Selling a privately held business is typically the single largest financial event in a founder’s life. Too often in the UK corporate finance market, business owners are treated as numbers in a high-volume call centre or handed over to junior associates after signing high non-refundable retainers.
Starling Corporate was established on an opposite ethos: personal director accountability, complete operational confidentiality, and an institutional matchmaking framework that extracts maximum shareholder value through competitive auction tension.
We operate exclusively on the sell side for privately owned and owner-managed businesses with enterprise values typically ranging from £1M to £20M. By maintaining strict sell-side focus, we eliminate conflicts of interest and dedicate 100% of our dealmaking acumen to achieving the founder’s target price, terms, and legacy.
Every transaction is directed personally by an M&A Director—such as Chris Davies—guaranteeing seasoned boardroom representation through financial modeling, Heads of Terms, due diligence, and legal completion.
How we protect enterprise value and consistently outperform traditional brokerages.
No delegation to junior administrators. You communicate directly with seasoned directors who know how to navigate delicate negotiations and manage complex deal architectures.
Continuous proactive relationships with vetted trade acquirers, private equity funds, and international corporates across the UK, Europe, and North America.
Our proprietary matchmaking database systematically analyzes acquirer acquisition criteria and balance-sheet liquidity to generate immediate bidding tension.
We back our capability with skin in the game. Our initial discovery retainer fee is 100% credited against your final transaction success fee upon completion.
We target diverse buyer categories simultaneously to ensure no single entity dictates valuation terms.
| Acquirer Category | Strategic Motivation | Valuation Multiples | Typical Transaction Horizon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade Acquirers (UK) | Horizontal expansion, securing skilled workforce, absorbing client contracts, and regional infill. | 4.5x–7.5x EBITDA | 6–9 Months |
| Overseas & European PLCs | Immediate UK market footprint, international supply-chain resilience, currency arbitrage. | 6.0x–12.0x EBITDA | 9–14 Months |
| Private Equity & Family Offices | Platform acquisitions, bolt-on synergies, roll-up plays with recurring cash flows. | 5.5x–9.0x EBITDA | 6–10 Months |
| Management Buy-In/Out (MBI/MBO) | Executive team ownership transition, vendor deferred terms, debt/asset-backed finance. | 4.0x–6.5x EBITDA | 6–12 Months |
Three dedicated corporate centres ensuring immediate director face-to-face counsel.
Book an exploratory valuation assessment under strict NDA. Discover the current market value of your enterprise.
