TRANSACTION ADVISORY
The deal closes in weeks.
The consequences run for years.
Investment and acquisition decisions depend on the quality of due diligence underneath them. Most work stops at Quality of Earnings. We go further to show how the business performs and what it will require post-close.
Director-led throughout. Right-sized to the deal. Built to inform valuation, structure, and what happens after close.
When we get the call
When the deal is on the table,
the analysis has to be right.
These are the situations where the quality of diligence directly affects the decision, the structure, and what follows after close.
01
An acquisition is being evaluated, and the buyer needs to understand what they're getting.
02
An acquisition entrepreneur is evaluating a business before committing.
03
A founder is preparing for an exit and needs financials that stand up to diligence.
04
Diligence is underway and the numbers don't tell the full story.
05
The deal has closed and the acquirer needs to align finance and operations.
Services tailored to the deal
Our scope flexes to the investor type, deal structure, and complexity.
Not every deal requires the same analysis. We scope each engagement around what the specific transaction requires, not a standardized playbook applied regardless of context.
Due Diligence
Right-sized analysis with fast-turn insights and clear findings.
Financial due diligence calibrated to deal size, structure, and timeline. We deliver the analysis investors and lawyers need to make informed decisions, without the overhead of a Big 4 engagement that doesn't fit the deal.
- Revenue quality and sustainability analysis
- EBITDA normalization and adjustment identification
- Margin structure and expense trend review
- ARR roll-forwards and recurring revenue validation
- Working capital normalization and peg support
M&A Readiness & Integration
Pre- and post-close support for smoother transitions and faster value realization.
Integration fails most often not because of strategy but because of execution gaps in finance, people, and operations. We support both the preparation for a transaction and the work required after it closes to align the combined business.
- Pre-close readiness and financial cleanup
- Post-close finance and accounting integration
- People operations and HR system alignment
- Operating model consolidation and reporting setup
- Leadership team assessment and onboarding support
Acquisition Through Entrepreneurship (ETA)
Operator-informed diligence for search fund buyers and independent acquirers.
Independent buyers and search fund operators face a different diligence challenge than institutional investors: they're evaluating a business they'll run, not just own. We bring the operational depth to understand what the business will require after the founder steps away.
- Financial diligence on founder-owned businesses
- Owner-dependency and key-person risk assessment
- Operational scalability and process infrastructure review
- Post-acquisition readiness planning
- Finance and people operations setup post-close
WHO WE WORK WITH
Transaction Advisory serves both sides of the deal.
Most diligence firms serve one type of client. Because 512Financial operates across finance, people, and organizational leadership, our transaction advisory team understands what both buyers and sellers need from the analysis, and what will matter most once the deal is done.
Investors & Acquirers
- Buy-side diligence that accounts for operational reality.
VCs, PE firms, and strategic acquirers engage us when a deal is in motion and they need analysis that goes beyond historical financials. We assess what the business will require after close, not just what it has produced.
- Due diligence for acquisitions and growth investments
- Operational risk identification and post-close planning
- Working capital assessment and deal structure support
- Management team and organizational readiness evaluation
Founders & Operators
- Sell-side preparation and diligence readiness before the conversation starts.
Founders preparing for a raise, exit, or ownership transition engage us to make sure the financials and operations are positioned to hold up under scrutiny, before the buyer's team arrives with questions.
- Pre-diligence financial cleanup and normalization
- Audit readiness and accounting infrastructure
- M&A readiness preparation and narrative development
- Post-close integration support and transition planning
Operator-led. Decision-ready.
Financial due diligence is what makes the difference between a report and an answer.
Most financial diligence produces a document. Our engagements produce a definitive view on value, on risk, and on what the business will require after close. That's a different mandate, and it requires a different kind of team.
Every engagement is led by a Director with direct operating experience inside growth- stage companies. Not junior staff executing a template under distant senior oversight.
Director-led
throughout
Senior oversight at every stage of the engagement. The person accountable for findings is the person doing the work, not a
senior reviewer signing off on junior analysis at the end.
