Exit routes for mid-market companies have shifted over recent years. Public listings remain an option for larger businesses with strong growth stories. For most companies we back, trade sales or secondary share sales in later rounds offer the likeliest path. Listing costs and post-IPO lock-ups make a flotation harder to justify below a certain size.
Trade buyers have stayed active in sectors where scale brings pricing power or regulatory advantages. They pay most for businesses that integrate easily, with documented processes and stable management.
Later-stage investors offer another route. Secondary sales within a new funding round let early shareholders realise some value while the company keeps growing.
Partial exits have also become more common. Selling a minority stake to a new investor lets owners realise value and keep exposure to further growth.
Preparation decides much of the outcome. As minority investors, Fortpark Group works with founders and fellow shareholders on timing, encouraging audited accounts, a tidy capitalisation table, a data room kept current and a management team able to run the business without its founder.
Timing also depends on the buyer universe in each sector. We map likely acquirers early and share that view with management at every annual strategy review.
Owners who prepare this way can choose their buyer and their moment.