In July 2025, Chevron completed its $53 billion acquisition of Hess, marking the end of a nearly two-year journey that began with the initial announcement on October 23, 2023. The timeline for this acquisition got extended because of an arbitration case brought by rivals Exxon Mobil and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation. This goes …
Purchase price allocation (PPA) is the method for allocating the acquisition cost to assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with any residual amount recognized as goodwill or a bargain purchase gain. While the underlying objective of PPA is broadly consistent across accounting frameworks, the application can differ meaningfully between US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and …
Public companies pursuing inorganic growth face two major compliance burdens. They must balance ongoing financial reporting obligations under GAAP with the requirement to provide adequate transparency to stakeholders when acquiring private sector companies. As M&A competition intensifies, the need to meet these already onerous requirements with speed and defensibility has grown sharply. Global M&A deal …
As private companies scale from early-stage startups to venture-backed enterprises, their compliance obligations evolve dramatically. What begins as informal updates to angel investors can quickly transform into rigorous reporting requirements that rival those of public companies. Understanding these requirements early helps founders avoid costly mistakes, maintain investor confidence, and position their companies for successful funding …
For two analyses that support completely different purposes, fairness opinions and valuation reports have a lot of common elements. They use the same inputs, such as financial histories, projections, capital structures, and market trends. Even methodologies such as comparable company analysis and the discounted cash flow (DCF) method are common between the two. So, what’s …
Rule 701 allows companies to issue stock-based compensation without triggering the need to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the Securities Act of 1933. This is a very important exemption since the US regulatory framework places immense reporting responsibilities on registered companies. As an ESOP administrator, to qualify for Rule 701 benefits, …
New Enterprise Associates (NEA) has maintained its position as a leading investor across multiple sectors, making it one of the world’s famous venture capital firms. Founded in 1977, NEA has built an impressive track record with over 280 portfolio companies reaching IPO and 99 achieving unicorn status. The firm’s portfolio includes leaders like Cloudflare, Coursera, …
As we approach 2026, founders must prepare for critical tax filing deadlines, missing which could trigger penalties. To ensure that businesses with complex structures and sole proprietors have ample time to file tax forms, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has different tax filing deadlines for businesses with different corporate structures. So, C-corporations and sole proprietors …
Priorities spiraling out of alignment is a reality that most business partners don’t anticipate or underestimate. When this occurs, stakeholders may consider buyouts as a solution. This helps preserve business relationships and avoid prolonged legal disputes. However, when buyouts are not feasible or excessive, some may resort to manipulation of ownership. From aggressive stock-based compensation …
Private equity firms may find relief in the fact that global dry powder has steadily declined since 2023, reaching $2.52 trillion by July 1, 2025. While global M&A volumes fell 9% in the first half of 2025 on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, the stabilization of tariffs and trade policies could pave the way for renewed …
Seasoned investors are aware of the importance of the dilution-related insights gained through cap table solutions. However, the benefits of such software to a startup founder are arguably much more significant. Not only does this software enable real-time ownership tracking, but it also simplifies stock option management and tax compliance. It can also catalyze the …
When selling your business, deciding between SDE and EBITDA can significantly impact your valuation. While Main Street deals love Seller’s Discretionary Earnings for its raw, owner-centric truth, Wall Street speaks fluent EBITDA for its clean, scalable story. Choose wrong, and you’ll either confuse sophisticated buyers or undersell to local competitors. Choose right, and you’ll position …
Startups usually raise enough capital to operate for about 24 months. But when that runway ends, investors expect evidence of either product-market fit or rapid scaling to justify the next round. The danger is treating those 24 months as breathing room. Instead, think of the first 3 months as your window to prove scalability. Then, …
2025 proved to be a transformative year for M&A with over $85 billion changing hands in the year’s largest single transaction alone. From mega-mergers in utilities and transportation to sovereign wealth fund acquisitions in gaming, the deals closed this year signal major shifts in corporate strategy and industry consolidation. Top 100 M&A Deals of 2025 …
Private equity firms continue to attract investors seeking superior returns compared to public markets. The private equity industry has achieved tremendous growth, with investment volumes reaching historic highs in recent years. Despite market volatility, private equity remains a compelling investment place for high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors who can navigate its inherent risks and illiquidity. …
The US startup ecosystem in 2025 is setting new records, with billions investing in startup companies that span AI, infrastructure, energy, and more. This is transforming how founders build ventures and how investors spot opportunity, making equity management more crucial than ever. For founders, the challenge is managing growth, raising capital, and keeping equity transparent …
The US Series A funding landscape looks dramatically different from the peak years of 2020-22. In 2025, Series A funding has reached $23.02 billion through October, a significant decline from the $58.17 billion record set in 2021. Series A Capital Deployment: A Decade in Review Note: Data for 2025 is as of 31st October Founders …
The artificial intelligence sector has experienced unprecedented growth, producing some of the most highly valued startups in technology history. With a combined market capitalization exceeding $1.2 trillion among the top-tier companies, the AI ecosystem represents a fundamental shift in how technology creates and captures value. This analysis examines the current landscape of AI startups, their …
Tech companies, especially software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies, have been investor favorites for decades and for good reason. These companies often create a new niche for themselves and are highly scalable. In this article, we will take a close look at the gross profit margins of such companies, one of their key differentiators in the eyes of …
Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) tax benefits under Section 1202 represent one of the most powerful wealth-building opportunities in the tax code, but are companies actually leveraging them? We surveyed founders across industries to find out how they’re structuring for QSBS tax benefits. The data reveals that QSBS tax benefits aren’t just about savings, they’re …
