The M&A Zing

Two Cambridge Judge MBA alumni, one finance expert and one serial entrepreneur, join forces to form 22 Capital Partners and hunt for a UK business to buy. They break down their investment thesis, how they are courting investors, the first-hundred-days operating plan and why a partnered search gives them an edge. If you are raising a fund or thinking about ETA, this conversation is a masterclass...

Ex–JP Morgan banker Tom Griffiths now rescues owner-managed companies from “messy books” and cash-flow cliff-edges. In this episode, Tom sits down with host Gareth Hawkins to unpack the 16 financial drivers that really move the needle, the red flags that tank due diligence, and why 80 % of SMEs still make decisions by glancing at the bank balance. You’ll learn how to bullet-proof margins, tame ...

Modern polymath Sam Simpson has worn every hat: quantum-physicist-turned-tech-exec, £450m buy-and-build survivor, SEIS-powered start-up founder, angel investor and—most recently—CEO of Founder Catalyst while co-building Forge Technologies. In this candid conversation Sam unpacks:\n\n• The 3Cs framework that still guides every venture he touches.\n• How 2e2’s PE debt stack imploded overnight—and...

Sebastiaan Willen spent a decade deliberately collecting the skills he’d need to buy and run a company—strategy at Bain, marketing at IWG/Regus, then 1,000-seat operations at Shopee in SE-Asia. In 2024 he launched a solo, self-funded search from London with one rule: only buy a business he’d be excited to grow. Eight months later he closed the acquisition of **Vistafolia**, the UK-designed, ...

Can a first-time searcher build a buy-and-build platform in the world’s fastest-growing expat hub? Adam Giansiracusa thinks so—and he’s staking Oryx Legacy on it. In this episode: • Why Dubai’s 4-5 % GDP growth + 90 % expat mix create “unsexy goldmines” • How Adam raised a 2-continent cap table (⅓ GCC, ⅔ global) in <12 months • The data-sourcing nightmare of GCC company records—and how ...

n this episode, host Gareth Hawkins interviews Amit Rai, co-founder of Astra Holdings, a UK serial acquirer that provides “a permanent home” for industrial SMEs. Amit explains how watching his father shutter a profitable Indian factory drove him to solve the succession crisis facing half of Britain’s private-sector GDP. After stints at McKinsey, Microsoft and a venture-backed startup exit to Sh...

In this Buy-Side Breakdown, *M&A Zing* hosts *Alfie Lambert* and *Gareth Hawkins* analyse a real listing: three freehold nurseries in North-West England generating £1.26 million revenue and £284 k EBITDA. They explore sector roll-ups, Ofsted ratings, and the perennial PropCo-vs-OpCo dilemma—should you buy the property or lease it back from the seller? Growth levers range from capacity expansion...

In this episode of M&A Zing, hosts Alfie Lambert and Gareth Wilkins sit down with health‑tech powerhouse Rachel Murphy. Rachel has worn every hat—contractor, NHS digital‑transformation chief, two‑time founder, and, most recently, CEO of The Grafter, a programme that helps entrepreneurs get “growth‑ready, raise‑ready, and exit‑ready.” She explains how she bought 50 % of a recruitment firm (Difr...

In this episode of M&A Zing, hosts Alfie Lambert and Gareth Wilkins introduce a fresh format: the “Buy-Side Breakdown.” They select a real online tools retailer listed for sale—one claiming £1.2M in annual revenue—and dissect its financials, market position, and operational quirks. Alfie and Gareth debate everything from the company’s heavy reliance on Amazon/eBay to the challenge of valuing in...

From Apple to Acquisitions: A Conversation with Hamburg Ventures In this episode, Gareth sits down with Florian Willisch, founder of Hamburg Ventures and former Apple product lead. Florian shares how he went from launching iPhones and scaling startups to buying a small B2C business through ETA. From financing struggles to deal setbacks and seller psychology, this is a must-listen for anyone nav...

In this episode of M&A Zing, co-hosts Alfie Lambert and Gareth Hawkins do a rapid overview of the major legal documents you’ll encounter when acquiring an SMB. From Letters of Intent and Heads of Terms to Share Purchase Agreements, Articles of Association, and even Call/Put Options, they break down the purpose, key clauses, and potential pitfalls of each. Plus, they share updates on upcoming ev...

In this episode of M&A Zing, we dive into the do’s and don’ts of due diligence for SMB acquisitions—covering everything from data room organization to spotting deal-breaking red flags. We also highlight fresh search fund news across Europe and share details on BizCrunch’s new Acquisition Incubator.

Discover the top 10 reasons small & mid-market M&A deals fail—and how to avoid each pitfall. We also unpack the latest US SBA policy changes, including why they might boost deals in the UK and EU.

Curious how to handle that first conversation with a potential seller? In this episode, BizCrunch co-founders Alfie and Gareth reveal how to build trust, spot red flags, and move confidently toward a successful deal.

Charlie Norton shares how he built (and sometimes rescued) multiple businesses—from a fully leveraged buyout at 22 to a six-company buy-and-build strategy. Discover the highs, lows, and surprising pivots that led him to launch Vamos Business Transfer.

The M&A Zing is a Podcast series devoted to Acquisition Entrepreneurs, Search-Funds and HoldCo Builders in the UK and EU. Each week we dive-in to topics and challenges that impact SMB Succession M&A, and explore the highs and lows of Searching, Acquiring, Owning, Operating and Exiting small and medium-sized businesses. We bring you interviews, news, and practical tips on all things SMB M&A—pa...

The M&AZing is a Podcast series devoted to Acquisition Entrepreneurs, Search-Funds and HoldCo Builders in the UK and EU. Each week we dive-in to topics and challenges that impact SMB Succession M&A, and explore the highs and lows of Searching, Acquiring, Owning, Operating and Exiting small and medium-sized businesses. We bring you interviews, news, and practical tips on all things SMB M&A—par...