Data-backed deep-dives, market trends, and expert perspectives for founder-led software companies.
Sector analysis on where strategic acquirers and financial sponsors are placing capital, built from Kaizen's buyer surveys, transaction data, and the Kaizen Vertical Readiness Index.
How AI-native platforms, buyer demand, and structural macro risk are reshaping procurement software M&A.
Each Pulse covers one software sector: how the category is evolving, what strategic acquirers and financial sponsors are prioritizing, and which verticals lead the KVRI.
The Kaizen Vertical Readiness Index ranks software verticals by investment attractiveness, from 0 to 100, across six factors:
Each Pulse ranks the leading verticals in its sector and rates how ready each one is for investment.
Welcome to The Closing Call. The podcast where we dive into the journeys of founders as they navigate the highs, lows, and pivotal decisions on the road to a successful deal. From early vision to the final handshake, we explore what it really takes to reach that defining moment: The Closing Call.
Gauri Manglik, CEO and Co-Founder of Instrumentl, joins The Closing Call to unpack the journey from bootstrapped experimentation to raising a $55M growth round with Summit Partners. Gauri shares how deep customer obsession shaped product-market fit, why Instrumentl waited years before raising capital, and how AI is transforming the full grant-seeking lifecycle—from discovery to post-award management.
Gauri Manglik
CEO & Co-Founder, Instrumentl
Shane Seelig
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Kaizen Equity Partners
HubSync’s Founder & CEO, John McGowan, joins The Closing Call to unpack how he turned two decades of Big Four leadership into one of the fastest-growing SaaS platforms in Tax & Accounting, now backed by a strategic growth investment of more than $100M from Thoma Bravo.
John McGowan
CEO & Founder, HubSync
Shane Seelig
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Kaizen Equity Partners
Mortgage Automator Co-Founder, Joseph Fooks, joins The Closing Call to share how he and his partners bootstrapped a niche SaaS platform for private lenders into a market-leading outcome. He discusses the early pain points that inspired the product, the pivotal moment COVID created for growth, and how partnering with Kaizen shaped the process, timing, and ultimate outcome of their sale.
Joseph Fooks
Co-Founder, Mortgage Automator
Shane Seelig
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Kaizen Equity Partners
“I entrusted Shane & Zach as advisors due to their unparalleled expertise in the LegalTech sector and their unique process strategy. Their process allowed me to properly evaluate the most strategic buyers, execute reverse diligence and secure the best valuation with the most ideal acquirer, Centerbase backed by Mainsail. Their exceptional dedication was evident. They went above and beyond, skillfully negotiating my rollover equity and Legalfit’s employee contracts, ensuring an optimal outcome for all stakeholders.”
"Prior to engaging Shane and Zach, Worksuite had two previous late-stage investments that failed. Having gone through both successful and unsuccessful transactions… I thought, why do I need to pay someone to do this for me? Honestly, I would not do a transaction without Shane and Zach. They ensured firms aligned with our cultural needs and vision, making every meeting purposeful. Personally, Shane was a great sounding board, coach, and teammate. The team provided comprehensive data analysis and invaluable assistance, allowing me to elevate discussions to a more strategic level."
“Zach and Shane were pivotal in our deal. They were very respectful of how we wanted to communicate and always took the high road. They applied the competitive pressure with other Letters of Intent and allowed me to keep the relationship up. They gave us a big ‘leg up’ with their industry expertise and financial knowledge that was key to getting the deal successfully closed. We would not have had that otherwise.”
