Investment Banking · United States
Investment Banking & Strategic Advisory for US Founders and Mid-Market Boards
Principal-led M&A, capital formation, and board-grade strategic advisory for US companies from $5M–$500M revenue. Sell-side, buy-side, growth equity, and cross-border corridors into Asia – scoped end-to-end, delivered by the partners you meet in the pitch.
Who this is for
US founder preparing for exit
You've built a $10M–$150M revenue business and are 12–24 months from a sale process. You need a positioning thesis, buyer universe, and diligence-ready financials – not a broker who will list you and hope.
Mid-market CEO or board director
You're evaluating a strategic transaction – acquisition, divestiture, minority recap, or take-private. You want independent, senior counsel that owns the analysis rather than a pitch built to close a mandate.
Family office or independent sponsor
You're sourcing platform or add-on deals in the US lower middle market. You need diligence, structuring, and post-close value-creation planning from a team that has sat on both sides of the table.
US company with Asia exposure
You have manufacturing, revenue, or an acquisition target in India, Singapore, or Southeast Asia. You need a US-anchored advisor who can execute the cross-border leg without handing you off to a foreign affiliate.
What you get
- Strategic positioning memo and buyer or investor universe map
- Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM) and management presentation
- Quality-of-earnings pre-diligence and data room readiness pack
- Valuation reference range with comparable transactions and DCF cross-check
- Process management – outreach, NDAs, IOIs, LOIs, and closing coordination
- Cross-border structuring memo where Asia jurisdictions are in scope
How an engagement runs
- 01
Strategic assessment
2–3 weeksBusiness review, financial normalization, positioning thesis, and a candid readiness verdict. We tell you what a sophisticated buyer will see before you go to market.
- 02
Preparation & materials
3–4 weeksCIM, management deck, financial model, and data room build-out. Quality-of-earnings pre-diligence to surface adjustments before a buyer's advisor finds them.
- 03
Market outreach
4–6 weeksTargeted outreach to a curated buyer or investor universe – strategics, sponsors, and family offices. NDAs, initial indications, and management meetings orchestrated tightly.
- 04
Negotiation & selection
4–6 weeksIOI to LOI progression, term negotiation, exclusivity, and buyer selection. You keep control of the decision; we own the process discipline.
- 05
Diligence & close
8–12 weeksConfirmatory diligence, purchase-agreement negotiation, regulatory coordination, and closing. Post-close transition planning where operational continuity matters.
Sectors we serve in the US market
Selected engagements
US SaaS company built an Indian subsidiary and structured cross-border IP for exit optionality.
Entity design, transfer pricing, and repatriation structure – positioned to preserve US HQ optionality for a future strategic sale or growth round.
Read engagementCross-border payments fintech scaled US operations with regulator-clean Asia flows.
Dual-jurisdiction structuring, treasury design, and investor-ready reporting – supporting a US-led growth equity conversation with credible international unit economics.
Read engagementMedTech company entered a regulated Asia market with regulator-cleared structure on first filing.
Sector-specific approvals, IP holding, and regulator engagement – the same discipline applied when US MedTech founders build Asia revenue ahead of a strategic exit.
Read engagementEngagement structure & indicative fees
All engagements are scoped to outcomes, not hours. Fees are indicative and finalized after a 30-minute scoping call.
Readiness Sprint
Strategic assessment, positioning thesis, buyer or investor universe, valuation reference range, and a diligence-readiness verdict. Delivered as a board-ready pack.
Full Sell-Side / Capital Raise
End-to-end M&A or capital raise execution: materials, outreach, negotiation, diligence, and close. Success fees benchmarked to Lehman-style scales for lower and core middle-market mandates.
Most US clients begin with a Readiness Sprint to test their exit or capital hypothesis under pressure, then engage us to run the full process when the timing is right. We do not run auction-style processes where senior attention gets diluted across dozens of mandates.
US Mid-Market Exit Readiness Briefing
US Mid-Market Exit Readiness Briefing
A senior-authored briefing on what a US mid-market sale process actually requires in 2026 – valuation drivers, buyer behavior, and the diligence issues that kill deals in the last 30 days.
