How we source and verify
M&A data.

Closing the information asymmetry in European M&A.

Professional buyers — strategic acquirers and private equity funds — operate with institutional-grade valuation models, sector benchmarks and transaction cost data. Founders, independent advisors and analysts on the other side of the table rarely have access to the same inputs.

M&A Intelligence publishes the analytical infrastructure of the buy side — multiples, cost of capital, transaction costs, deal structure — in a format that is accurate, sourced, and accessible without an institutional subscription.

No sponsored content. No advisor referral fees. No undisclosed relationships. All data is attributed to its primary source. All analysis represents an independent editorial perspective.

How valuation multiples are computed and applied.

The EV/EBITDA multiples published in the Valuation Multiples dashboard are sourced from Damodaran's annual dataset (NYU Stern School of Business, January 2026). The dataset covers positive-EBITDA firms only, using trailing 12-month data. Sector classifications follow Damodaran's own taxonomy.

Private market discounts are applied separately. The academic consensus for SME illiquidity discounts ranges from 20–40%. The default applied in the Exit Calculator (30%) represents the midpoint of this range for a business with average liquidity characteristics. Users can override this input.