Event category: Breakout
Events
February 19, 2026 , 2026
01:55 PM - 02:40 PM
The Buyer’s Playbook: Critical Factors That Drive Stronger Deals
Get inside the mind of acquirers and learn how overall readiness shapes stronger, smoother tech deals. This session breaks down the forecasts, revenue signals, and valuation metrics buyers trust — along with surprise details that can shift negotiations. Whether you’re a founder, operator, or future seller, you’ll walk away knowing exactly what finance leaders look for—and learn the critical factors to stay ahead of it all.
01:55 PM - 02:45 PM
Adaptable Paths to Liquidity, Growth & Keeping Your Options Open
Adaptable strategies are becoming the go-to approach for founders who want to stay flexible, protect optionality, and create stronger outcomes in today’s shifting market. This session breaks down how teams are balancing fundraising, acquisition conversations, and selective liquidity all at once — and how buyers are responding. We’ll explore the practical tools shaping these paths, from structured liquidity, strategic secondaries and even dual track planning. Expect a candid look at what’s working, what’s risky, and how adaptability leads to better negotiations and better-fit deals.
11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Don’t Do This: Why My Deal Died
Every founder thinks their deal is solid… until it suddenly isn’t. This session unpacks the most common (and avoidable) deal killers that take transactions off the rails — from messy financials and misaligned expectations to diligence surprises, culture gaps, and last-minute valuation wobbles. You’ll hear real stories, hard lessons, and practical guidance on what to flag early, what to fix before you ever enter a data room, and how to keep a buyer engaged all the way to the finish line. If you’re gearing up to sell, this is your unofficial “don’t do this” playbook.
11:00 AM - 11:40 AM
Life After Exit: 10 Surprising “Gotchas” to Prepare for Post-Exit
The deal closes… now what? In this candid session, founders, lawyers, bankers, and accountants break down the 10 biggest “gotchas” that hit after an exit—from financial curveballs and tax surprises to lingering legal obligations, shifting roles, and the identity wobble no one warns you about. Expect practical guidance, hard-won lessons, and a few “wish I’d known this sooner” confessions. A grounded, honest look at the next chapter—and how to navigate it with clarity, confidence, and a little more calm.
October 21, 2025 , 2025
02:10 PM - 02:50 PM
Liquidity Options & Key Trends Shaping Tech in 2026
For Canadian founders and investors there are many paths to tap equity for optionality. Strategic acquisitions, private equity buyouts, venture secondaries, debt financing, recaps, and management-led deals are all reshaping what an “exit” can look like.
The 2026 exit landscape is full of opportunity—but it’s also more complex than ever. Whether you’re preparing to sell, exploring your options, or advising companies on the journey, this session will break down the latest trends, structures, and strategies shaping liquidity in the year ahead.
What You Will Learn:
- New ways to achieve liquidity beyond a full exit
- What investors are offering now (and why)
- Emerging deal structures in the Canadian landscape
- How to assess the right path for your company
Show Me the Money! What’s Your Company Really Worth? The 2025 Valuation Playbook
Valuation isn’t just a number- it’s the story you tell, the structure you’ve built, and how the market sees you. But with AI hype cycles, economic curveballs, and shifting buyer expectations, founders need more than guesswork to understand and influence their company’s true value.
In this interactive session, M&A experts, growth investors, and founders who’ve been through it unpack the real drivers behind tech valuations in 2025. From revenue quality and AI integration to market timing and team optics, we’ll break down how valuations are evolving and what you can do to make yours stand out.
What You Will Learn:
- How AI is influencing valuation models
- Key drivers of valuation in today’s market
- What investors look for beyond just revenue
- Ways to proactively increase perceived value
