What Cornerstone Business Services, Inc does

Cornerstone Business Services, Inc. is a privately-held investment bank founded in 2001 by Scott Bushkie and headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, that provides mergers and acquisitions advisory services to lower middle market businesses with $5 million to $250 million in annual revenue. The firm is built around a three-service core: sell-side company sales, buy-side acquisition searches, and Real Market Analysis (RMA), a proprietary valuation methodology that combines financial analysis, transaction comparables, industry trends, and observed buyer behavior. These services are delivered through Assurance 360™, a 15-step proprietary process, and the Power of Multiple Offers™ (POMO™) methodology, which are designed to generate multiple qualified offers per engagement and compress deal-closing risk. Cornerstone reports an 85% five-year closing ratio, an 80% closing ratio in 2025, an average of 8 indications of interest and 56 confidentiality agreements per sell-side engagement, and a 24% average premium above benchmark value.

The firm's revenue model is professional-services–based: success-based M&A advisory fees, valuation/RMA fees, and securities-related fees routed through broker-dealer Ceiba Financial, LLC (Member FINRA/SIPC). Distribution is primarily direct advisory engagements with founder/family-owned businesses, supplemented by channel partnerships with financial advisors, CPAs, and intermediaries through the Cetera network, the CAPex program, and the Cornerstone International Alliance (CIA), a network of approximately 30 partner firms worldwide that facilitated $2 billion in enterprise value transitions in 2025. Cornerstone also operates DealCoach, a subsidiary brand targeting Main Street businesses under $5 million in revenue, and conducts original research including the 2025 National Study on Selling Your Business (750 U.S. owners) and an AUM Retention Study. The firm employs nearly 20 professionals and was ranked No. 3 on Axial's Q2 2026 Top 25 Lower Middle Market Investment Banks list out of 400+ firms reviewed.

Name

Cornerstone Business Services, Inc

Legal name

Cornerstone Business Services, Inc.

Website

https://cornerstone-business.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cornerstone Business Services is a privately-held investment bank founded in 2001 that provides M&A advisory — company sales, acquisition searches, and Real Market Analysis — to founder and family-owned lower middle market businesses with $5M-$250M in annual revenue, generating multiple qualified offers through its proprietary Assurance 360 process.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Banking & M&A Advisory

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Miscellaneous Intermediation (523910), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Buy-Side Search & Acquisition Advisory (FSAEAIAD)

Keywords

• Mergers and acquisitions advisory
• Lower middle market investment banking
• Business valuation services
• Exit planning advisory
• Acquisition search services

Headquarters

HQ city

Green Bay

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. M&A Advisory Fees: Success-based fees and advisory retainers for sell-side and buy-side M&A transaction services, including company sales, acquisition searches, and transaction execution.
2. Valuation Services: Real Market Analysis (RMA) fees for business valuation services used for exit planning, estate planning, buy-sell agreements, and insurance purposes.
3. Securities Transactions: Securities transactions conducted through Ceiba Financial, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC, where certain Cornerstone members are registered representatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cornerstone Business Services is an investment bank specializing in mergers and acquisitions advisory for lower middle market businesses with $5M–$250M in annual revenue. It provides sell-side Company Sales advisory, buy-side Acquisition Searches, and Real Market Analysis business valuations, unified under its proprietary Assurance 360™ 15-step process designed to generate multiple qualified offers and improve deal certainty.

Product overview

Cornerstone Business Services operates as an investment bank providing advisory services for lower middle market M&A transactions, with a focus on businesses with $5M-$250M in annual revenue. The core service portfolio consists of three main offerings: Company Sales (sell-side advisory), Acquisition Searches (buy-side advisory), and Real Market Analysis (business valuation). These are unified under the proprietary Assurance 360™ process, a 15-step methodology designed to generate multiple qualified offers and improve deal certainty. Supporting the core M&A services are strategic initiatives including the Cornerstone International Alliance (global network of ~30 partner firms), the CAPex Program (education and tools for financial advisors and CPAs), and DealCoach (a subsidiary serving Main Street businesses under $5M revenue). The company also publishes original research including the 2025 National Study on Selling Your Business and AUM Retention Study. Securities transactions are conducted through broker-dealer Ceiba Financial, LLC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DealCoach: A Cornerstone company built for Main Street businesses with less than $5 million in annual revenue. DealCoach combines technology with Cornerstone's transaction process to help owners understand business value, improve financial readiness, identify potential deal issues, and prepare for a future sale.
• Assurance 360™
• Real Market Analysis (RMA)
• Power of Multiple Offers™ (POMO™)

Products and services

• Company Sales

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% average closing ratio over 5 years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 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 indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Robert W. Baird & Co.
• Cetera Financial Group: Network of ~12,000 financial advisors with $263B AUM that has partnered with Cornerstone to provide business sale services. Comparable end-client base (business owners) and serves as a channel partner rather than direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Skogen Capital Group: Wisconsin-based lower middle market M&A advisory firm serving the Midwest, focused on closely-held businesses. Highly comparable boutique size, regional focus, and founder-led advisory model.
• Calder Capital: Lower middle market M&A advisory firm based in Michigan, serving businesses in the $5M-$100M range. Comparable boutique size, regional Midwest footprint, and sell-side process focus.
• Barrington Capital Group: Lower middle market M&A advisory firm based in the Midwest, serving closely-held and family-owned businesses. Comparable boutique scale, regional focus, and sell-side process emphasis.
• Transworld M&A Advisors: Global lower middle market M&A franchise with 60+ offices, focused on main street and lower middle market business sales. Comparable sell-side methodology, target deal size, and franchise-network distribution model.
• Generational Group: One of the largest U.S. lower middle market M&A advisory firms, focused on $1M-$30M+ revenue businesses with a multi-office, advisor-heavy model. Highly comparable sell-side process orientation and target clientele to Cornerstone.
• KSM Capital Advisors: Lower middle market M&A advisory practice affiliated with Katz, Sapper & Miller (CPA firm), serving the Midwest. Comparable target deal size, accounting-firm channel referral model, and sell-side advisory orientation.
• Cascadia Capital: Middle-market investment bank based in the Pacific Northwest with sector-focused M&A advisory practices. Comparable lower middle market orientation but slightly larger and broader sector mix than Cornerstone.

Broad incumbents

• Houlihan Lokey: Global investment bank with a middle-market M&A practice. Overlaps with Cornerstone in serving business owners seeking liquidity, but operates at substantially larger deal sizes and with broader sector coverage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Cornerstone Business Services, Inc