Main Street To Mid-Street Acquisition & Financing News

Expert insights, funding strategies, and practical guidance for securing capital, financing growth, and navigating business acquisitions. Whether you're raising capital for expansion, restructuring debt, or exploring your first acquisition, our blog provides the knowledge and resources to help you succeed.

Growth
October 22, 2025

Ultimate Guide to Earnouts in SMB Acquisitions

Earnouts are increasingly used in SMB acquisitions to bridge valuation gaps between buyers and sellers by tying a portion of the purchase price to the company’s future performance. They align both parties’ interests by balancing risk and reward—buyers reduce upfront exposure while sellers have the opportunity to earn more if the business performs well. However, success depends on clearly defined performance metrics, timelines, and payment structures to minimize disputes and ensure transparency throughout the earnout period.

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Growth
October 21, 2025

Salesforce Enhances Process Automation with Apromore Acquisition

Salesforce’s acquisition of Apromore strengthens its position in process automation by integrating advanced process intelligence and analytics capabilities into its platform. This move empowers small businesses to gain end-to-end visibility into their operations, identify inefficiencies, and automate repetitive tasks to boost productivity. With Apromore’s tools for process mining, simulation, and optimization, Salesforce is paving the way for a new era of intelligent, agentic automation tailored for growing enterprises.

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Growth
October 21, 2025

M&A Risk Assessment Tool

The M&A Risk Assessment Tool helps buyers, sellers, and advisors identify and evaluate potential pitfalls before completing a merger or acquisition. By analyzing financial, operational, legal, and cultural risks, it offers a structured framework to make data-driven decisions and avoid costly surprises. With clear, actionable insights, users can confidently negotiate terms and plan for smoother post-deal integration.

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Growth
October 20, 2025

Papa John's Stock Jumps as Apollo Offers Buyout Valued at 30% Premium

Papa John’s (PZZA) jumped after reports that Apollo Global Management submitted a fresh $64/share take-private bid—roughly a 30% premium to the prior close near $52—reviving June’s buyout chatter. The company hasn’t confirmed a deal, but multiple outlets say Apollo’s latest approach has sparked a sharp move in the stock

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Growth
October 20, 2025

Top 7 Oversight Mistakes in M&A Deals

M&A deals frequently miss their targets because of seven recurring oversights: rushed due diligence, overpaying, inflated synergy assumptions, weak integration planning, poor stakeholder communication, legal/compliance gaps, and lack of leadership accountability after close. The fix is disciplined valuation and diligence, a concrete integration roadmap, transparent comms, rigorous legal review, and accountable leadership—augmented by AI-driven tools to streamline checks and keep execution on track.

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Growth
October 19, 2025

SBA Loan Interest Calculator

The SBA Loan Interest Calculator helps small business owners estimate the true cost of financing by breaking down monthly payments and total interest based on loan amount, term, and rate. It’s a simple yet powerful tool for budgeting and comparing loan options before committing to an SBA 7(a) or 504 loan. By understanding potential costs upfront, borrowers can make smarter financial decisions and negotiate more effectively with lenders.

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Growth
October 19, 2025

Corpay and TPG finalize AvidXchange acquisition agreement

Corpay and TPG have finalized their joint acquisition of AvidXchange Holdings, Inc., marking a major step in the corporate payments and automation industry. Corpay invested $550 million for a 34% equity stake in the $450 million revenue AP automation company, with an option to acquire the remaining ownership later. The partnership strengthens Corpay’s fintech portfolio and positions both firms to accelerate growth, enhance payment solutions, and expand influence across the global financial technology landscape.

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Growth
October 19, 2025

Hillenbrand acquired by Lone Star in $3.8 billion all-cash deal

Hillenbrand Inc. has agreed to be acquired by Lone Star Funds in a $3.8 billion all-cash deal, valuing the company at $32 per share—a 37% premium over its recent closing price. The acquisition marks Hillenbrand’s transition to a privately held company and underscores its successful transformation into a focused industrial equipment manufacturer. Lone Star plans to leverage Hillenbrand’s expertise in plastics, food processing, and recycling to drive continued growth and innovation in its industrial portfolio.

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Growth
October 19, 2025

Business Sale Preparation Planner

The Business Sale Preparation Planner is a strategic roadmap designed to help business owners maximize value and minimize stress when preparing to sell. It guides users through essential steps—organizing financials, streamlining operations, and presenting a compelling market story—to attract qualified buyers and avoid common pitfalls. Whether you’re months or years away from exiting, this planner ensures you’re fully prepared to sell with confidence and clarity.

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Growth
October 19, 2025

How Institutional Investors Reshape Private Credit

Institutional investors have reshaped private credit into a $2–2.5 trillion market that now rivals traditional bank lending. Their appetite for higher yields and regulatory shifts post-2008 have fueled rapid growth, enabling faster and more flexible financing for mid-market and Main Street businesses. While this influx of capital expands access to credit, it also introduces higher borrowing costs and fewer regulatory safeguards—making informed decision-making critical for borrowers navigating between private credit and bank financing.

