Investment Banking for Lower-Middle Market Software ($10M – $100M)
What investment banking actually looks like for founder-led software companies, and how to evaluate advisors for your size and stage.
The software M&A market is bifurcated. At the top, "Bulge Bracket" banks (Goldman, Morgan Stanley) service billion-dollar unicorns. At the bottom, business brokers list small websites. But what if your company is in the middle?
iMerge Advisors fills the void in the Lower-Middle Market. We bring institutional-grade investment banking processes to software companies with $5M to $50M in revenue.
Why "Bulge Bracket" Tactics Fail in the Mid-Market
Big banks rely on brand name and massive auctions. But for a $20M SaaS company, a broad auction can be damaging — leaking confidentiality to competitors without guaranteeing a close.
Our approach is surgical. We curate a list of 50–100 highly qualified buyers (PE firms with specific thesis mandates and Strategic acquirers with integration capacity) rather than blasting your data to the world.
The "Full Service" Difference
Unlike brokers who simply make introductions, we manage the entire lifecycle:
- Analyst-Led Valuation: We build the financial models buyers expect to see.
- CIM Creation: We write the 30+ page Confidential Information Memorandum that tells your growth story.
- Data Room Management: We organize your IP and contracts to survive diligence.
- Closing Support: We negotiate the legal purchase agreement alongside your counsel.
Institutional Results for Founders
You have built an institutional-quality software company. You deserve an institutional-quality exit. Partner with iMerge Advisors for your transaction.
This is part of our coverage on the Synoptic M&A™ process.

Michael Gravel has led 150+ software, SaaS, and AI company exits over 26 years as Managing Partner of iMerge Advisors. He specializes in sell-side advisory for founder-led and bootstrapped SaaS and AI companies in the $3M–$50M ARR range, with particular focus on AI valuation positioning, recapitalizations, and competitive auction processes that maximize founder outcomes. Full bio →
Ready to explore your exit options?
30 minutes with a partner — your exit readiness, valuation range, and what needs to happen next. Confidential, no obligation.