Austin · Choosing an advisor
Which Austin firm can market my company to strategic and private equity buyers?
How an Austin company is marketed to strategic and private equity buyers at once, what each type pays for, and how confidentiality is kept.
By Michael D. Rubin, CEO & Founder · September 2026 · 796 words
MDR & Associates markets Austin companies to strategic buyers and private equity groups at the same time, through its own database of qualified buyers, a confidential marketing package and a professionally produced HD video. A strategic buyer is a company in your industry or a related one; a private equity group is an investment firm that buys companies with pooled capital. Our advisors come to you.
Reaching both kinds of buyer matters because they value companies for different reasons. When both are bidding, the owner sees the full range of what the market will pay, instead of the view of one buyer type.
What goes to market with your company
Examples of these videos are on our videos page. A buyer who has seen your team and facility on screen arrives at the first meeting with better questions, which saves time for everyone.
- A financial recast. Your earnings restated as adjusted EBITDA, which is earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization with owner perks and one-time costs removed. It is the number buyers price from.
- A blind profile. A short, anonymous summary that lets buyers judge their interest without learning your name.
- A confidential marketing package. A detailed description of the company, its customers, operations, people and growth plans, released only after an NDA and proof of funds.
- An HD marketing video. Produced professionally, it shows the company and its people to buyers who cannot visit yet. Our VP of Video Production, Tom LoChiatto, leads this work.
How strategic and private equity buyers read the same company
An earnout is part of the price paid later if targets are met. A seller note is a portion of the price the buyer pays you over time. An equity rollover means you keep a minority share of the company, often in a recap, where the private equity group buys a majority and you share in a later sale.
| Question | Strategic buyer | Private equity group |
|---|---|---|
| What they pay for | Customers, products, territory, cost savings | Cash flow, growth potential, a management team |
| What worries them | Overlap and the cost of combining | Owner dependence, customer concentration |
| Typical structure | Mostly cash at closing, sometimes an earnout | Cash plus an equity rollover or seller note |
| Your role afterward | Often a short transition | Often asked to stay for a period or keep a stake |
| Confidentiality risk | Higher if they compete with you | Lower |
How buyers are found and screened
We go first to our own database of qualified individual buyers, capital groups and private equity groups, and to strategic buyers identified for your industry. Only if more reach is needed do we place blind ads on the major business-for-sale marketplaces. Every buyer registers, signs an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) and completes a financial profile showing it can fund the purchase before seeing anything that identifies your company. This is step four of our process.
Private equity groups often prefer companies with a management team in place. Strategic buyers often care most about specific customers or capabilities. The marketing package is written so each can see what matters to it, without the company being overstated to either. Overstating anything only comes back during due diligence.
Buy-side relationships count here. In 2023 Axial named MDR & Associates to its Advisor 100, a list of the lower middle market investment banks and M&A advisors most referred by the buy-side.
Why Austin companies draw both types of buyer
Austin's growth has made its companies a regular target for national strategic buyers and private equity groups looking to expand in Texas. Many Austin companies also serve customers across Central Texas and beyond, which appeals to buyers building a regional presence. Interest alone does not set a good price, though. Price comes from how many qualified buyers are competing at the same moment, which is why offers are gathered as letters of intent, written offers with price and key terms, and negotiated together.
It helps to tell your advisor early what you want from each type of buyer. If you want to keep working and share in future growth, a private equity recap may suit you. If you want a clean exit, a strategic buyer paying mostly cash at closing may fit better. You do not have to decide before going to market, but stating your preferences shapes which buyers are contacted first and how the company is described to them.
Where MDR & Associates fits
We focus on manufacturing, home services, distribution and business services companies with $3 million to $100 million in revenue. Every offer is presented to you in person, and you decide whether to accept, reject or counter. Our fee is a success fee paid only if the company sells. See our Austin page, contact us about your Austin company, or begin with a free valuation snapshot.
Where this fitsAustin business brokers and M&A advisors →