Startup Acquisition Stories

Lebanese founder, Nour Shaaban just sold his SaaS business on Acquire.com for a life-changing sum. While he can’t reveal too many details due to his non-disclosure agreement (NDA), he agreed to hop on the SASP podcast to talk about his experience building and selling his business. Listen to Nour’s chat with Andrew as they discuss: The benefits of the Guided by Acquire process that can’t be found anywhere else How the Acquire.com experience compares to the old MicroAcquire experience Advice to other entrepreneurs trying to create a 7-figure exit ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Be sure to subscribe to see the newest acquisition stories every Tuesday and gain the knowledge to buy or sell your own online business → https://youtube.com/@acquiredotcom?sub_confirmation=1 Want more stories? Access the past 50+ acquisition stories here → https://blog.acquire.com/tag/startup-acquisition-stories-podcast/ Thinking about selling your own startup? The number one question is always 'how much can I sell for' and we've got the answers in our biannual valuation multiples reports here → https://blog.acquire.com/tag/acquire-coms-acquisition-multiples-report/ Thinking about buying a startup? Sign up for a free buyer account and browse all the live listings. Upgrade only when you find the right one that fits your acquisition criteria to engage. Get Started → https://acquire.com/buyers/ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow the Host: Andrew Gazdecki https://twitter.com/agazdecki https://www.linkedin.com/in/agazdecki/ https://acquire.com Follow Acquire.com - https://twitter.com/acquiredotcom https://www.linkedin.com/company/acquiredotcom https://www.tiktok.com/@acquiredotcom ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ About Acquire.com: Acquire.com is the largest and most active acquisition marketplace for buying and selling online businesses. Acquire.com is the highest rated platform for both ease and quickness to match buyers and sellers. We cater to all types of online, revenue-generating businesses while producing the highest success rates for SaaS and eCommerce/DTC businesses in the M&A industry. Join over 350,000 entrepreneurs making life-changing connections and deals everyday.

Luke Sheppard recently finished his bachelor’s degree at BYU with a little more spending money and work experience than most grads. He just sold his startup at 23 years old. While attending university to study business, Luke launched a company called Revive Ratings. It was a marketing SaaS targeted at insurance agencies. He sold it in just over two years on Acquire.com. To successfully launch his business, Luke took some big risks, like buying a one year $50,000 white-labeled software license while still pre-revenue. But Luke also had lots of help along the way. His professors and even his competitors were happy to take a young college student under their wing as he learned the ropes. After years of hard work and the help of the Acquire team, Luke managed to secure his dream exit and pave the road to many more to come. He’s already in the process of acquiring his next business on Acquire. Post acquisition, listen to a jam-packed new episode of Startup Acquisition Stories Podcast as Luke and Andrew discuss: The unfair advantage of launching a startup while in university Why insurance agencies make great sales targets How Andrew first discovered the idea behind his first successful startup, Bizness Apps The potential timeline delays from SBA Loan buyers Andrew’s college days as a young entrepreneur What Andrew Gazdecki would be doing right now if he wasn’t running Acquire Luke is just getting started and you can follow along on his journey here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheppluke/ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Be sure to subscribe to see the newest acquisition stories every Tuesday and gain the knowledge to buy or sell your own online business → https://youtube.com/@acquiredotcom?sub_confirmation=1 Want more stories? Access the past 50+ acquisition stories here → https://blog.acquire.com/tag/startup-acquisition-stories-podcast/ Thinking about selling your own startup? The number one question is always 'how much can I sell for' and we've got the answers in our biannual valuation multiples reports here → https://blog.acquire.com/tag/acquire-coms-acquisition-multiples-report/ Thinking about buying a startup? Sign up for a free buyer account and browse all the live listings. Upgrade only when you find the right one that fits your acquisition criteria to engage. Get Started → https://acquire.com/buyers/ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow the Guest: Luke Sheppard https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheppluke Follow the Host: Andrew Gazdecki - ⁠https://twitter.com/agazdecki​⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/agazdecki/​⁠ ⁠https://acquire.com⁠ Follow Acquire.com - ⁠https://twitter.com/acquiredotcom⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/acquiredotcom⁠ ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@acquiredotcom⁠ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ About Acquire.com: Acquire.com is the largest and most active acquisition marketplace for buying and selling online businesses. Acquire.com is the highest rated platform for both ease and quickness to match buyers and sellers. We cater to all types of online, revenue-generating businesses while producing the highest success rates for SaaS businesses in the M&A industry. Join over 500,000 entrepreneurs making life-changing connections and deals everyday.

