A "tuck-in" acquisition, where a PE firm buys a smaller company to merge into a larger portfolio company, shouldn't be underestimated. The strategic value to the existing platform can be so immense that the PE firm is willing to pay a premium multiple, often exceeding what a standalone strategic buyer would offer.

Acquired extended its business model by launching a fund that invests exclusively in its private company sponsors. The rigorous process of selecting a brand-aligned sponsor effectively serves as investment diligence, creating a powerful flywheel where business partnerships become financial ones.

Instead of paying for leads, buy established, profitable media outlets at low multiples (3-5x EBITDA). These brands, like Flying Magazine, generate profit while also serving as a powerful, trusted top-of-funnel engine for your other data or product businesses.

Rather than competing in crowded auctions, elite private equity firms pursue a differentiated "executive new build" strategy. They partner with proven operators to build new companies from scratch to address a market need, creating proprietary deals that other firms cannot access.

Nominal's M&A strategy prioritizes acquiring founders for their market intelligence, not just their tech or team. The goal is to absorb the deep knowledge gained from their years of customer engagement, even if their own ventures didn't scale. This customer insight is viewed as an invaluable asset.

The company's M&A philosophy prioritizes acquiring companies they have previously partnered with. This approach provides deep pre-diligence insights into capabilities, culture, and strategic fit, significantly de-risking the acquisition and strengthening the business case for the deal.

When acquiring a business, don't rely on a single outcome like achieving a growth target. Instead, seek assets that offer multiple ways to win. Even if the primary goal is missed, the acquired data, technology, or talent could create significant value for other business units, providing built-in insurance for the deal.

A marketing agency acquired its industry's largest trade publication not to become a publisher, but to create a powerful lead generation engine. Owning the trusted media source for his target clients (real estate agents) provided an unmatched top-of-funnel strategy, driving high-quality leads directly to his agency.

Acquiring Airmail was a strategic portfolio move, not just a play for scale. Puck targets a "Business-to-Professional" (B2P) audience, while Airmail serves a "Business-to-Consumer" (B2C) one. With less than 6% audience overlap, the deal expands their total addressable market and creates a diversified media entity.