What is EKNOW M&A Software Tools and who is it designed for?
EKNOW M&A Tools is a Software-as-a-Service solution designed to automate all stages of the mergers and acquisitions process including pipeline management, due diligence process management, and post-merger integration.
EKNOW M&A Software Tools support divestitures, investments, joint ventures, corporate splits, reorganizations, patent acquisitions and other corporate initiatives.
How does your software streamline the M&A process?
EKNOW M&A Software Tools accelerate a wide range of tasks associated with the M&A process and reduces Time-to-Value.
All data and documents are accessed in a single-system-of record dramatically reducing manual aggregation across disparate systems.
New projects are started in minutes via pre-loaded templates.
Data collection is accelerated by gathering data and updates directly from the Team Members doing the work.
Review and approval processes are initiated in minutes without requiring lengthy emails and meetings.
Risks are identified and risk mitigation plans are defined and executed.
Reports are generated and distributed automatically in real-time.
Hundreds of productivity tools throughout the system dramatically reduce the time to achieve value while reducing risk.
What types of organizations use your platform?
EKNOW M&A Software Tools support a wide variety of organizations across all industries for Buyers and Sellers of all sizes including Fortune 500 and Global 2000 companies, SMBs, consolidators, M&A consulting firms, PE firms, and buy and sell side M&A advisors.
EKNOW’s built-in Data Room collects documents from Sellers and can be opened to potential Buyers.
What makes your platform different from other M&A software tools?
EKNOW M&A Software Tools is the most mature, most complete, most configurable, modular and flexible, the most scalable, and the most future-proof M&A solution on the market.
One of the key differentiators of is the extremely configurability in a no-code environment to meet the unique needs of our customers as they evolve over time. A deal-specific control panel enables features to be turned on or off based on the requirements of each transaction.
Our fixed-price model makes it the easiest to buy because there are no extra charges for Users, storage, configuration, training or support.
The fixed-price offerings eliminate cost variability and make it the easiest for the Buyer to budget and buy.
What features are included in your M&A software?
Features available on Day 1 include:
Does your platform support virtual data rooms (VDRs)?
Yes. M&A Software Tools includes a highly functional Data Room that is used to collect documents from the Seller as well as created by the Buyer.
The data room is organized in folders, has strong access controls, full version history, and a comprehensive audit trail that includes all actions by viewers, version history, etc.
EKNOW M&A Software Tools also links to external VDRs and data repositories.
Can I track deal pipelines and manage multiple transactions at once?
Yes. The pipeline can track an unlimited number of target companies as well as manage multiple active transactions simultaneously.
M&A Software Tools enables deal pipelines to be organized by portfolio, geography, and/or line of business and includes full access controls to limit visibility based on business rules.
How does your software assist with due diligence and document management?
The M&A Software Tools due diligence module facilitates pre-diligence; scoring, rating and ranking; confirmatory due diligence; collection of risks and issues; and generation of findings organized by workstream or category.
Documents are stored in line with each due diligence line item and simultaneously aggregated in the Data Room in workstream folders.
Playbooks, due diligence checklists, IRLs, and Q&A templates are stored in the Template Library and copied to rapidly initiate new diligence projects.
Sellers are invited to the Data Room to drag and drop documents, upload entire directories and respond to Q&A.
Dialog between the Buyer and Seller is conducted directly through the Data Room.
Status reports and findings are generated in the system by diligence teams and may be distributed to target audiences on a scheduled or ad hoc basis.
Documents are fully access-controlled. Version history is maintained and all prior versions remain accessible.
Audit trails track all actions including viewing, downloading, etc. with date and time stamps by User.
Document retention rules may be applied.
Documents may be viewed or edited in-line based upon business rules.
Collaborative editing may be used for preparing NDAs, NBOs, BOs, Purchase Agreements, and other transaction documents
Document review and approval processes may be automated.
How does EKNOW M&A Tools support post-merger integration or synergy tracking?
EKNOW M&A Software Tools supports post-merger integration playbooks and workplans, synergy tracking, talent management, TSA and Contracts management, decisions, risks and issues mitigation, and much more.
The Value Capture module provides detailed synergy planning, approvals, and progress tracking of one-time and recurring costs and revenues organized by category and workstream.
