The M&A Library

How companies are bought and sold, explained in plain English. Start at the top and work down, or jump to what you need.

The learning path

  1. 1 What Is M&A? Mergers and Acquisitions in Plain English Plain-English guide to mergers and acquisitions: merger vs acquisition, why owners sell, who buys, how an SME sale runs, and the myths that cost founders money.
  2. 2 Who Is Involved in Selling a Company? The M&A Cast List Every role in a company sale explained: sell-side adviser vs broker, lawyers, accountants, buyer deal teams, lenders, W&I insurers, valuers and escrow agents.
  3. 3 M&A Deal Documents Explained, From NDA to Completion Every document in a company sale, in the order a founder meets them: what each one is, who drafts it, and what to watch for, with Singapore filings at the end.
  4. 4 M&A Deal Structures Explained: How a Company Sale Is Paid Share or asset sale, cash or shares, earn-outs, escrow, vendor loans, rollover equity, locked box and more: how each structure works and what it means for a seller.
  5. 5 How Are Businesses Valued in M&A? The Main Methods Explained A plain-English guide to M&A valuation: earnings multiples, comparables, DCF, net assets, LBO maths, and the bridge from enterprise value to your cheque.
M&A Glossary 81 deal terms in plain English. Founder guides 8 practical guides to selling a company in Singapore.