What Calder Capital does

Calder Capital, LLC is a privately held, founder-owned mergers and acquisitions advisory firm founded in 2013 and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The firm serves lower middle-market businesses with enterprise values between $1 million and $100 million, operating on both sides of deals through sell-side advisory, a three-tier buy-side advisory program (Gold, Silver, Bronze) that includes a contractual guarantee of 10 proprietary seller leads or no charge on the top tier, business valuation, exit planning, distressed advisory, and a buyer match service. The customer base spans manufacturing, distribution, construction, and a broad set of business services sub-verticals across more than 30 U.S. states.

The firm's competitive model is tech-enabled and marketing-intensive rather than algorithmically driven. Core technology consists of a proprietary database of more than 350,000 potential buyers and an automated communication system that executes standardized 7-touch outreach sequences over 2–3 weeks. Reported client outcomes include an average of 15 competitive offers per engagement, sale prices typically exceeding pre-marketing valuation by 20% or more, and a 40%+ response rate on buy-side seller outreach. Revenue is generated through professional services fees tied to M&A transactions (retainers and success fees), with a 2025 throughput of 58 deals and 380+ cumulative deals since inception.

Calder operates from seven U.S. offices (Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Florida) staffed by 25+ named M&A advisors. The firm is bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional capital, is recognized as a top-tier lower middle market advisor by Axial (top-3 process efficiency), Pitchbook, Inc. 5000 (four-time listee), the M&A Advisor, ACG, and the Better Business Bureau. The technology stack emphasizes marketing automation, database scale, and process discipline; there is no evidence of AI/ML capabilities. Customer logos include multi-state electrical contractors, metal fabricators, landscaping services, environmental services, and industrial machining businesses, with disclosed transaction sizes up to $34M at 6.38x EBITDA.

Name

Calder Capital

Legal name

Calder Capital, LLC

Website

https://caldergr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Calder Capital is a privately held lower middle-market M&A advisory firm serving businesses with $1M–$100M in enterprise value. Founded in 2013 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it provides sell-side and buy-side advisory, valuations, and exit planning via a 350,000+ buyer database and seven U.S. offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

M&A Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sell-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAA), Buy-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAB), Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory (BPAHADAB)

Keywords

• M&A advisory
• Business brokerage
• Sell-side advisory
• Buy-side advisory
• Business valuation

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. M&A Advisory Services: Calder Capital provides sell-side advisory, buy-side advisory, and business valuation services. Revenue is generated through professional services fees associated with M&A transactions, including success fees upon deal completion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Calder Capital is a lower middle-market M&A advisory firm providing sell-side advisory, buy-side advisory, and business valuation services for businesses with enterprise values from $1M to $100M. The firm combines human M&A advisors with a proprietary 350,000+ buyer database and automated 7-touch outreach campaigns to generate competitive offers for sellers and qualified off-market leads for buyers.

Product overview

Calder Capital is a tech-enabled, full-service M&A advisory firm offering a unified platform of sell-side and buy-side advisory services for lower middle-market businesses with enterprise values ranging from $1 million to $100 million. The core offering combines Sell-Side Advisory (leveraging a 350,000+ buyer database and automated outreach systems) with Buy-Side services available in three tiers: Buy-Side Gold (guaranteeing 10 proprietary seller leads), Buy-Side Silver, and Buy-Side Bronze. Supporting services include Business Valuation, Exit Planning Advisory, Distressed Advisory, and a Buyer Match platform. The company also operates an online Businesses for Sale Listings portal showcasing acquisition opportunities across manufacturing, distribution, construction, and service sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sell-Side Advisory M&A advisory service helping lower middle-market business owners sell their companies by creating competitive auctions, generating multiple offers, and maximizing sale prices through broad buyer outreach using Calder's proprietary database of 350,000+ potential buyers.
• Buy-Side Advisory (Gold / Silver / Bronze tiers) Buy-side M&A advisory program for strategic and financial acquirers, providing off-market seller outreach and qualified introductions. The Buy-Side Gold tier guarantees 10 proprietary seller introductions matching the buyer's industry, geography, and size criteria—or the client does not pay; Buy-Side Silver and Bronze offer scaled off-market identification and introduction services.
• Business Valuation Professional business valuation and appraisal service determining enterprise value for owners and acquirers considering transactions or exit planning.
• Exit Planning Advisory Strategic advisory service helping business owners prepare for a business exit, including succession planning, value-driver optimization, and timeline alignment with personal and market readiness.
• Distressed Advisory Specialized M&A advisory for owners of struggling or distressed businesses, navigating complex situations and identifying strategic buyers or turnaround acquirers.
• Buyer Match Service matching pre-qualified buyers with business sellers based on industry, geography, and size criteria to enable efficient introductions on either side of a transaction.
• Businesses for Sale Listings Online portal showcasing businesses currently listed for sale through Calder Capital, spanning manufacturing, distribution, construction, and service sectors with enterprise values from $1M to $100M+.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clients typically receive 15 competitive offers on average
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cornerstone Business Services: Mid-market M&A and business brokerage with a similar regional office model; comparable in client size, services offered, and lower middle market positioning.
• Benchmark International: Global lower middle market M&A advisor with a tech-enabled outreach model and tiered service offerings; competes head-to-head with Calder for U.S. sell-side mandates in the $1-100M EV range.
• Generational Group: One of the largest U.S. lower middle market M&A advisory firms; directly comparable to Calder in target company size, multi-office footprint, and productized sell-side and buy-side services.
• Transworld Business Advisors: Large franchise-based business brokerage and M&A advisory focused on lower middle market transactions; overlaps with Calder on smaller sell-side deals and franchise ownership.
• Sun Mergers & Acquisitions: Boutique lower middle market M&A advisor serving similar owner-operator seller clients; comparable in deal size, sector focus, and target customer profile.
• Strategic Mergers & Acquisitions: Lower middle market M&A advisor with a focus on manufacturing, distribution, and service businesses; closely comparable in deal size, vertical mix, and target geography.
• VR Business Sales / M&A Mergers & Acquisitions: Network-based lower middle market business brokerage and M&A firm; competes with Calder in the same EV range and similar manufacturing/services verticals.
• Morgan & Westfield: U.S. lower middle market M&A advisor and business brokerage; competes with Calder on sell-side mandates in the same EV range and customer segments.

Emerging players

• Sources Capital Group: Lower middle market advisory focused on sell-side mandates for owner-operated businesses; partial overlap with Calder on deal size and customer profile.
• Greenstone Partners: Tech-enabled lower middle market M&A platform with a database-driven outreach approach; comparable in methodology and target customer, though smaller in scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/calder-capital

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A2 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Calder Capital