The Tech M&A Podcast

In this episode of the Tech M&A Podcast, we sit down with Brian Allen, former Managing Director and Chief Executive of Certus Solutions. Over the course of two decades, Brian grew Certus into a leading IBM-focused software and services provider in Australia and New Zealand, specializing in enterprise asset management. This journey culminated in a successful strategic sale to Egis, following a long-planned liquidity event for the company's shareholders. Brian discusses his decade-long relationship with Corum Group, which began during a prior M&A process, and explains why he chose to re-engage professional advisors for the Certus exit. He shares candid insights into managing a complex transaction that included a strategic "hiatus" period, the importance of maintaining competitive tension during negotiations, and his advice for CEOs navigating their first or second sale. This episode offers a masterclass in long-term value creation and the discipline required to execute a high-stakes liquidity event. Takeaways Plan for the long term: Successful exits are often the result of years of preparation to ensure maximum shareholder value. Specialization is key: Deep expertise in a specific ecosystem, such as IBM technologies, can position a firm as a dominant regional player. Maintain leverage: Using a "hiatus" or pause in a deal can be a strategic tool to reset expectations and ensure competitive tension. Professional representation matters: Engaging experienced advisors is critical when negotiating with large institutional buyers and global entities. Focus on the "Why": Understanding the specific timing for a liquidity event helps align the interests of all shareholders and stakeholders. Timestamps 00:11 – Introducing Brian Allen and the growth of Certus Solutions 01:22 – A ten-year history: First learning about Corum Group via Zcom 01:55 – Navigating the 15-year journey toward a liquidity event 03:40 – Scaling as a premier IBM partner in Australia and New Zealand 06:15 – Why Certus chose professional M&A representation for this exit 08:30 – Life after the deal: Advising Egis and future plans 09:30 – Navigating the transaction "hiatus" and its impact on the deal 10:07 – Creating competitive tension to protect deal terms 10:21 – How the hiatus ultimately benefited the final outcome 10:27 – Final thoughts and wrap-up

Selling a company is one of the most complex—and emotional—transactions a founder will ever face. In this 2026 Annual Sellers Panel, CEOs who successfully built and sold their companies share real‑world insights from inside the M&A process. From global deal dynamics and valuation expectations to earnouts, advisor selection, partner alignment, and emotional resilience, this panel offers candid lessons every founder should hear before going to market. The discussion highlights what surprised sellers most, where preparation mattered, and why having experienced advisors, aligned partners, and clean financial reporting can make or break an outcome. If you're a tech founder or CEO thinking about an exit—now or in the future—this panel delivers practical, experience‑driven advice from those who've already been through it. Corum is the world's leading educator on tech trends, valuations, growth strategies and Tech M&A. If you are a Tech CEO/founder and would like to learn to prepare, position, research, value, negotiate and execute due diligence for maximum price and optimal structure in an M&A transaction, attend one of our upcoming events. Visit corumgroup.com/events for a full global event schedule. Takeaways Tech M&A is truly global, with buyers and sellers spanning multiple continents A company is ultimately worth what the market is willing to pay, not expectations Valuation discussions require research and realism Earnouts and post‑close roles must be clearly defined upfront Partner alignment and transparency are critical during negotiations Strong preparation of financials reduces pressure during due diligence Experienced M&A advisors help smooth negotiations and protect value Once committed to an exit, founders should make every decision around building value Chapters 01:42 – What was your process for selecting an advisor 04:54 – What was your motivation for going through the M&A process? 07:39 – During the M&A process, what surprises did you encounter along the way? 11:53 – What advice would you give to CEOs selling their company?

February 2026 was an active month for technology mergers and acquisitions, with 394 tech M&A transactions, including five billion‑dollar mega deals and a top disclosed transaction valued at $9.9 billion. In this market update, we break down the latest tech M&A data from the Corum Index, including deal volume, valuation multiples, private equity activity, cross‑border trends, and sector‑level performance across horizontal, vertical, infrastructure, gaming, IT services, healthcare, AI, cybersecurity, and supply chain management. You'll hear where valuations are expanding, which subsectors are commanding premium multiples, and how strategic buyers, private equity firms, and non‑tech acquirers are shaping today's deal landscape. If you're a founder, CEO, investor, or corporate development leader, this report offers practical insight into exit timing, buyer demand, and market momentum. Takeaways February 2026 recorded 394 tech M&A deals, including five $1B+ mega transactions Private equity acquired 23 platform companies; VC‑backed exits totaled 105 35% of deals were cross‑border, highlighting strong global buyer demand Startups represented 45% of all transactions, with an average target age of 12 years The horizontal sector continues to lead in total deal volume and value Supply Chain Management (SCM) delivered the highest revenue and EBITDA multiples Healthcare, education software, AI, cybersecurity, gaming, and infrastructure saw robust activity Strategic buyers increasingly pursued AI capabilities, data platforms, and sector‑specific software Valuation multiples varied widely by subsector—underscoring the importance of positioning and timing Chapters 00:13 – Mega Deals and Market Scale 00:24 – Private Equity, VC Exits & Cross‑Border 00:47 – Vertical vs Horizontal Sector Performance 04:22 – IT Services Valuation Trends (Developed & Emerging Markets) 06:15 – Consumer Sector Deals 09:06 – Infrastructure Sector Valuations