The M&A Zing

From “credit-card startup money” to five exits + a global coaching empire, Paul Evans unpacks the exact playbook for scaling to £10 m… then deciding whether to buy, build or cash-out. Paul Avins, founder of Scale Up Coaching and community-builder at Team Dynamics Global, has helped owners add a combined £140 m+ in enterprise value. In this rapid-fire conversation we cover: The “mountain” framework...

Modern polymath Nadim Kapadia (Managing Partner & Founder of Aligned Partners HoldCo) has worn every hat: diplomat-turned-consultant, FTSE-100 advisor, VC mentor, Singapore expat, and now self-funded searcher on a mission to buy and build UK SMEs in healthcare & early-years education. In this episode he breaks down: Why a purpose-driven diplomat left Big-4 consulting for entrepreneurship-t...

Today’s guests are Andrew Napier and Evani Mannur, founding partners of the brand-new UK search fund 22 Capital Partners. Andrew brings a deep finance and transformation background, while Evani is a serial entrepreneur who has already bought and scaled companies with her own capital. We talk about why they chose “entrepreneurship through acquisition,” what they learned on Cambridge Judge’s MBA, ho...

Running the company from the bank balance might feel quick, but it’s why 82 % of small firms die of “self-inflicted” cash-flow wounds. Former JP Morgan banker Tom Griffiths now parachutes into owner-managed businesses as a fractional CFO. He walks us through: - The 16 financial drivers every SME should track (revenue → gross → net → cash) - Spotting and fixing “messy books” before a buyer’s DD tea...

Modern polymath Sam Simpson (CEO @ Founder Catalyst & Co-Founder @ Forge Technologies) has worn every hat: quantum physicist, £450 m buy-and-build survivor, SEIS-powered founder, angel in 30+ start-ups. In this episode he breaks down: Why an 18 % loan-note stack killed 2e2 overnight, and how that shaped his “no-debt” rule Turning a £20 k SEIS cheque into a 30×, tax-free exit (and what most fou...

Welcome to *M&A Zing*, the weekly show for acquisition entrepreneurs, search funders and hold-co builders in the UK & Europe.   Fresh back from a 400-strong ETA weekend at INSEAD, host Gareth Hawkins sits down with *Sebastiaan Willen*, ex-Bain consultant turned self-funded searcher, to unpack how he acquired premium artificial-green-wall maker *Vistafolia* (and why he skipped bank debt ent...

Welcome to Episode 13 of M&A Zing - the weekly show for acquisition entrepreneurs, search-funders and hold-co builders in the UK, Europe *and beyond*.   This week we head to the United Arab Emirates to meet Adam Giansiracusa, founder of *Oryx Legacy* and one of the first traditional searchers dedicated to acquiring SMEs in the GCC.   Adam explains why Dubai’s 4-5 % GDP growth, low taxes and 90...

Welcome to Episode 12 of M&A Zing - the weekly show for acquisition entrepreneurs, search-funders, and hold-co builders across the UK & Europe.  This week Gareth Hawkins sits down with Amit Rai*, co-founder & CEO of *Astra Holdings*. After strategy gigs at McKinsey, senior roles at Microsoft & Nokia, and a venture exit to Shell, Amit is now on a mission to give UK industrial SMEs a...

Welcome to M&A Zing - the weekly show for acquisition entrepreneurs, search-funders, and hold-co builders across the UK & Europe. In this episode, Alfie Lambert and *Gareth Hawkins* debut our second ever Buy-Side Breakdown*: a trio of freehold nurseries in North-West England (turnover £1.26 m, EBITDA £284 k, capacity 320). We dig into Ofsted ratings, valuation maths, platform-building stra...