- Current buyer landscape: strategics, sponsors, and family offices
- Valuation reference points by sector and revenue band
- Quality-of-earnings red flags and how to remediate before market
- 12-month readiness calendar from decision to close
Comparison
Choosing your US investment banking advisor
How Nirji's principal-led model compares to bulge-bracket banks and traditional US middle-market boutiques for founders and mid-market boards.
| Bulge-bracket bank | US middle-market boutique | Nirji Ventures | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serves $5M–$500M revenue companies | Rare below $250M | ||
| Principal-led (no junior handoff) | Sometimes | Always | |
| Cross-border US ↔ Asia execution in-house | Via affiliate | ||
| Independent – no financing conflicts | |||
| Readiness Sprint before full mandate | Rare | Standard | |
| Indicative retainer | $250K+ | $50K – $150K | $50K – $125K (Sprint) |
| Typical mandate timeline | 9 – 12 months | 6 – 12 months | 6 – 12 months |
Comparison reflects typical scoping for US mid-market M&A and capital raise mandates. Fees vary by scope, complexity, and mandate structure; figures are indicative only.
Further reading
How to prepare for a sell-side exit – a founder's framework
ReadQuality of earnings – what US buyers look for in 2026
ReadCross-border M&A – structuring the US ↔ India corridor
ReadGrowth equity vs. strategic buyer – how to choose
ReadFounder exit and succession – a structured playbook
ReadInvesting in Indian startups from Singapore
ReadFrequently Asked Questions
What size US companies does Nirji work with for investment banking mandates?
We focus on the US lower and core middle market – companies from roughly $5M to $500M in revenue, with enterprise values typically between $25M and $500M. Below that range, we can still run a Readiness Sprint; above it, a bulge-bracket bank is usually a better fit for the auction dynamics that transaction size supports.
Do you handle sell-side M&A, buy-side M&A, or both?
Both. Sell-side is the majority of our mandates – founder-owned businesses preparing for exit, family-owned companies planning succession, and sponsor-backed companies running a sale process. On the buy-side, we work with independent sponsors, family offices, and strategics executing platform or add-on acquisitions in the US lower middle market.
How do you approach capital raises for US companies?
Growth equity, private credit, and structured capital are the three pockets we run most often. We start with a capital strategy conversation – what problem does the capital solve, what dilution or leverage is acceptable, and what does the next 24 months look like – before running any outreach. Then we build materials, run a curated process, and negotiate terms.
What makes Nirji different from a US middle-market boutique?
Two things. First, principal-led delivery – the partners you meet in the pitch run the process; there is no junior handoff. Second, our cross-border US ↔ Asia execution is in-house. If your buyer universe or your future growth includes India, Singapore, or Southeast Asia, we run that leg ourselves rather than passing you to a foreign affiliate.
How do success fees work on a US sell-side mandate?
Retainer plus success fee is the standard structure. Success fees benchmark to Lehman-style scales adjusted for deal size – typically higher percentage on the first dollars, tapering above. The retainer is credited against success at close on most mandates. We share a full fee proposal after the Readiness Sprint so there are no surprises.
How long does a typical US sell-side process take from kickoff to close?
Six to twelve months is the honest range. Two to three weeks for strategic assessment, three to four weeks to prepare materials, four to six weeks of outreach, four to six weeks from IOI to LOI, and eight to twelve weeks of confirmatory diligence and closing. Timelines compress for well-prepared companies and stretch when quality-of-earnings issues surface late.
Do you help with cross-border transactions between the US and Asia?
Yes – this is a core part of our practice. We structure US ↔ India, US ↔ Singapore, and US ↔ Southeast Asia transactions covering entity design, tax and transfer pricing, regulatory pathway, and repatriation. Because we run both legs, we avoid the coordination gaps that emerge when a US banker hands off to a foreign affiliate.
Do I need a Readiness Sprint before engaging you for a full mandate?
Not required, but strongly recommended. The Sprint tests your exit or capital hypothesis, surfaces the diligence issues that would otherwise appear in month five of a live process, and gives your board a defensible view of the valuation range. Many clients use the Sprint output to decide whether to go to market now or wait 12 months.
What sectors do you cover in the US market?
SaaS and software, fintech, healthcare services, MedTech, consumer and D2C, business services, manufacturing, and industrial tech are our most active sectors. We add sector specialists to the deal team where deep domain expertise materially changes buyer positioning or valuation.
Ready to scope an engagement?
Principal-led M&A, capital formation, and strategic advisory for US founders and mid-market boards. Start with a Readiness Sprint.
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