stacked floor to ceiling in a conference room.

With the virtual data room, explains Darryl Grant of Toppan Merrill, those days are long gone.

Today, sharing a company’s financials, contracts, and other pertinent information with potential buyers is a simple matter of uploading some documents and sending an email.

We talk about how this speeds up the process and ensures transactions move more quickly through the marketplace, as well as…

• The remote document kill-switch
• A positive by-product of the Enron scandal
• Using data rooms to get “actionable intelligence” on prospective buyers
• Where IPOs are trending in 2019
• And more

Many technology companies are sitting on an untapped resource that could add 5%, 10%, 20%, or more to their company’s value, says Dr. Elvir Causevic, managing director of Houlihan Lokey’s Tech and IP advisory department.

Problem is that if you wait until you have an M&A deal… all that value is lost to you – it automatically goes to the buyer.

Elvir and his colleagues have been innovating a new way to make sure companies, especially those in Silicon Valley, avoid that fate. And we go through that process, step-by-step. It’s actually pretty straightforward once you know the trick.

Check our discussion to find out…

• Why even “unsuccessful” R&D can be valuable
• What your IP department has been missing How to avoid the Lucky Buyers Club
• Ways to cash in on patents… without being a “troll”

In an era when few companies go IPO and there are even fewer unicorns, M&A is more popular than ever, says Mihir Jobalia, a veteran of KPMG’s Silicon Valley operation.

In fact, among VC-backed companies in the last 10 to 15 years, he estimates that more than 90% exit through M&A. And business in the last few years has been especially good.

We dive deep into what makes the current environment so appealing to M&A, who the big players are, and best practices for companies hoping to exit with this strategy.

Check out the interview to find out…

• The top 3 factors for the current strong M&A market
• Two things founders can do now to attract potential buyers
• Why the Rule of 40 is so important to PE firms – and how to achieve it
• The financial investors want to see before they commit to a deal
• And more

With typical insurance covering your home or car, it can be like pulling teeth to get a claim paid. Unfortunately, that leads to skepticism about all types of insurance.

But in the experience of my guest Joe Finnerty, a litigation partner with law firm DLA Piper in New York City, companies are ready and willing to pay claims for Representations and Warranty insurance.

It’s one of the newest – and most effective tools – being used in mergers and acquisition deals today.

Insurance companies actually pay claims, says Joe. You, as the buyer, just need to help them out a bit.

Check our conversation to find out…

• Why you should be an “open book” with your insurer
• How to get your claim paid faster, with the maximum amount
• The “education” you need to give your insurer for them to pay a claim
• Ways a broker is an essential part of your claim
• And more

Silicon Valley is obviously on the forefront of technology. What’s not as clear is how to keep track of trends, new companies, key players, and all the rest, especially since it’s always changing.

That’s why Bob Karr created LinkSV, a Valley-centric, comprehensive, and constantly updated social network. We talk about how to get the most out of LinkSV, whether you’re a service provider, startup looking for an angel, an investor looking for an acquisition, and beyond.

Bob’s been in the Valley for decades, so we also talk about…

• Spotting “hidden” clues that a company isn’t worth acquiring
• 4+ hot tech sectors that are getting even hotter
• How today’s market differs in key ways from the Dotcom era
• Employment trends to watch out for – outsourcing is just the start
• And more

In today’s episode we shake things up and put Patrick Stroth, the regular host and founder of Silicon Valley-based Rubicon Insurance Services, in the hot seat for an exclusive interview with business consultant Steve Gordon.

Patrick is on a mission to tell investors, founders, corporate development teams, attorneys, and anyone else in the world of mergers and acquisitions about a unique insurance product that can save tens of millions of dollars in a transaction and speed deals to completion, while reducing the risk for Buyer and Seller.

If this insurance is in place deals are 8 times more likely to close.

It’s been used in 1/3 of M&A deals over $25 million in value in recent years. Patrick says that once more people understand the benefits that number should jump.

We get into the details on how this insurance works, including…

• The alternative to “over buying”
• The only 4 data points you need for a quote for this insurance
• How to manage today’s seller’s market
• What size deals are eligible
• And much more