Selling a company is one of the most complex—and emotional—transactions a founder will ever face.

In this 2026 Annual Sellers Panel, CEOs who successfully built and sold their companies share real‑world insights from inside the M&A process. From global deal dynamics and valuation expectations to earnouts, advisor selection, partner alignment, and emotional resilience, this panel offers candid lessons every founder should hear before going to market.

The discussion highlights what surprised sellers most, where preparation mattered, and why having experienced advisors, aligned partners, and clean financial reporting can make or break an outcome.

If you're a tech founder or CEO thinking about an exit—now or in the future—this panel delivers practical, experience‑driven advice from those who've already been through it.

Corum is the world's leading educator on tech trends, valuations, growth strategies and Tech M&A. If you are a Tech CEO/founder and would like to learn to prepare, position, research, value, negotiate and execute due diligence for maximum price and optimal structure in an M&A transaction, attend one of our upcoming events. Visit corumgroup.com/events for a full global event schedule. 

Takeaways

Tech M&A is truly global, with buyers and sellers spanning multiple continents
A company is ultimately worth what the market is willing to pay, not expectations
Valuation discussions require research and realism
Earnouts and post‑close roles must be clearly defined upfront
Partner alignment and transparency are critical during negotiations
Strong preparation of financials reduces pressure during due diligence
Experienced M&A advisors help smooth negotiations and protect value
Once committed to an exit, founders should make every decision around building value

Chapters

01:42 – What was your process for selecting an advisor

04:54 – What was your motivation for going through the M&A process?

07:39 – During the M&A process, what surprises did you encounter along the way?

11:53 – What advice would you give to CEOs selling their company?