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
December 9, 2025

Tech and Media Overview: Netflix's Major Acquisition Dominates Headlines

This week’s tech and media headlines are dominated by Netflix’s blockbuster acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, signaling a major shift in the global entertainment landscape. Alongside the deal, Meta’s metaverse budget cuts, a looming EU antitrust probe, Amazon’s muted AI reception, and Anthropic’s IPO ambitions highlight growing pressure on big tech to prove long-term profitability and discipline. Together, these moves underscore a market recalibrating around scale, regulation, and sustainable growth.

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Growth
December 9, 2025

Netflix Acquires Warner Bros. Discovery, Impacting Film Industry

Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery marks a major power shift in the entertainment industry, consolidating one of Hollywood’s most historic studios under a streaming-first model. While the deal strengthens Netflix’s content dominance, it raises serious concerns for the theatrical film industry as traditional cinema windows face increasing pressure. The merger could accelerate the long-term decline of exclusive theater releases in favor of direct-to-streaming distribution.

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Growth
December 9, 2025

How Personal Financial Statements Impact SBA Loans

Your personal financial statement (SBA Form 413) plays a major role in SBA loan approval, loan size, and pricing. Lenders use it to evaluate your net worth, liquidity, income stability, and overall risk as a guarantor. Strong personal finances can unlock larger loan amounts and better terms, while weak liquidity or high personal debt can tighten conditions or lead to denial.

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Growth
December 8, 2025

Subordinated Debt in SBA-Backed Acquisitions

Subordinated debt in SBA-backed acquisitions is the “middle layer” of the capital stack—sitting behind the SBA senior loan but ahead of equity—to fill the gap when SBA proceeds and buyer cash don’t fully cover the purchase price. It often takes the form of seller notes or mezzanine loans and must be structured carefully under SBA rules (especially around full-standby vs. current-pay terms) so it doesn’t blow up DSCR or equity injection requirements. When designed correctly, subordinated debt lets buyers close more deals without over-levering the business or giving away additional equity.

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Growth
December 7, 2025

Liabilities vs. Litigation Risks in M&A Deals

Liabilities and litigation risks both shape how an M&A deal is priced, financed, and structured, but they behave very differently. Liabilities are known, quantifiable obligations—like debt, taxes, leases, or accrued benefits—that usually show up on financial statements and can be modeled directly into cash flow. Litigation risks, by contrast, stem from actual or potential disputes and regulatory actions that may never materialize, but if they do, can create unpredictable costs, delays, and lender concerns that need to be managed through due diligence, deal structure, indemnities, escrows, and insurance.

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Growth
December 6, 2025

The New Infrastructure for Buying & Selling Businesses: Why Clearly Acquired Is Redefining Marketplace Discovery, Valuation, and Acquisition Financing Nationwide

Clearly Acquired is reshaping small business M&A by giving sellers accurate valuations and massive buyer reach, buyers a single-pane search with CLARA’s underwriting intelligence, and lenders fully prepared, credit-box-aligned deals. It eliminates friction, guesswork, and inefficiency from the acquisition process. This is the future of buying and selling businesses

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Growth
December 2, 2025

How to Build Broker Relationships for Better Deals

Building strong broker relationships gives you earlier access to quality deals—often before they hit the market. Brokers prioritize buyers who are clear about their criteria, responsive, and consistent, because it reduces friction and increases the likelihood of a smooth close. By communicating professionally, sharing precise deal requirements, and adding value beyond the transaction, you become the type of buyer brokers want to bring their best opportunities to first.

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Growth
December 1, 2025

5 GP Responsibilities in Search Funds

General Partners (GPs) in search funds carry five core responsibilities: raising capital, sourcing acquisition targets, conducting due diligence, structuring deals, and ultimately stepping in to run the acquired business. Unlike traditional private equity, search fund GPs take a hands-on operator role, making decisions that directly shape growth, culture, and long-term value creation. Their ability to execute across these stages determines both investor returns and the success of the business they acquire.

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Growth
November 26, 2025

American Water Works will acquire Essential Utilities in an all-stock deal valued at $63 billion.

American Water Works is acquiring Essential Utilities in a $63 billion all-stock deal, creating one of the largest regulated water and wastewater utilities in the U.S. The combined company will serve about 4.7 million connections across 17 states, with Essential shareholders receiving 0.305 shares of American Water per share, a roughly 10% premium. The transaction is expected to be EPS-accretive in year one, support 7–9% dividend growth, and fund around $28 billion in infrastructure upgrades over five years, though it still faces integration and regulatory approval risks.

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Growth
November 26, 2025

Thoma Bravo's tech investments: One of the world's largest tech buyout firms, Thoma Bravo, continues to grow its software and technology portfolio

Thoma Bravo is one of the world’s dominant tech buyout shops, managing $184 billion AUM (as of March 2025) and having acquired or invested in more than 535 software companies, with a heavy focus on recurring-revenue, B2B platforms. By specializing in software, building deep sector relationships, and partnering closely with management on operational improvements, they’ve become a key force in shaping valuations and consolidation across cloud, cybersecurity, and AI-driven tools. For smaller acquirers, their playbook is clear: niche focus, recurring revenue, and operational excellence are what command premium multiples.

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Growth
November 26, 2025

Private equity rebounds: With stabilizing capital markets and record levels of "dry powder"

Private equity is roaring back in 2025 as capital markets stabilize and firms rush to deploy more than $1.2 trillion in dry powder. With financing costs easing and exit markets thawing, PE groups are aggressively pursuing larger, higher-value deals across sectors like tech, healthcare, and energy. For Main Street and lower-middle-market operators, this surge at the top signals what always happens next: increased competition, more roll-ups, and rising valuations trickling down into SMB acquisitions.

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Growth
November 24, 2025

Record-breaking quarter for deals: The third quarter of 2025 set a record for M&A activity

Q3 2025 marked a record-breaking quarter for M&A, driven by a sharp rise in mega-deals over $5 billion, particularly in tech, healthcare, and energy. Low interest rates, abundant capital, and strong corporate and private equity confidence fueled aggressive dealmaking, including creative structures like earnouts and hybrid financing. This surge at the top end is also reshaping the lower and mid-market, as corporates shed non-core assets and AI tools make sophisticated dealmaking more accessible to smaller buyers.

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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