Services

Company sale

SAXO supports entrepreneurs, shareholders and investors in the sale of companies, company participations and company divisions.

Regardless of whether you are primarily pursuing financial or strategic goals when selling your company, careful preparation as well as professional and discreet handling are essential prerequisites for the success of a transaction.

SAXO advises and supports the management and shareholders in a way that ensures that the shareholders and management can continue to concentrate on the “day-to-day business” despite the complexity of the transaction and the time involved.

The process of selling the company is carried out with clearly defined steps and milestones. In this way, the seller has an overview of the status of the project and the necessary further steps at all times.

Stages

Stage 1

  • Stocktaking/preparation
  • Analysis and evaluation of the initial situation; development of the sales strategy
  • Definition and implementation of necessary adjustment measures
  • Preparation of company documentation (information memorandum, short profile/teaser)
  • Compilation of documents for preparation of data room/(limited) vendor due diligence

Stage 2

  • Investor selection and approach
  • Research of suitable buyer candidates, preliminary soundings
  • Preparation of long list, selection of short list of candidates to be approached
  • Approach potential candidates

Stage 3

  • Investor meetings and further exchange of information
  • Exchange of NDA
  • Start of discussions / management presentations
  • Solicitation of expressions of interest / negotiation of letter of intent

Stage 4

  • Due diligence, contract negotiations and closing
  • Support in the preparation and execution of due diligence
  • Support during contract negotiations up to the conclusion of the contract

Company acquisition

SAXO has many years of international experience in venture capital/private equity and offers interested investors comprehensive support in the search for and evaluation of attractive investment opportunities. Our focus is on technology and service companies from our core ICT industry. If required, we support the further process from valuation and due diligence to contract negotiations.

Stages

Stage 1

  • Definition of search profile
  • Creation of essential preconditions with the buyer

Stage 2

  • Identification of potential target companies / market research / preliminary soundings
  • Approach and sounding out of interest
  • Management discussions / further exchange of information

Stage 3

  • Structuring of the transaction / negotiation of a letter of intent
  • Determination of indicative enterprise value

Stage 4

  • Preparation and support of due diligence
  • Contract negotiations and conclusion
  • Preparation of integration

Corporate finance consultancy modules

SAXO offers modular consulting services in selected areas with implementation support to ensure the successful achievement of objectives. The modular principle with pre-defined milestones ensures the client ongoing project-related success and cost control. The following is a selection of examples:

Evaluation of purchase or investment request

Expressions of interest from potential investors/buyers often catch the management/shareholders unprepared, but require a prompt and qualified response in the case of attractive enquiries. The objective is to optimise the preparation and conduct of talks with interested parties in the short term.

Essential content:

  • Initial assessment of the basic attractiveness of the offer and the interested party
  • Elaboration of critical areas in the conduct of talks
  • Analysis and optimisation of internal documentation/preparation of documents for conducting interviews
  • Providing an overview of the overall process and essential dos and don’ts
  • Preparation of the conduct of negotiations by analysing critical areas for a possible letter of intent, for due diligence as well as for the purchase agreement

Result:
Optimisation of the conduct of talks/negotiations with interested parties; evaluation of alternative strategies as well as roadmap for pursuing alternative strategies, if applicable.

Company value evaluation

Determination of an indicative enterprise value/an indicative enterprise value range in the run-up to/ in connection with potential changes in the shareholder or company structure, such as company sale, merger, adjustment of the shareholder structure, management buy-in/management buy-out, employee participation, company acquisitions, anticipated succession, etc.

Essential content:

  • Screening of existing database
  • Analysis of historical financial data with regard to sustainability and, if necessary, adjustment
  • Reconciliation of results with medium-term planning and basic plausibility check
  • Determination of an indicative enterprise value

Result:
Indicative enterprise value with presentation of valuation assumptions

Internal Mergers & Acquisitions Workshop

The objective of the workshop is to achieve a common understanding among the shareholders/management of the essential phases and individual steps of a successful transaction, the prerequisites and possibly necessary adjustment measures as well as the time schedule with regard to an intended sale of the company, taking into account the individual personal objectives of the individual shareholders.

Main content:

  • Discussion of short- and medium-term strategy; SWOT – analysis.
  • Current market environment & development trends; strategies of the main competitors
  • Key factors critical to success & necessary adjustment measures
  • Key value drivers/influencing factors on enterprise value
  • Common understanding of the shareholders’ expectations of a strategic partner/investor and the most important (personal) objectives of the shareholders/management in the transaction
  • Key phases in the preparation and execution of a transaction as well as the adjustment measures required for this purpose
  • M&A and investment activities in the sector (who is buying whom/what?)
  • Discussion: for which potential investors is the company interesting under the desired conditions?
  • Current market valuations of companies and typical transaction structures
  • Conclusion from the discussions, possible next steps & indicative timeline overall project.

Result:
Common understanding among shareholders and management of the prerequisites, necessary adjustment measures, phases and time horizon of an M&A transaction. Reconciliation of results with medium-term planning and basic plausibility check
Determination of an indicative enterprise value
Indicative enterprise value with presentation of the valuation premises