Do you provide analytics or dashboards for deal performance and KPIs?
Yes. EKNOW M&A Software Tools includes extensive analytics, dashboards, and reports for deal performance and KPIs.
Dashboards and reports are easily customized and branded to meet the unique requirements of each customer.
Is there an integration for CRM or financial systems?
EKNOW M&A Software Tools includes its own CRM capabilities.
Contact vCard’s may be dragged and dropped into the system.
Notes and minutes from phone calls and meetings are easily tracked in the Contact record for each contact.
Lists of contacts maybe imported in bulk via spreadsheet.
Can users collaborate and share documents securely with external stakeholders?
Yes. EKNOW M&A Software Tools includes a Data Room which can be shared securely with external stakeholders.
Key transaction documents such as Teasers, NDAs, Pitch Books, Non-binding and Binding offers, valuations, purchase agreements, and all other Seller documents etc. may be stored in line and shared with internal and external stakeholders.
Based upon permissions granted by the Buyer, 3rd party subject matter experts, advisors, and consultants may securely view and upload documents and other data.
How do you ensure data confidentiality and deal security?
EKNOW is compliant with GDPR and certified under the Data Privacy Framework.
EKNOW has a comprehensive security management framework and training that includes data encryption (in motion and at rest), Security Audits, Certifications, Confidentiality and Privacy, daily vulnerability testing, annual penetration testing, backup and recovery in geographically remote data centers, weekly recovery testing, extensive access controls, password management requirements, and much more.
Each customer has their own dedicated instance of EKNOW M&A Software Tools running on a virtual server in a professionally managed data center. See below.
Is the software cloud-based or on-premises?
EKNOW M&A Software Tools is cloud-based. The Enterprise+ offering includes the option for on-premises hosting.
Each customer has a dedicated virtual server located in a professionally managed SOC2-audited data center in the USA, or an ISO-27001 certified data center in Europe, Asia, or the Middle East.
The EKNOW M&A Software Tools system is accessible over the Internet using all modern browsers, independent of operating system.
Who has access to the system?
Customers create their own User accounts and set permissions for internal and external resources, as needed.
Permissions are set based upon the Role, Deal/Project, Team, and Sub-Team of the Users.
The customer determines the unique access permissions for internal personnel as well as external partners, Sellers, and other 3rd parties.
EKNOW access is limited to EKNOW Customer Support personnel.
How long does implementation typically take? What ongoing support is provided?
A dedicated instance (fully-functional out-of-the-box) of EKNOW M&A Software Tools, is provided on Day 1 of a new customer contract.
A designated EKNOW Analyst then works with the customer in an iterative process to tailor and configure the system to the customer’s unique requirements, train power users, and assist in legacy data migration.
This process may be completed in a few days or a few weeks depending upon the customer’s readiness.
Customers may begin to use EKNOW M&A Software Tools in production immediately upon initial configuration.
After the initial onboarding described above, EKNOW provides ongoing configuration support and power user training every month for the duration of the agreement.
The EKNOW Service Level Agreement includes unlimited technical support.
How is your software priced — by user, by deal, or via enterprise license?
Access to EKNOW M&A Software Tools is provided under the terms of a standard EKNOW fixed-price Web Services Agreement.
There is no additional charge for users, storage, or deals / Projects.
There is no limit on the number of deals or Projects
EKNOW offer four fixed-price primary tiers of offerings that are sized and scoped to the needs of small Teams, mid-sized businesses, large enterprises.
The details of the services provided in each tier are provided on the “How to Buy” page of the EKNOW website at How to buy
Are there additional fees for storage, integrations, or user seats?
No. There are no charges for documents, storage, or users.
Each of the four offering tiers specifies very high limits for number of users.
No customer in 26+ years has exceeded the number of users in the appropriate tier.
All 4 tiers include email and spreadsheet integration.
The Enterprise+ tier includes an API that may be used to integrate with the customer’s other applications.
Do you offer a free trial or demo?
Yes. “Hands-on” time with EKNOW M&A Software Tools is available via the EKNOW M&A Tools Sandbox Experience. A mutual NDA is required. Please inquire for details.