i5invest

What they fund

• Cheque/Deal Size — Advises on deals ranging from USD 50 million to USD 1 billion [2].
• Sector — Focuses on software, AI, automation, and deep tech scale-ups [2].
• Geography — Global cross-border acquisitions, connecting European tech with global acquirers [2].
• Company Stage — Tech scale-ups ready for strategic exits, growth equity, or late-stage fundraising [2].
• Shape — Companies seeking to maximize valuation and optionality through relationship-driven M&A processes [1].

Investment thesis

i5invest operates as a founder-centric strategic M&A advisor, prioritizing relationship-driven exit strategies over transactional banking models to maximize founder value through optionality and speed [1].

• Solving M&A Friction — They address the failure of traditional M&A processes for emerging tech by designing a unique approach that creates successful outcomes at the highest valuations for founders [1].
• Speed and Strategic Interest — They aim to get companies to market much faster than traditional methods, generating strategic interest within weeks through their extensive network of top decision makers [2].
• Deep Founder Integration — As founders and operators themselves, they integrate deeply with clients to deliver the fastest time to market with the strongest deal terms, advising on deals from USD 50 million to USD 1 billion [2].
• Global Cross-Border Focus — They specialize in managing strategic exit processes and cross-border acquisitions, expanding optionality for strategic exits, growth equity, or late-stage fundraising [2].

Credibility: The firm's homepage details their transaction value (USD 50 billion) and network size (150,000+ decision makers), while their Built In profile confirms their corporate development focus and founder-centric philosophy [2][1].

Value add

i5invest provides deep founder integration, leveraging a network of 150,000+ top decision makers to accelerate time to market and secure strong deal terms [2].

Fit verdict: Ideal for tech founders seeking strategic exits with global acquirers who value relationship-driven processes over traditional banking.

Founder diligence script:

• How does your network of 150,000+ decision makers specifically accelerate my time to market?
• What is your track record of generating strategic interest within weeks for companies in my sector?
• How do you integrate deeply with founders to ensure the strongest deal terms?
• What is your approach to managing cross-border acquisitions for tech scale-ups?
• How do you balance founder optionality with the need for speed in M&A processes?

Portfolio focus

• Kaleido AI — Artificial Intelligence and Visual AI, acquired by a global tech giant [2].
• Wikitude — Augmented and Virtual Reality, Semiconductors, supported through cross-border acquisition [2].
• IXOPAY — FinTech and Payment Orchestration, facilitated a strategic exit [2].
• Servoy — Enterprise Automation and Low Code, supported through strategic M&A [2].
• Nosto — MarTech, facilitated a strategic exit [2].

Notable investments & exits

• Google — Acquired a tech company facilitated by i5invest [2].
• Microsoft — Acquired a tech company facilitated by i5invest [2].
• Salesforce — Acquired a tech company facilitated by i5invest [2].
• Verizon — Acquired a tech company facilitated by i5invest [2].
• Canva — Acquired a tech company facilitated by i5invest [2].

Strategic implications

i5invest's edge lies in its founder-centric, relationship-driven approach to M&A, which differentiates it from traditional investment banks. The firm's main risk is its reliance on a network of 150,000+ decision makers, which may be difficult to scale or maintain. The signal that would change the read is a shift in the firm's focus from strategic exits to equity investments, which would alter its value proposition to founders.

Where they could go further

i5invest could expand its focus to include more early-stage tech companies, which are often underserved by traditional M&A advisors. The firm could develop a more structured process for evaluating and selecting companies for its M&A advisory services, to ensure it is working with the most promising scale-ups. i5invest could leverage its network of 150,000+ decision makers to create a more robust platform for connecting founders with potential acquirers, beyond just M&A transactions.