Why Now Is the Critical Time to Hire a Buyside Advisor
Why Hire a Buyside Advisor
The current M&A deal environment continues to be challenging: Global M&A volumes globally dropped by 9% in the first half of 2025 compared to 2024, while deal values increased by 15%. This shows a flight to quality—fewer deals are getting done, but the transactions that do close are significantly larger.
Several factors are creating headwinds: ongoing tariff uncertainty (with 30% of US companies pausing or revisiting deals), elevated interest rates, and a market prioritizing cost optimization. These pressures are shifting valuations toward profitable growth—the "Rule of 50+" where profitability metrics now carry significant weight.
However, the data also shows some goodness: 51% of US companies are still actively pursuing deals, demonstrating that transformation remains a top priority.
Now Is the Time to Build Pole Position With Sellers
For acquisitive buyers, staying active during lower deal activity is absolutely critical. This is precisely the moment to build relationships with potential sellers. We emphasize that now may be the most important time in the entire deal cycle for acquisitive buyers. If you step back during this lull, you'll miss good opportunities when market activity picks up.
Executives and corp dev teams with significant M&A experience know how important this time is. With too many buyers competing for quality assets, taking your foot off the gas isn't an option.
This is where a buyside advisor like Ocean Crest Advisory makes a difference. We can turbocharge a PE firm's or software company's pipeline, allowing leadership teams to focus on operations while we provide cost-effective relationship building with exceptional sellers during this critical period.
The OCA Advantage
Ocean Crest Advisory leverages our extensive network and targeted deal sourcing to identify outstanding companies for clients. Unlike generalist buyside advisors, our deep software sector focus means we know exactly where to look—we understand what constitutes a good fit for our clients and can connect directly with the right executives.
OCA helps acquisitive software organizations or PE firms with an investment focus on software to keep up with organizations that have massive resources. We are a trusted partner that expands the reach of an existing corp dev function—with senior level experience
Don't Let Market Conditions Create Complacency
Don't allow the current environment to lure you into complacency. Now is the time to build relationships with companies that could become your next acquisition. The companies maintaining M&A momentum during downturns are positioned to capitalize when markets recover.
Ocean Crest Advisory is here to help you navigate this environment and build the relationships that will drive your future growth.
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Sources:
Bain & Company, "M&A Midyear Report 2025: Separating the Signal from the Noise"
PwC, "Global M&A industry trends: 2025 mid-year outlook"
