Thoma Bravo’s leading enterprise software investor discusses exit strategies, bid-ask spread challenges, impact of interest rate spikes on valuations, competitive deal structures, efficient debt markets, software's superior business model, evolution of strategic exits in software industry, cloud computing impact, proactive company sourcing, and transformative partnerships in private equity.
Focus on strategic exits and quality investments leads to stable valuations even in volatile markets.
High-profit-margin software companies show stability, emphasizing the importance of quality investments for long-term value creation.
Deep dives
Navigating Exits and Bid-Ask Spread
Tomar Bravo focuses on navigating the bid-ask spread challenge in exiting investments. Despite market volatility, building strong companies like Adenza has attracted strategic buyers like Nasdaq. The company's focus on quality over revenue growth resulted in stable valuations even in challenging market environments. High-profit-margin software companies have shown less volatility, emphasizing the importance of strategic exits and quality investments.
Impact of Interest Rates on Valuations
The rise in interest rates has significantly influenced valuations in the enterprise software sector. While high revenue, low-profit companies face volatility, high-profit, high-growth firms remain stable in the market. Competition in private debt financing has reduced spreads, making it more attractive for companies with strong margins. Despite market shifts, the strategic focus remains on high-quality, profitable companies for long-term value creation.
Sourcing Quality Software Deals
Tomar Bravo's sourcing strategy involves an entrepreneurial approach, engaging with CEOs to identify ideal investment partners. The firm's brand recognition enables access to various software opportunities. Specialized teams focus on vertical markets like financial and healthcare technology, targeting larger, public companies for potential acquisitions. Proactive engagement and continuous relationship-building with target companies ensure strategic investments and swift transformations for value creation.
In part two of our series, Thoma Bravo’s leading enterprise software investor explains how they continue to find exit opportunities and source new deals.
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