Product vs. Company
“Susanne Klepsch founded Meetfox in 2016 and eventually sold in 2021 to venture backed Sendinblue. Klepsch’s company offers a video calling solution,” shares Sam Thompson a Minneapolis business broker and the president of M&A firm Transitions In Business. “This podcast offers many M&A tips including structuring an earn out and creating a bidding war with buyers.”
In 2016 Susanne Klepsch launched Meetfox, a scheduling and video calling solution that helps service professionals manage and monetize their time.
By 2021 Meetfox had acquired a user base of 25,000. As Klepsch observed competitors being acquired by large software companies, she recognized the need to partner with a major player to compete effectively with Calendly. Consequently, she initiated a merger and acquisition process, reaching out to over a hundred companies, including the venture-backed, all-in-one marketing software Sendinblue. Eventually Sendinblue made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. In this episode, you’ll learn how to:
- Know when you have a feature, product, or company.
- Get free market research for your next product idea.
- Incite a bidding war for your business.
- Approach potential acquirers without seeming desperate.
- Structure an earn-out agreement that puts you in control.
- Protect yourself when accepting stock as currency from an acquiring company.