The New Acquisition Playbook: How to Use M&A as a Growth Lever 

Acquisitions are no longer reserved for large corporations. Search funds, founder-led rollups, and private-equity-backed platforms are increasingly using M&A to buy capability, customers, or market position rather than build it organically. This session brings together the investor and advisor perspectives on how those deals actually get done — how they're financed, structured, and closed. Knowing when and how to transact takes financial discipline, a clear read on what capital providers reward, and the legal and structural groundwork that makes a deal survivable.  

Session Focus: 

• The buy-vs-build calculus: when search funds and PE-backed platforms reach for M&A instead of building  
• What investors and advisors look for before they'll back or paper a deal  
• Building deal-readiness before you're ever at the table  
• How acquisitions get financed and structured — and the terms that make or break them