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Growth
October 19, 2025

S&P Global acquires With Intelligence for $1.8 billion to strengthen market position

S&P Global has announced the $1.8 billion acquisition of With Intelligence, a leading provider of private markets data and analytics, from majority investor Motive Partners. The move bolsters S&P Global’s position in the rapidly expanding private markets sector, adding deep datasets on over 350,000 deals and 70,000 funds. By integrating With Intelligence’s proprietary data with platforms like Capital IQ Pro, iLEVEL, and WSO, S&P Global aims to deliver unmatched transparency, insight, and workflow solutions across the private markets ecosystem.

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Growth
October 17, 2025

Global M&A activity surges to decade-high values in Q3 2025

Global M&A activity surged to its highest level in a decade during Q3 2025, reaching $371 billion in completed deals—surpassing the total value of the first half of the year. North America led the resurgence, with deal values more than doubling year-over-year and contributing $246 billion. Analysts attribute the momentum to stabilized interest rates, strong equity markets, and renewed confidence among dealmakers despite ongoing geopolitical and regulatory challenges.

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Acquire Quality. Fund Growth. Close with Confidence.

As an AI-driven Business Acquisition Marketplace and Financing Platform, we are on a mission to simplify and accelerate the MainStreet to MidStreet lending and acquisition ecosystem.

We specialize in technology that supports price discovery, identity verification and financial qualification, and buy-side tools to help searchers source and manage deal flow, make offers, secure lending/financing solutions, and close with confidence.

illustration of team with digital platform

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions by users that are looking to buy businesses on Clearly Acquired:

How can I show business owners I'm a legitimate buyer and that I'm interested?

With a Clearly Verified account, you can instill confidence in other users, brokers and sellers that you are, who you say you are, when you "verify" your identify.  This is the key to instilling confidence in the users on the platform,  gaining traction and getting instant access to financials, supporting data and insight to quickly move to making an offer or moving on.   This will save you months of wasted time and expedite the closing of a sale.

How are my finances verified?

Using financial technology the Clearly Acquired Platform safely and securely verifies your finances, to help sellers understand your closing capability and help lenders expedite your financing. Additionally, the buy-side deal room will help you get your documentation in order, to prepare you for the debt and equity financing you will need to close your acquisition.

Can I get in touch with advisors to help support me in this process?

The Clearly Acquired team is here to support you on your business acquisition or business sale journey. That said, the platform is designed to connect you with a community of users, who are identify verified, which include: investors, lenders, advisors, brokers, consultants, and other buyers who are looking for partners.  

What is a Deal Hub?

The Deal Hub is the central repository for all transaction-related activities on our business acquisition platform. It serves as a secure and organized space where buyers and sellers can access critical information and manage the entire acquisition process efficiently. The Deal Hub is divided into two main components: the Data Room and the Deal Rooms.

Data Room: The Data Room is a secure, virtual storage space where sellers can upload and share essential documents related to their business. This includes financial statements, legal contracts, operational reports, and other due diligence materials. Buyers can access these documents to conduct thorough evaluations and make informed decisions. The Data Room ensures that all sensitive information is protected and only accessible to authorized parties.

Deal Rooms: The Deal Rooms are dedicated spaces for each business listing where buyers and sellers can collaborate and negotiate terms. Each Deal Room is equipped with tools for real-time communication, document sharing, and tracking the progress of the deal. This streamlined environment facilitates transparent and efficient interactions, helping to expedite the acquisition process and ensuring that both parties are aligned at every stage.

The Deal Hub's comprehensive and secure infrastructure simplifies the complexities of business acquisitions, providing a seamless experience for all users involved.

What is Plaid?

Plaid is a financial technology company that provides a secure and seamless way to connect and interact with financial institutions. It enables applications to access users' financial data with their consent, facilitating a wide range of services such as identity verification, account authentication, and transaction history retrieval. Plaid's robust API infrastructure ensures high security, reliability, and compliance with regulatory standards.

By integrating Plaid, Clearly Acquired can offer a secure, efficient, and reliable method for identity verification, building trust among users and ensuring the integrity of the acquisition process.

I am new to the idea of business acquisition, where can I get more information on how to get started?

Make sure to check out our Educational Course on Business Acquisition that is offered in our paid plans for buyers: From Purchase to Profit: Mastering the Art of Business Acquisition.

This Membership Course for buyers is designed to empower individuals with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to navigate the business acquisition process successfully. Whether you're a first-time buyer or an experienced entrepreneur, our course equips you with the tools and insights needed to make informed decisions and achieve your acquisition goals. Join us and embark on your journey to buying a business with Clearly Acquired.

Easy as 1, 2, 3

Create Your Account. Get Verified. Start Searching.

1

Create an account

Every day, lenders, investors, brokers, and sellers come to Clearly Acquired looking for qualified operators like you. Creating an account and getting verified helps you stand out and build trust.

2

Build your profile

Build your profile to get matched with capital and opportunities. Showcase your expertise and resume, to connect with the right capital and acquisition partners—making every opportunity count.

3

Search & Connect

Browse Verified listings, source off-market deals, & manage deal flow with powerful tools to underwrite opportunities, and connect with capital to streamline the entire acquisition and funding process

Join the Clearly Acquired Search Community

Create Your Profile & Get Verified for Free