Scot Cocanour | Promium | Founder & CEO 

What’s it like to sell a business after nearly a quarter-century of innovation, leadership, and growth? 

In this episode, we speak with Scot Cocanour, founder and CEO of Promium, a specialized software company serving environmental labs. Scot reflects on the decision to sell after 24 years, navigating the M&A process while balancing the needs of his employees, customers, and shareholders. 

He discusses the smooth, eight-month journey that exceeded expectations, the importance of timing, and the emotional and strategic elements of letting go. Scot also shares the surprising personal rewards of the sale—including keeping a promise to his wife, traveling, coaching, and even starting a new venture. 

This episode is full of grounded wisdom for tech CEOs looking to exit on their own terms—without dropping the ball. 

In this special edition of Tech Exits, we will attempt to answer the questions: 

• What do tech investors prioritize when evaluating opportunities? 

• What is the impact of AI on investment strategies? 

• When should entrepreneurs seek investment versus considering an M&A exit?   

This discussion took place during the WFS Flagship Conference, Growth & Exit Strategies: HealthTech on April 3rd, 2025. 

The panel lineup includes: 

David Gardner, Founding Partner, Cofounders Capital

Daniel O’Mahony, Partner, Seroba Life Sciences 

Robbi Allen, General Partner, Triangle Tweener Fund 

Moderating this panel is David Levine, Regional Managing Director of the Corum Group.   

What does it really take to sell a specialized, high-performing company—and survive the emotional rollercoaster along the way? 

In this episode, we sit down with James Fair, co-founder of Vetasi, to discuss his firsthand experience navigating the M&A process. With no urgent motivation to sell, James still saw the value in preparing for the future and ultimately chose to pursue an acquisition. 

He reflects on what made Vetasi attractive to buyers, the challenge of maintaining company operations while managing the demands of due diligence, and the critical role of trust and communication with internal teams. 

James also shares the surprises, missteps, and hard-earned lessons from the deal, offering candid advice for founders considering their own exits. You’ll hear why emotional resilience matters, how preparation can make or break a sale, and what life looks like on the other side of the table. 

Steve Wargalla | QStrat | Managing Director 

What’s the difference between going it alone and having a team of experts behind your M&A process? 

Join us as we speak with Steve Wargalla, who engaged the WFS platinum sponsor, the Corum Group, to sell his company, QStrat—a provider of quoting and sourcing software for manufacturers and distributors. 

In this episode, Steve reflects on his journey from a first, unstructured exit to a second, highly organized sale with Corum. He shares the lessons learned, the value of working with experienced dealmakers, and why he believes most software CEOs don’t fully understand the M&A process—until they’ve been through it. 

You’ll hear about the importance of preparation, the impact of a structured approach, and what life looks like after stepping away from the business. 

In this episode of Points of View, we sit down with Mary Joyce, a serial entrepreneur turned M&A advisor at Corum Group, whose career spans decades of innovation across industries including automotive, medical, aerospace, and AI. 

Mary shares how selling her own company without an advisor became a defining moment—one that fueled her transition into tech M&A. With 14 U.S. patents to her name and a deep background in SaaS and embedded systems, she brings a unique perspective to the dealmaking process. 

Tune in as we explore what Mary learned from exiting as a founder, how she now guides others through the emotional and strategic complexities of M&A, and why timing, preparation, and the right advisor can make all the difference. 

Whether you're a founder, buyer, or fellow dealmaker, this is a rare look into the mind of someone who’s been on both sides of the table. 

In this special edition of Tech Exits, we will attempt to answer the questions: 

• What motivates entrepreneurs to sell their companies, and how do they navigate the M&A process? 

• What challenges do women founders face in securing funding and achieving successful exits? 

• How can entrepreneurs balance running a business while preparing for an acquisition? 

The panel features women tech entrepreneurs who have successfully exited their companies, sharing their experiences on due diligence, buyer negotiations, and life after the deal. They also discuss the unique hurdles women face in M&A, the role of advisors in achieving the best outcome, and the lessons they learned along the way. 

The panel lineup includes: 

Courtney Caldwell, MBA – CoFounder & CEO at Shearshare Aušra Čiuplienė Ciupliene – CEO / Board Member at Viena sąskaita Dr. Suhayya (Sue) Abu-Hakima – Co-Founder, President/CEO at Alstari 

Moderating this panel is WFS Director Ana Conejo.

In this special edition of Tech Exits, we will attempt to answer the questions: 

• What do tech investors prioritize when evaluating opportunities? 

• What is the impact of AI on investment strategies? 

• When should entrepreneurs seek investment versus considering an M&A exit?  

This discussion took place during the WFS Flagship Conference, Growth & Exit Strategies: European Tech on October 30th 2024. 

The panel lineup includes: 

Rocio Pillado, Partner, Adara Ventures 

Merve Zabci, General Partner, Logo Ventures 

Ashim Egunjobi, Managing Partner, Octerra Capital 

Julia Padberg, Partner, SET Ventures 

Moderating this panel is Joel Cymberg, Senior Vice President of the Corum Group.   

What does it take to successfully acquire and integrate companies in a competitive market? 

Join us as we speak with Jean Royer from Levio, a digital-native business and IT consulting firm with a focus on digital transformation across sectors like banking, technology, government, and telecom. 

In this episode, Jean shares insights into Levio's acquisition strategy, including how they evaluate potential targets, manage integration challenges, and build trust with sellers. He discusses the importance of cultural alignment, transparency, and preparation in creating successful partnerships and offers practical advice for founders preparing their companies for acquisition. 

Discover the key ingredients for a smooth acquisition process and how Levio positions itself as an ideal partner for growth-focused businesses. 

How do you balance business operations with the complexities of an M&A process?

Join us as we speak to Dan Goerdt, who engaged the WFS platinum sponsor, the Corum Group, to sell his company, Flexagon. Flexagon is the creator of FlexDeploy, a comprehensive DevOps platform designed to accelerate software delivery, improve quality, and manage costs and risks.

In this episode, Dan shares his journey of scaling Flexagon from a bootstrapped startup to a company ready for acquisition. He discusses the challenges of managing an M&A process while maintaining business performance, his focus on finding the right fit for his company’s values and team, and the importance of education and preparation in navigating the M&A landscape.

In this special edition of Tech Exits we will attempt to answer the questions:

What are tech buyers looking for in today’s market?

Are buyers only looking for companies that have already integrated sophisticated AI in their business models?

And how can you build relationships to capture maximum value?

This panel originally took place during the WFS Flagship Conference, Growth & Exit Strategies: The AI Shockwave! on July 18th, 2024.

The panel lineup includes:

Krista Young, Managing Director, Corporate Development, Accenture Ksenia Desautels, Senior Manager, Corporate Development, Akamai Technologies Satish A. Raman, Chief Strategy Officer, Fractal Udo Waibel, Managing Director, Technology and Product Development, The Riverside Company 

Moderating this panel is Rob Griggs, President of the Corum Group.