From Banking to Building: The Entrepreneurial Journey

 Ashish Achlerkar, Founder and Chairman at NearU

Starting a business from scratch is challenging, but Ashish Achlerkar, Founder and Chairman of NearU, took a unique path—leveraging M&A as a tool for entrepreneurship. In this episode of the M&A Science Podcast, Ashish shares how he transitioned from investment banking to building a multi-state, multi-million-dollar business in the skilled trades industry.

Ashish’s journey is a masterclass in leveraging M&A for business expansion, focusing on strategic acquisitions, cultural alignment, and operational efficiency to build a thriving company in an industry ripe for disruption.

Things you will learn:

• Entrepreneurship through acquisition – Why M&A is a tool, not an end goal

• How to evaluate industries for acquisition – Why the skilled trades industry was the perfect fit

•  Building a scalable business post-acquisition – The importance of training and technology

• Working with private equity – How to find the right partner and maintain control

This isn’t just another webinar—it’s an interactive experience designed to give you the tools and strategies to lead your M&A deals with confidence. This half-day event brings together corporate development leaders and M&A experts to explore Buyer-Led M&A™, showing how you can take control of every stage of the deal. Register Now

Episode Timestamps:

• [00:01:30] Ashish’s Journey from Banking to Entrepreneurship

• [00:02:30] Lessons Learned from the Entrepreneurial Journey

• [00:07:00] Defining Purpose and the ‘Why’ Behind Entrepreneurship

• [00:10:30] Making the Leap from Corporate to Startup Life

• [00:13:00] Selecting a Sector Through First Principles Thinking

• [00:18:00] Building the Investment Thesis for NearU

• [00:26:30] Executing the First Deal with a Bootstrap Approach

• [00:31:30] Sourcing Deals Through Relationships & Reputation

• [00:37:00] Challenges in Early and Scaling Phases

• [00:40:00] Working with Private Equity While Preserving Vision

• [00:48:00] Final Reflections: Transparency, Integrity & Doing the Right Thing