AI is changing not only the way consulting work is carried out, but also how clients view these firms. The market is still in a transitional phase: adoption is happening quickly, but the shift toward tangible commercial impact has not yet been realized everywhere. In a broad professional services survey by Thomson Reuters, 22% of organizations in … Read more
AI is radically transforming custom software development, but not in the way people often think. The key point is not that developers are being replaced en masse, but that the economic logic of software companies is changing. McKinsey has already concluded that software developers can perform certain tasks up to twice as fast using generative AI. Those gains are primarily in documentation, code generation … Read more
Private equity remains one of the key drivers of deal activity in the IT sector, but the rules of the game have changed. Bain reports that the buyout market will still have significant dry powder at its disposal in early 2025: although the volume of uninvested capital fell slightly from USD 1.3 trillion to USD 1.2 trillion, the share of “old” dry powder—four … Read more
Consultancy.nl spoke with Rik Stikkelbroeck, founding partner at Hogenhouck M&A, about the ongoing consolidation in the managed services provider market. In the interview, he discusses the role of scaling up, regulation, private equity, and the outlook for 2026. This isn’t the first time you’ve pointed out that consolidation in the MSP sector … Read more
The cybersecurity sector is one of the most dynamic markets today. Growing cyber threats, digitalization, and stricter regulations (including NIS2) are making security a strategic priority. This is reflected in an explosive surge in merger and acquisition (M&A) activity. While 2024 already showed signs of recovery, 2025 confirms that the market is moving full steam ahead. For entrepreneurs, this is the perfect time to … Read more
Larry Fink warns that AI could become the next crisis for the new generation of workers. “AI is changing at a rapid pace, and we’re not adapting fast enough,” said the CEO of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager. For several years now, SaaS companies have been the holy grail in M&A when it comes to added value and high valuations. Yet that seems to be changing. Or is it … Read more
We see this happen regularly in the market: an entrepreneur who has been approached by an investor or a strategic partner. They sing each other’s praises, talk about a quick deal, and everything seems to be going smoothly. In practice, however, things turn out to be more complicated: requests for information keep piling up, speed turns into delays, and in the worst-case scenario, one party pulls out. … Read more
In the first part of this blog series, we discussed how to turn your budget from a risk into a strength. In this second part, we’ll focus on what is perhaps the most intensive phase of the sales process: due diligence. How can you prevent this phase from turning into a nightmare? And how do you stay focused … Read more
A well-known data room provider recently issued a statement: “Deals are taking 23% longer.” This comes as no surprise to anyone active in the M&A market. Whereas transactions used to be completed in nine months, twelve months is now the rule rather than the exception. The market is in flux, and as a result, buyers perceive greater risk, even though … Read more
You’ve worked hard to build your business and make it successful. You’re proud of what you’ve achieved, and you still have many ambitions for the future. But you also want more security, freedom, and flexibility. You want to secure a portion of your wealth without selling your business entirely. You … Read more
