Inside SaaS.Group’s $80M Portfolio: Lessons from 25 acquisitions

Most SaaS founders dream of selling their company, but few understand what makes an acquisition target attractive to buyers. What if you could learn from someone who's actually on the buying side?

In this episode, Tim from SaaS.Group breaks down how they've built an $80M ARR portfolio by acquiring 25 small SaaS companies - and reveals exactly what they look for, how they evaluate deals, and what happens post-acquisition. This is a masterclass in both building businesses buyers want and understanding the acquisition landscape.

Key Highlights:

• 03:44: Why they focus on 1-10M ARR companies versus larger deals
• 05:01: The organic evolution toward product-led companies
• 06:18: 100% ownership strategy - why they don't do minority stakes
• 11:00: The $100M revenue milestone and why it's just another number
• 16:05: First year struggles - why acquisition was meant to leapfrog early-stage pain
• 22:10: The 6-7 core acquisition criteria that determine green lights
• 28:00: The Rule of 40 framework for balancing growth and profitability
• 33:17: Post-acquisition playbook - from pricing to AI positioning
• 44:27: Biannual performance reviews and radical transparency culture
• 49:17: Brand manager hiring - internal promotions vs technical generalists
• 52:25: SaaS Academy and leadership development programs
• 56:23: The three moats being built to become unstoppable
• 58:26: Why $1B in 3 years would actually hurt the business

Stop building in isolation and start understanding what buyers actually want.

Whether you're planning an exit or just want to build a more valuable business, this conversation reveals the acquisition playbook from someone who's deployed $80M+ in capital.

Resources:

📧 Contact Tim - tim@saas.group

💼 SaaS.Group - Acquiring profitable SaaS companies

📚 Book Recommendations - Humanocracy, Traction

🌱 Side Project - Ecosia.org (green search engine)