In a moment of frustration, David Idol created his first successful Chrome extension, Computer Mouse for XCloud. In just a few short months, he was making $4,000 per month in revenue and he eventually sold his project for 5-figures. Here’s how it happened. David was working at Microsoft for Xbox Live when they launched XCloud, their cloud gaming application. It let players stream games from other devices like computers or phones.  But David noticed a problem. Gamers weren’t able to play games on their PCs without special controllers. He coded a Chrome extension letting gamers use their keyboards for games on the PC. He posted about it on Reddit and almost overnight acquired thousands of users. After three months, David added a one-time payment to access his product and reached $4,000 in monthly revenue and over 250,000 users. People around the world wrote him emails and reviews thanking him for the extension. He’d even made it easier for disabled people to enjoy Xbox games. But though Computer Mouse for XCloud was exploding in popularity, David didn’t feel he had time to keep adding features. He listed it on Acquire.com and eventually sold it to a promising buyer. Post sale, tune into this week’s episode of startup acquisition stories as David and Andrew discuss: How David went from hacking Xbox games to working for Microsoft Why David’s product name was great for traffic The dangers of potential buyers for Chrome extensions How to transfer ownership of Chrome extensions ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow the Guest: David Idol - https://twitter.com/DavidIdolize https://davididol.com/ https://photoarchiveapp.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rdidol/ Follow the Host: Andrew Gazdecki -  https://twitter.com/agazdecki https://www.linkedin.com/in/agazdecki/ https://acquire.com Follow Acquire.com - https://twitter.com/acquiredotcom https://www.linkedin.com/company/acquiredotcom https://www.tiktok.com/@acquiredotcom ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ About Acquire.com: Acquire.com is the largest and most active acquisition marketplace for buying and selling online businesses. Acquire.com is the highest-rated platform for both ease and quickness to match buyers and sellers.  We cater to all types of online, revenue-generating businesses while producing the highest success rates for SaaS and eCommerce/DTC businesses in the M&A industry. Join over 350,000 entrepreneurs making life-changing connections and deals everyday.

What would you do if you were stuck in a cabin during an Icelandic snowstorm? Adam Senese and his brother came up with their Shopify app for product bundling, Linq Commerce, trapped in an Airbnb for the day during the dead of the Icelandic winter. The cofounders went home and launched Linq Commerce in early 2020 right as covid hit the world and people scrambled for new ways to make money online. It ended up being a record year for new Shopify stores. Within weeks, Adam and his brother had over 1,000 users on their app. Linq Commerce grew steadily from there, but after two years of building, Adam and his brother felt they weren’t the right owners to grow Linq to the next level. It was time to find a buyer. Adam listed on Acquire.com in late 2022 and sold to a promising buyer for five figures in six months. Post-acquisition, listen to Adam’s chat with Andrew Gazdecki as they discuss: Why Shopify apps are great for first-time SaaS founders How to find product market fit with any SaaS product The importance of goodwill between buyers and sellers Why sellers should start with a slightly lower asking price if they want a good sale price ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow the Guest: Adam Senese - https://linqcommerce.com/ (acquired) https://www.parallelchat.com/ (new startup) https://twitter.com/adamsenese https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamsenese/ Follow the Host: Andrew Gazdecki - https://twitter.com/agazdecki​ https://www.linkedin.com/in/agazdecki/​ https://acquire.com Follow Acquire.com - https://twitter.com/acquiredotcom https://www.linkedin.com/company/acquiredotcom https://www.tiktok.com/@acquiredotcom

If someone told you they did what you just read in this title, you’d probably think they’d committed a crime. But Qayyum Rajan’s good fortune was a surprise twist of fate. Early in 2023, Qayyum sold his business, ESG Analytics, to a private equity firm. But, his acquirer ran out of money and offered the business back to him for next to nothing a few months later. Qayyum got back in the driver's seat of his startup, spent $10,000 to redesign its website, and then listed it on Acquire.com for another sale. ESG Analytics was popular with buyers. Its clients were mid-level private equity firms and portfolio managers who needed to evaluate environmental social good (ESG) performance across large numbers of businesses. No other tool provided affordable ESG industry reports at the time. Within days of listing on Acquire, Qayyam was pitting a handful of small PE buyers against each other in a bidding war. He finally sold for five figures, spent 20 percent on a vacation for himself and his wife, and set the other 80 percent aside for savings. Post-acquisition, listen to Qayyum’s Startup Acquisition Stories Podcast episode with Andrew as they discuss: The huge ESG industry problem Qayyum capitalized on The advantages of selling a business multiple times What founders need to do to increase their sale valuation Why future sellers need to be extra careful when applying for a business credit card Qayyum is just getting started and you can follow him on his journey here: LinkedIn His new business: http://www.nuuventures.com/ Twitter ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow the Guest: Qayyum Raja https://twitter.com/qayyumrajan https://www.esganalytics.io/how-it-works (SOLD) Follow the Host: Andrew Gazdecki - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/agazdecki⁠/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/agazdecki/​⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://acquire.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Acquire.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/acquiredotcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/acquiredotcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@acquiredotcom/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@acquiredotcom⁠⁠⁠⁠ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ About Acquire.com: Acquire.com is the largest and most active acquisition marketplace for buying and selling online businesses. Acquire.com is the highest rated platform for both ease and quickness to match buyers and sellers. We cater to all types of online, revenue-generating businesses while producing the highest success rates for SaaS and eCommerce/DTC businesses in the M&A industry. Join over 350,000 entrepreneurs making life-changing connections and deals everyday.

