MSP owners get M&A advice from IT Nation Grow panelists

Excendio Advisors’ Cristian Anastasiu and Madhur Duggar shared deal-prep lessons for MSP owners at IT Nation Grow in New York on Aug. 18, 2026. Their message: prepare early, reduce owner dependence, and build buyer competition to improve valuation and closing outcomes.

Why it matters: - MSP owners weighing a sale are seeing more demand for clear M&A readiness, from leadership depth to clean legal and tax structure. - Early preparation can improve valuation, strengthen negotiating leverage and reduce friction during due diligence. - Buyers are also placing more value on AI capability, governance and compliance, which can affect deal pricing and terms.

What happened: - Cristian Anastasiu and Madhur Duggar of Excendio Advisors participated as panelist and moderator at IT Nation Grow in New York on Aug. 18, 2026. - Excendio Advisors said the firm played an integral role in the conference for the fifth time. - Duggar said more MSPs are thinking about exiting this year than a year ago, and cited Robert J. Scott as saying that if a founder is not passionate about AI, this may be a strong time to exit. - Excendio Advisors shared 10 takeaways for MSP owners preparing for M&A.

The details: - Founders often regret not building a leadership team earlier, because heavy owner dependence can make an exit harder. - MSP owners should clean up the cap table, use experienced legal counsel and address estate planning before going to market. - A competitive sale process tends to produce better outcomes than negotiating with one buyer. - An M&A advisor should act as the quarterback of the transaction, with industry expertise and relationships carrying more weight than presentation polish. - Owners should work themselves off the org chart if they do not plan to remain central to the company in a few years. - Sustainable growth remains one of the biggest drivers of valuation for MSPs. - Buyers are evaluating AI capabilities, governance, security, compliance and internal controls during diligence. - Culture fit, customer alignment, reporting and technology can shape whether post-close integration succeeds. - A founder’s life after closing matters, and successful sellers often have a purpose and schedule that give them something meaningful to run toward. - The strongest exits start years before a transaction, with business readiness, ownership readiness and personal readiness aligned.

Between the lines: - The advice points to a market where operational discipline matters as much as revenue growth. - MSPs that can show management depth, repeatable growth and AI readiness are likely to have more options when they decide to sell. - The emphasis on personal readiness suggests M&A is being framed as both a business event and a life transition for founders.

What's next: - MSP owners considering a sale are likely to face more scrutiny on leadership structure, governance and AI practices as buyers continue to refine diligence. - Firms that start preparing years in advance may enter the market with more leverage and a broader set of potential buyers. - Excendio Advisors can be reached at +1 917-470-9470, and the firm’s LinkedIn page is available for more information.