In the world of mergers and acquisitions, determining a company's valuation is one of the most challenging—and critical—steps in the negotiation process. The complexities M&A professionals face in bridging valuation gaps, assessing intangible qualities, and navigating biases.

Sydney-based venture capital fund EVP has taken swift action following concerns over its recent $17 million investment in Melbourne startup StrongRoom AI. Within two weeks, EVP engaged legal and forensic accounting experts and notified law enforcement in efforts to recover the investment. The startup, valued at $70 million, specialises in medication management and patient engagement software, serving over 1,500 customers in Australia and the UK.

The M&A landscape continues to surge in 2025, with major players making bold moves across cybersecurity, AI, and fintech. Here’s a quick look at the biggest headlines shaping the market.

The Debt Capital Markets (DCM) landscape continues to evolve as investors adapt to shifting interest rates, inflation concerns, and geopolitical dynamics. In this update, we take a quick look at current trends, investor sentiment, and the growing role of technology shaping DCM strategies.

Exit planning is the strategic process of preparing a business for sale or transition by optimising all aspects to maximise its value. This level of preparation distinguishes extraordinary businesses from the rest.

Idea Science, a trailblazing independent consultancy specialising in customer experience, recently announced the acquisition of Etica Digital (Etica), a distinguished Salesforce Gold Consulting Partner. Etica is renowned for its expertise in crafting tailored solutions based on Salesforce, Mulesoft and other leading digital platforms.

Enee Solutions, a prominent technology provider based in South Australia has successfully concluded the sale of its’ business to First Focus, a distinguished managed service provider in the mid-market segment.

MSA is delighted to announce the addition of two new members to our MSA family; Leigh Golombick joins us as Associate Director and Shi Ren will be joining us as an Intern for a period of 12 weeks.

After a record mergers and acquisitions (M&A) year in 2021, we have seen the market slow down with a relatively soft second half in 2022. There are ongoing concerns of a global recession and the challenges that presents to businesses. However, the looming downturn does not appear to dampen the market’s appetite for acquisitions.
Businesses that are in a healthy and stable financial position will remain of interest as an acquisition target.

Reading recent headlines, economies around the globe are faced with challenging times. Volatile exchange rates, rising inflation and soaring interest rates are causing major headaches.
Difficult choices will have to be made and these decisions will have real-world implications for your people, clients and suppliers. It is important to find the most economical path that is right for your business. A balanced path will not only ensure your survival but position your business for a strong emergence from this foreshadowed fiscal nightmare.

PrintIQ, a high-end, modular print management information system (MIS) provider, announces it has been acquired by Banyan Software, a company focused on acquiring, building, and growing great enterprise software businesses..
PrintIQ worked with Morgan Shaw Advisory (MSA) over a three year period. MSA helped build printIQ’s long-term growth strategy and guide the team to deliver the ambitious business roadmap.

Bombah Point Eco Cottages (Bombah) is a truly unique 4.5-star retreat for the eco-conscious traveller.

MSA sourced prospective purchasers who would appreciate the one-of-its kind aspect of the property and business and delivered the perfect buyer who would carry on and with a clear vision to evolve the Bombah story.

MSA successfully leads Blended Digital (Blended) through Deloitte Digital acquisition. Morgan Shaw Advisory was engaged in 2019, when the business was just one year old, to help Blended achieve their bold growth aspirations. Together, we worked on a strategic plan which would evolve the business from a then start-up to become a leading provider in their field of expertise.

The next quarter may present a major challenge for a lot of business owners and compared to last year, there are no government support packages in place.
A survey conducted by the state’s peak business organisation, Business NSW in the second week of January shows that business confidence in NSW has plummeted in the wake of the Omicron surge.

Cybercrime has spread like a wildfire as people working from home have become more vulnerable to online attacks. In the past year, Australia has seen a 13% jump in cybercrime with the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) receiving one cybercrime report every eight minutes.
Morgan Shaw Advisory was joined by cybersecurity expert Ross Sardi for a discussion about the current threat landscape and how to protect a small-to-midsized organisation.

As part of the 2021 ‘Power of Print’ webinar series, Graham Morgan ran a session on ‘Selling and Buying – Ensuring your business puts the right foot forward’.
The Real Media Collective delivered the 2021 ‘Power of Print’ webinar series running from June through to August and providing knowledge and expert speaker content for members and the broader industry to build strong sales and business skills throughout 2021 and beyond.

In this article, Darren Shacknofsky, Head of Transaction, provides an overview of the six types of potential buyers and why compiling a list of likely acquirers early in the process will help maximise the price you achieve.

First came ‘WFH’ (Working From Home), then ‘The Third Space’ (working from Starbucks etc) and thanks to the impact that Covid-19 has had on all business models (both traditional and modern), we are now entering into new territory.

Every department can put a strong case forward as to why they are the most important and critical function to the business success. Though, does any of it really matter without engaging the customer and ultimately converting them into a sale?

In the era of COVID-19, the hybrid workplace — one in which some employees are co-located in an office and others are doing their jobs remotely — presents a number of challenges for managers.