Post-close orientation
Diligence that anticipates what the business will require after the deal closes, not just what the numbers say today. Risk identification is paired with operational context.
Cross-functional perspective
Finance, people, and operations evaluated together, because that's how the business actually runs. Gaps in one function create
risk in another, and our team is positioned to see both.
Right-sized
to the deal
Scope matches the complexity, risk profile, and timing of the transaction. We don't apply
a standardized playbook regardless of deal size or structure.
What changes
Better analysis leads to better decisions, before and after the deal.
Diligence that surfaces the full picture, not just what's in the data room, changes how investors structure deals, how founders prepare for conversations, and how acquirers integrate what they buy.
Diligence that goes beyond the data room, with a full view of normalized earnings, revenue sustainability, and margin durability.
Early identification of financial and operational risk before it becomes a valuation or deal structure problem.
Better-informed deal structure and valuation, with findings framed around implications and next steps, so investors can act on them immediately.
Faster close cycles on the diligence side: analysis that meets compressed timelines without sacrificing depth.
Post-close integration that protects value by aligning finance, people, and
operational systems before gaps surface.
What you receive
Deliverables built for decisions, not for files.
Every deliverable is structured to answer the question that matters most in the deal: what is this business actually worth, where does the risk sit, and what will it take to run after close.
01
Quality of Earnings Report
Every deliverable is structured to answer the question that matters most in the deal: what is this business actually worth, where does the risk sit, and what will it take to run after close.
02
Revenue & Margin Analysis
Customer-level revenue trend analysis, ARR roll-forwards for recurring revenue businesses, and margin bridge identifying drivers of performance change period over period.
03
Working Capital Assessment
Normalized working capital calculation with peg recommendation, seasonality analysis, and
identification of items that should be excluded from the working capital target.
04
Risk & Value Driver Summary
Identified risks, adjustments, and value drivers with valuation and deal structure implications. Written for investors and their advisors to act on, not a list of findings without context.
05
Post-Close Operational Assessment
Where applicable: evaluation of finance, people, and operational systems relative to post-close requirements. Identifies gaps between current state and what the business will need to execute under new ownership.
PROVEN RESULTS
Quality of Earnings analysis that changes how investors understand what they are buying.
"
512Financial was thorough where it mattered. They dug into the seller's books, worked through it with us and the sellers until it was right, and the final product stood up post-acquisition.
Siri Chakka, Principal, New Moon Growth Partners
"
Their analysis told us exactly where performance was strong, where risk sat, and what it would take to run the business after close. It changed how we structured the deal.
Investment Partner · Confidential
"
The QoE work held up through the entire diligence process without a single revision request from the buyer's advisors. That doesn't happen with most shops.
Founder · Pre-Exit SaaS Company
150+
Growth-stage companies served across finance and organizational leadership
$325M+
Capital raised by clients
across Seed through Series B
Director-led
Senior operators on every engagement, not junior staff under distant oversight
WORKS TOGETHER
Transaction Advisory is stronger
when the books are already ready.
The best diligence engagements start with clean financials and a company that's already operating at a level investors expect. When accounting and finance are embedded prior to a transaction, the diligence process moves faster and surfaces fewer surprises.
Financial Leadership
Fractional CFO leadership, forecasting, board reporting, and fundraising preparation for growth-stage companies.
Finance leadership shapes the operating model investors are evaluating. A CFO who has been building toward a transaction, not reacting to one, makes diligence materially easier to navigate.
Financial Leadership
Fractional Controllers and accounting teams delivering clean, GAAP-compliant financials built for investor diligence.
Diligence-ready financials start before the diligence request arrives. When accounting is already running at the right level, the QoE process moves faster and adjustments are fewer.
From the 512Financial team
Transaction and diligence insights
for investors and founders.
Need a shareable overview?
The Transaction Advisory one-pager covers our approach, service scope, and team structure in a format built for circulation. No Email Required.
When the deal is real, bring in analysis
that matches it.
If an investment, acquisition, or ownership transition is on the table, we'll help you understand what matters most before decisions are locked in.