Case Studies

BUSINESS OVERVIEW & OWNER OBJECTIVES

• Collaboration Software Company serving the Life Science R&D Market.
• TLG’s Managing Director retained by the Company’s founder and lead investor to serve as the Chairman of the Board and work closely with the CEO and investors to form, fund, guide and grow the Company.

PROCESS

• Over three years, led and or participated in regular formal BOD meetings and operational meetings on matters of strategy, financing, governance, and execution.
• Closely interacted with the CEO and Board Members to plan, organize and lead Board meetings, and evaluate company progress and opportunities.
• Readily available to the CEO and Executive team on any strategic, capitalization, corporate development or related matters where my experience, expertise, and objectivity could benefit them and the Company.
• Played a lead role in planning for and affecting an auction-driven exit process, and preparing the company for a successful outcome.

RESULT

• ArtusLabs successfully sold solutions to several of the top global biopharma R&D groups and became recognized as the emerging leader in web-based R&D collaboration software.
• The company sale process that I led attracted several global R&D software and tools companies serving the life-science R&D market to compete for ArtusLabs resulting in PerkinElmer’s acquisition of the Company.

BUSINESS OVERVIEW & OWNER OBJECTIVES

• Leading Electronic Notebook Software Company to the Life Science R&D Market.
• When Synthematix was formed, TLG’s Managing Director was retained by the Company’s founder and lead investor to serve as a member of its Board of Directors and to work closely with the CEO and investors to form, fund, guide and grow the Company.

PROCESS

• During the start-up phase and early development stage, was regularly involved in formal and informal meetings and interactions with the founding first-time CEO, leadership team, and lead investor to contribute been-there-done-that experience, expertise, relationships, and advice to minimize learning curve mistakes and delays.
• Readily available to the CEO and Executive team throughout the Company’s 3.5-year life-cycle on any matters where my experience, expertise, and objectivity could benefit them and the Company.
• Played a lead role in the financing and liquidation strategy and in recognizing and leading the exit opportunity.

RESULT

• ArtusLabs rapidly sold electronic notebook solutions to many of the top global biopharma R&D groups and became recognized as the emerging market leader.
• As soon as global life science R&D software and tools started to roll-up electronic notebook companies, introduced Synthematix into that process resulting in Symyx acquiring Synthematix.

BUSINESS OVERVIEW & OWNER OBJECTIVES

• CareGain was a visionary and early participant in the healthcare saving plan market with a SaaS solution that it sold to large-to-mid-size companies to streamline and minimize the cost of employee plan management, and provide plan participants comprehensive, secure and intuitive access their plans.
• CareGain’s Board and CEO retained TLG as an Executive Advisor to perform an independent assessment of the Company’s leadership’s ability to maximize shareholder value and affect a successful near-term exit, and to provide perspective and guidance on matters of organizational development, business execution, and Company/Board effectiveness.

PROCESS

• Conducted in-depth independent discussions with the CEO, Board, and leadership team members as well as team discussions between the individuals wherein the findings were that the current CEO was unquestionably competent, strategically, technically and interpersonally, to affect the outcome the Board, investors and shareholders aspired to.
• Further, the market analysis suggested that the timing for an exit was immanent, and recommending CareGain specific actions to ready the Company for sale.
• Conducted a process, primarily with the CEO, to ready the company for sale, while concurrently testing the interest in the market to acquire CareGain.

RESULT

• Board-CEO confidence improved.
• Several global software and insurance companies expressed strong buying interest resulting in an auction process and the sale of CareGain to FISERV.

BUSINESS OVERVIEW & OWNER OBJECTIVES

• 3D computational particle fluid dynamics virtualization software for reactor optimization serving global refining, petrochemical, chemical and pharmaceutical companies.
• Founders, each 50/50 owners and key company [key-drop] leaders, aspired to sell and retire.
• Upon reaching out to FOCUS Investment Banking to advise them on the sale, the FOCUS advised a sale preparation engagement using The Longwood Group prior to a Company sale process.

PROCESS

• Engagement Fit Analysis revealed need for improvements in new customer acquisition and current customer expansion sales, revenue trajectory, accounting practices, product enhancement completion, and post M&A succession leadership.
• Client-partnership approach including client-company leaders and experts augmented with external expertise from TLG’s network prepared and executed a targeted Solution Plan addressing these needs.

RESULT

• TLG Advisor led the collaborative process resulting in a banking engagement with FOCUS Investment Banking and a successful M&A.

BUSINESS OVERVIEW & OWNER OBJECTIVES

• Alpha Systems, a family-owned business, was composed of two separate businesses sharing common facilities and business infrastructure.
• AlphaLit, a highly-regarded eDiscovery SaaS Company with a strong customer base of prestigious law firms, was integrated within Alpha Systems, a document and records management services company serving major healthcare provider institutions.
• Different enabling technologies, business models, markets and customer bases, caused a “drag” each business.
• Owner was looking to sell the company but given the “two-companies-in-one” situation was unclear how to maximize value and engaged TLG to provide independent perspective and advice.

PROCESS

• Engagement Fit Analysis revealed the need to separate the businesses and sell them independently.
• Collaborative client-partnership approach led by TLG’s Managing Director included the active participation of Alpha Systems’ and AlphaLit’s leaders and experts, augmented with external expertise from TLG’s network, prepared and executed Solution Plans tailored to each business’s specific needs to “untether them” from each other and ready each for sale.

RESULT

• FOCUS Investment Banking was retained to advise on the sale of both businesses, each of which was successfully executed to the satisfaction of the family owners.

BUSINESS OVERVIEW & OWNER OBJECTIVES

• Critical Technologies was a records management SaaS company trying to concurrently service several disparate market segments with very diverse needs.
• The Board and investors wanted to liquidate their investments after several years of flat growth and reached out to FOCUS Investment Banking for advice.
• FOCUS Investment Banking recommended they hire the Longwood Group to perform a sale readiness engagement.

PROCESS

• TLG’s Managing Director in collaboration with the Board Chairman, CEO and several executive team leaders, evaluated the causes of flat growth and agreed on an action plan for the Company to transform its strategy and focus 90% of its resources on growing one market, the Aviation market. This included renaming and rebranding the company as AirVault, recruiting an experienced SaaS CEO and CTO, and implementing key aviation market product enhancements.
• The solution team led by the TLG’s Managing Director included the Company Chair, executive team leaders, technical specialists, and outside market analysis and rebranding experts.

RESULT

• Critical Technologies was rapidly “re-invented and re-branded” resulting in improved revenue trajectory and a growing sales pipeline as well as development and operational efficiencies consequential their alignment to serve one market.
• The AirVault “brand” rapidly grew in visibility as the emerging standard for carrier maintenance records management resulting in new contracts with many of the world’s top Airlines.
• Focus Investment Bankers was hired to sell the company which was successfully sold to GE Aviation.