IBG Business

What IBG Business does

IBG Business is a privately held U.S. M&A advisory and brokerage firm founded in 1986, headquartered in Denver with eight regional offices across the country. The firm serves mid-market business owners and buyers for transactions valued between $1 million and over $100 million, with principals and M&A brokers collectively bringing more than 200 years of combined business experience. Since founding, IBG claims to have completed over 1,200 business sales and acquisitions with an 86% closing rate, which the firm contrasts against a stated 11-25% national average drawn from BizBuySell.com.

The core product offering is M&A advisory services structured around four pillars: selling a business (managed through a documented nine-step process), buying a business (processed through a dedicated Investor Relations Department), business valuation and appraisal, and strategic business development. IBG also maintains verticalized industry expertise across twelve sectors including aviation, construction, oil & gas, food products, healthcare, manufacturing, business services, retail, technology, transportation and trucking, wholesale distribution, and vehicle wash. International deal capability is delivered through a partnership with Eaton Square, a network of 100+ senior professionals across 13 countries.

IBG operates on a transaction-fee revenue model, charging success-based advisory commissions on deal closings; specific fee schedules are not publicly disclosed and are negotiated per engagement. Securities-related activities are routed through CEIBA Financial, LLC (Member FINRA/SIPC), which is not affiliated with IBG. The firm has no institutional or venture capital backing and is privately held following a 2014 acquisition of the IBG Business platform by International Business Group, LLC. Recent leadership additions (Tim Atwell promoted to Managing Partner in September 2025 and Mark Travis joining in March 2026) point to ongoing investment in senior bench depth.

Name

IBG Business

Legal name

IBG Business Services

Website

https://ibgbusiness.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IBG Business is a privately held U.S. M&A advisory and brokerage firm serving mid-market business owners and buyers for transactions valued between $1 million and over $100 million, with eight U.S. offices, 1,200+ completed deals, and an 86% closing rate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

M&A Advisory and Business Brokerage

NAICS

Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG)

Keywords

• M&A advisory services
• Business brokerage
• Business valuation
• Middle-market mergers
• Deal intermediation

Headquarters

HQ city

Scottsdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. M&A Advisory and Brokerage Fees: IBG Business generates revenue through success-based fees for M&A advisory services, including business valuation, business sales facilitation, business acquisitions support, and strategic advisory engagements. The firm works with businesses valued from $1 million to over $100 million.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IBG Business is an M&A broker and advisory firm that facilitates mid-market business sales, acquisitions, and valuations. The firm delivers a nine-step deal-tested process supported by a team of former business owners, completing transactions for businesses valued from $1 million to over $100 million with an 86% closing rate. Services include selling-side representation, buy-side support through an Investor Relations Department, business valuation and appraisal, and strategic business development across 12 industry verticals.

Product overview

IBG Business is a leading M&A broker and advisory firm offering a unified platform of services for mid-market business sales and acquisitions. The core offering consists of M&A Advisory Services, which encompasses Selling a Business (with the IBG nine-step process), Buying a Business (via investor relations), Business Valuation & Appraisal, and Strategic Business Development. The company also provides specialized Industry Expertise Services across 12 sectors including Aviation, Construction, Oil & Gas/Energy, Food Products, Health & Medical, Manufacturing, Business Services, Retail, Technology, Transportation & Trucking, Wholesale Distribution, and Vehicle Wash Industry. With eight U.S. offices and over 100 strategic partners in 13 countries through a partnership with Eaton Square, IBG serves businesses valued from $1 million to over $100 million, having completed over 1,200 deals with an 86% closing rate.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Selling a Business

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% closing rate vs. 11-25% national average
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Eaton SquarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIBG Business serves as partners in Eaton Square for cross-border M&A, with access to over 100 senior professionals across US, Canada, China & Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Switzerland, Singapore, and Israel. This partnership enables IBG to offer international deal flow and serve clients with cross-border transaction needs.
• CEIBA Financial, LLCminorOthersCertain members of IBG Business are registered representatives of and securities transactions conducted through CEIBA FINANCIAL, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC, Fullerton, CA. CEIBA FINANCIAL, LLC is not affiliated with IBG Business. This is a regulatory/compliance relationship for securities transactions, not a strategic partnership.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Generational Group: One of the largest US mid-market M&A advisory firms, focused on businesses valued $1M–$500M with multiple offices and a similar transaction-fee model. Directly comparable in target client size, services offered, and sales-led GTM.
• Transworld Business Advisors: Franchised business brokerage and M&A firm with hundreds of advisors across the US, focused on lower-middle-market business sales. Comparable in client size range, transaction-fee model, and relationship-driven deal-making.
• Sunbelt Business Advisors: Largest US business brokerage network, specializing in selling main-street and lower-middle-market businesses. Direct competitor for IBG's smaller deal sizes with similar transaction-fee revenue model.
• Murphy Business Sales: National business brokerage franchise selling main-street and mid-market businesses in a comparable value range. Similar multi-office model, success-fee revenue, and target client profile.
• VR Business Sales / Mergers & Acquisitions: Mid-market M&A and business brokerage with US franchise network, comparable in deal size, services, and target market. Directly competitive on listings and buyer relationships.
• Woodbridge International: Global middle-market M&A advisory with similar cross-border deal capabilities and mid-market focus. Comparable in transaction-fee model, sector-agnostic coverage, and international network reliance.

Others

• Eaton Square: International M&A advisory partnership of which IBG is itself a member. Relevant as both a partner and a comparable cross-border mid-market M&A network, illustrating the structural approach IBG uses to access international deal flow.

Emerging players

• Axial: Private deal network for lower-middle-market M&A professionals; IBG is featured on its Q3 League Tables. Partial overlap as both a deal-sourcing platform for advisors and a competing intermediation layer for buyers/sellers.
• BizBuySell: Largest US online marketplace for businesses-for-sale, cited by IBG as the source of the 11–25% national closing-rate benchmark. Competes with traditional brokers like IBG by giving buyers and sellers a lower-cost self-service channel.

Broad incumbents

• Houlihan Lokey: Global investment bank with a large middle-market M&A practice that increasingly competes for deals in the upper end of IBG's $1M–$100M+ range. Comparable service offering (M&A advisory, valuation) but with much broader geographic and sector coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ibg-business-services

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IBG Business