Welcome to M&A Zing - the weekly show for acquisition entrepreneurs, search funders, and hold‑co builders across the UK & Europe. 🎧  THIS WEEK’S GUEST  Rachel Murphy – two‑time tech founder (Progressus & Difrent, both exited), NHS‑App delivery lead, Ukraine aid volunteer, psychedelic‑retreat advocate (!) and now CEO of *The Grafter*, where she helps founders get “growth‑ready, raise‑r...

Welcome to **M&A Zing**—the weekly show for acquisition entrepreneurs, search funders, and holdco builders across the UK & Europe. In this episode, Alfie Lambert and Gareth Wilkins try out a new format called a “Buy-Side Breakdown.” They pick a real company listed for sale—a 30-year-old online tools retailer—and walk through its financials, risks, and growth potential. Would **you** buy or...

Welcome to another weekly recording of M&A Zing — the podcast for acquisition entrepreneurs, search funds, and holdco builders across the UK & Europe. In this episode, host Gareth Hawkins kicks off a new interview series featuring emerging searchers and established acquirers. Today, he sits down with Florian Wilisch, founder of Hamburg Ventures. Florian’s path to ETA (Entrepreneurship Thro...

Welcome to another weekly recording of M&A Zing - the podcast for acquisition entrepreneurs, search funds, and holdco builders across the UK & Europe. In this episode, hosts Alfie Lambert* and Gareth Hawkins do a quickfire rundown of the key legal documents you’re likely to encounter in an SMB acquisition. From Letters of Intent and Heads of Terms to Share Buyback contracts and *Call/Put O...

Welcome to Episode 6 of M&A Zing - a weekly show for acquisition entrepreneurs, search funds, and holdco builders across the UK and Europe. In this episode, Alfie Lambert and Gareth Hawkins dive into the *Do’s & Don’ts of Due Diligence* for small and mid-sized M&A deals. They also highlight news from Italy’s newest search fund close, a Canadian incubator for acquisition entrepreneurs,...

Welcome to Episode 5 of M&A Zing - a weekly show for acquisition entrepreneurs, search funds, and holdco builders across the UK and Europe. In this episode, Alfie Lambert and Gareth Hawkins break down the *Top 10 reasons* why small & mid-market M&A deals fail. Plus, they kick off with big news about recent SBA policy changes in the US - and how it might actually boost UK and EU dealmak...

Welcome to Episode 4 of M&A Zing—a weekly show for acquisition entrepreneurs, search funds, and holdco builders in the UK and Europe. This time, co-founders Alfie Lambert and Gareth Hawkins discuss how to handle that all-important *first qualifying call* with a potential seller—from building trust to spotting red flags. Timestamps: [ 00:00:11 ] Introduction – New Host This Week  [ 00:01:01 ] R...

Welcome to Episode 3 of M&A Zing—a weekly show for acquisition entrepreneurs, search funds, and holdco builders in the UK and Europe. In this episode, we’re talking buy-and-build strategies, distressed acquisitions, and the ups and downs of leveraged deals with special guest Charlie Norton, founder of Vamos Business Transfer. *Episode Timestamps** [00:00] Introduction & Welcome   [00:44] M...

Hosted by: Gareth Hawkins – CEO & Co-Founder at BizCrunch (exited founder, M&A investor)   Alfie Lambert – Co-Founder & Head of Growth at BizCrunch (& resident outreach expert) In This Episode: • [00:18] Intro: Meet our hosts, Gareth Hawkins & Alfie Lambert (co-founder and Head of Growth at BizCrunch) • [02:03] UK & EU M&A News: Dean Curran's second PCB acquisition and...

Hosted by: Gareth Hawkins – CEO & Co-Founder at BizCrunch (exited founder, M&A investor)   Adam Kempner – Managing Director at Coefficient In This Episode: • [00:00] – Intro to M&A Zing & Hosts   • [01:50] – Major M&A Headlines (Clawback’s Big Acquisition)   • [04:42] – Building a Diversified Portfolio vs. Single-Sector Focus   • [07:38] – New UK Search Funds Closing Their Roun...