How to be a Serial Acquirer from Scratch

Mar 24, 2025

Ashish Achlerkar, Founder and Chairman of NearU, discusses his journey from investment banking to building a thriving business in the skilled trades. He reveals how he leverages M&A to fuel entrepreneurial growth and addresses the unique opportunities in this fragmented industry. Ashish shares insights on crafting a strong investment thesis, the importance of cultural alignment with private equity partners, and strategies for enhancing customer experience through technology. His journey is a masterclass in turning challenges into opportunities.

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Intro

00:00 • 3min

From Banking to Building: The Entrepreneurial Journey

02:44 • 14min

Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Industry

16:34 • 3min

Crafting an Investment Thesis in a Fragmented Sector

19:35 • 4min

Building Trust and Consistency in Customer Service

23:37 • 3min

Navigating Business Acquisitions

26:26 • 15min

Navigating PE Partnerships with Integrity

41:34 • 12min

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

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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