Venture-backed startups often fail, but M&A can salvage them. Wil Schroter shares his experience of buying failing startups and making 50 times ROI. Topics include knowing when to sell, restructuring a startup for desirability, and the challenges of acquiring distressed companies.

Working a nine-to-five can be a great launchpad for a successful SaaS application. Just ask Belgian founders Dani Ibanez and Drilon Sqn. Using their industry experience, they created a review application for Shopify called TrustReviews and sold it for six figures. Dani and Drilon look similar (and even finish each other's sentences) but they've pursued very different careers. Drilon is a software engineer and a cybersecurity consultant for the Belgian government. Dani worked in ecommerce marketing, advertising, and media buying for a handful of big-name clients. When they started brainstorming products to build together, Dani remembered his problems with product review apps from his marketing days. Many review platforms were two years behind on features like video reviews, for example. They built their own application and grew it rapidly through word of mouth and listening to customer feedback. They were proud of TrustReviews but when they got wind of a real-estate flip opportunity in Belgium, TrustReviews was the product they owned that was most easily sellable. They hopped on Acquire unsure they could actually sell TrustReviews but ended up closing the six-figure deal in a staggering two weeks. They walked away with more than enough to close their real estate deal. Listen to their talk with Andrew post acquisition as they discuss: ► Why you shouldn’t grow a Shopify app too quickly ► What to do with a windfall of money. ► The best parts of the Acquire.com Escrow.com integration ► A key feature they added to their website that boosted sales ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Be sure to subscribe to see the newest acquisition stories every Tuesday and gain the knowledge to buy or sell your own online business → https://youtube.com/@acquiredotcom?sub_confirmation=1 Want more stories? Access the past 50+ acquisition stories here → https://blog.acquire.com/tag/startup-acquisition-stories-podcast/ Thinking about selling your own startup? The number one question is always 'how much can I sell for' and we've got the answers in our biannual valuation multiples reports here → https://blog.acquire.com/tag/acquire-coms-acquisition-multiples-report/ Thinking about buying a startup? Sign up for a free buyer account and browse all the live listings. Upgrade only when you find the right one that fits your acquisition criteria to engage. Get Started → https://acquire.com/buyers/ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow the Guest: Dani Parra Ibanez and Drilon Sqn https://twitter.com/Daniparraibanez https://twitter.com/DrilonSqn https://reviews.trustapps.co/ (SOLD) Follow the Host: Andrew Gazdecki - https://twitter.com/agazdecki​ https://www.linkedin.com/in/agazdecki/​ https://acquire.com Follow Acquire.com - https://twitter.com/acquiredotcom https://www.linkedin.com/company/acquiredotcom https://www.tiktok.com/@acquiredotcom ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ About Acquire.com: Acquire.com is the largest and most active acquisition marketplace for buying and selling online businesses. Acquire.com is the highest rated platform for both ease and quickness to match buyers and sellers. We cater to all types of online, revenue-generating businesses while producing the highest success rates for SaaS and eCommerce/DTC businesses in the M&A industry. Join over 350,000 entrepreneurs making life-changing connections and deals everyday.

Martin Galovic, Founder of FanMetrics, shares his coding journey and how he built FansMetrics.com, the biggest long-term search engine, eventually selling it for seven figures. The chapter also discusses their journey in creating a website that gained massive attention, tips for founders looking to sell their businesses, generating multiple offers, managing finances, and building relationships with AI using acquire.com.

Startup Acquisition Stories with Ken Savage, Founder of Product Launch Pro ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow the Guest: Ken Savage - https://twitter.com/kensavage https://www.linkedin.com/in/kensavage/ https://productlaunchpro.com (SOLD) Follow the Host: Andrew Gazdecki - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/agazdecki⁠/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/agazdecki/​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://acquire.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Acquire.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/acquiredotcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/acquiredotcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@acquiredotcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@acquiredotcom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ About Acquire.com: Acquire.com is the largest and most active acquisition marketplace for buying and selling online businesses. Acquire.com is the highest rated platform for both ease and quickness to match buyers and sellers. We cater to all types of online, revenue-generating businesses while producing the highest success rates for SaaS and eCommerce/DTC businesses in the M&A industry. Join over 350,000 entrepreneurs making life-changing connections and deals everyday.

Startup Acquisition Stories with Yahia Bakour, Co-founder of Stock Alarm ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow the Guest: Yahia Bakour - https://twitter.com/mynameisyahia https://www.linkedin.com/in/yahia-bakour/ https://stockalarm.io/ (SOLD) Follow the Host: Andrew Gazdecki - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/agazdecki⁠/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/agazdecki/​⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://acquire.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Acquire.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/acquiredotcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/acquiredotcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@acquiredotcom/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@acquiredotcom⁠⁠⁠⁠ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ About Acquire.com: Acquire.com is the largest and most active acquisition marketplace for buying and selling online businesses. Acquire.com is the highest rated platform for both ease and quickness to match buyers and sellers. We cater to all types of online, revenue-generating businesses while producing the highest success rates for SaaS and eCommerce/DTC businesses in the M&A industry. Join over 350,000 entrepreneurs making life-changing connections and deals everyday.