Sampford Advisors
Sampford Advisors is a privately held boutique investment bank headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, providing sell-side M&A advisory services exclusively to mid-market Canadian technology companies across Software/SaaS, IT Services, and Hardware, with additional offices in Toronto and Austin.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersOttawa, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sampford Advisors does
Sampford Advisors is a privately held boutique investment bank and M&A advisory firm headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with additional offices in Toronto and Austin. Founded by Ed Bryant in 2016/2017 and self-described as the leading M&A advisor to Canadian technology companies, Sampford exclusively focuses on sell-side representation for mid-market technology businesses spanning Software/SaaS, IT Services/Managed Services, and Hardware verticals.
The firm's core offering is end-to-end sell-side M&A advisory: valuation, positioning, buyer identification and outreach, negotiation, deal structuring, due diligence support, and closing. There is no proprietary software product or technology platform; the firm's "product" is its advisory expertise, market intelligence, and senior-partner-led execution model. Marketing and client outreach are conducted through an active blog authored by partners Boris Petkovic and Ed Bryant, LinkedIn and YouTube presence, and conference participation (e.g., SaaSNorth).
Sampford generates revenue through transaction-based success fees tied to the value of closed M&A deals, typically structured as a percentage of transaction value with a retainer component. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by deal size and complexity. As of the latest period, the firm has closed approximately 55 M&A deals representing more than $2.6 billion in aggregate transaction value, with 76% of clients sold to US-based acquirers. The leadership team includes founder Ed Bryant, Managing Partner Mitch Robinson (joined 2025), Partner Boris Petkovic, two Associates, and a Business Development representative.
Sampford Advisors firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sampford Advisors
- Legal name
- Sampford Advisors Inc.
- Website
- https://sampfordadvisors.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Sampford Advisors is a privately held boutique investment bank headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, providing sell-side M&A advisory services exclusively to mid-market Canadian technology companies across Software/SaaS, IT Services, and Hardware, with additional offices in Toronto and Austin.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Sampford Advisors is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ottawa
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Sampford Advisors business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- M&A Advisory Services: Transaction-based advisory fees for sell-side M&A representation. Fees are typically structured as a percentage of transaction value (success fee), often with a retainer component. The firm guides technology companies through the full M&A process including valuation, positioning, buyer identification, negotiation, and closing.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Sampford Advisors product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sampford Advisors is a boutique M&A advisory firm exclusively focused on mid-market Canadian technology companies. It provides sell-side M&A representation — guiding software/SaaS, IT services/managed services, and hardware technology firms through valuation, positioning, buyer identification, negotiation, due diligence, and closing. The firm has closed 55+ M&A deals with over $2.6 billion in aggregate transaction value, and a majority of clients (76%) have been sold to US buyers.
Product overview
Sampford Advisors is a boutique investment bank and M&A advisory firm exclusively focused on mid-market technology companies. The firm does not offer software products; instead, it provides sell-side M&A advisory services to Canadian technology companies (Software/SaaS, IT Services/Managed Services, Hardware), guiding clients through the full transaction lifecycle including strategic analysis, deal structuring, due diligence support, and negotiation. The firm has closed over 55 M&A deals with over $2.6 billion in aggregate dollar value.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sell-Side M&A Advisory Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 55 M&A deals closed with $2.6Bn+ aggregate value
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Sampford Advisors
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Sampford Advisors technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sampford Advisors partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Espresso CapitalminorContent collaboration on debt financing for M&A. Will Hutchins, Managing Director with Espresso Capital, co-authored an article on using debt to finance acquisitions, providing expertise on venture debt and alternative financing options for growth-stage technology companies pursuing M&A.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sampford Advisors competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GP Bullhound: Global tech-focused M&A advisory boutique. Directly competes with Sampford in software/SaaS sell-side mandates; similar boutique economics and tech-only focus make them the closest global analogue.
- Drake Star Partners: Global technology M&A advisor with strong SaaS, IT services, and digital media coverage. Overlaps directly with Sampford's vertical focus and mid-market tech mandate.
- Software Equity Partners: US-based boutique specializing exclusively in SaaS M&A. Closest US-market analogue of Sampford's pure-play software sell-side model.
- Harris Williams: Mid-market M&A advisor with dedicated Technology, Media & Telecom group. Comparable mid-deal-size focus and sector-specialist model that targets similar Canadian tech sellers.
- Echelon Wealth Partners: Toronto-based independent investment dealer with a technology M&A practice. Similar boutique structure targeting mid-market Canadian tech sellers and US acquirers.
Broad incumbents
- Canaccord Genuity Group: Canadian-headquartered global investment bank with a long-standing Technology & Growth team. Competes on larger mid-market tech mandates that overlap Sampford's upper end.
- BMO Capital Markets: Canadian bank capital markets arm with technology M&A coverage. Overlaps on larger Canadian mid-market tech processes where bulge bracket banks compete.
- RBC Capital Markets: Royal Bank's investment banking arm with a Technology & Healthcare M&A practice. Competes for larger Canadian tech sellers and acts as a US buyer-side advisor.
- TD Securities: TD Bank's wholesale investment banking arm with technology and growth equity coverage. Represents broader Canadian bank competition for mid-market tech M&A.
Others
- KPMG Canada (Deal Advisory): Big-4 firm's Canadian Deal Advisory practice provides corporate finance, M&A, and transaction services. Competes indirectly on due diligence and lower-mid-market mandates.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sampford Advisors social profiles
Digital presenceSampford Advisors financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sampford Advisors leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Sampford Advisors funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sampford Advisors M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sampford Advisors
What does Sampford Advisors do?
Sampford Advisors is a boutique M&A advisory firm exclusively focused on mid-market Canadian technology companies. It provides sell-side M&A representation — guiding software/SaaS, IT services/managed services, and hardware technology firms through valuation, positioning, buyer identification, negotiation, due diligence, and closing. The firm has closed 55+ M&A deals with over $2.6 billion in aggregate transaction value, and a majority of clients (76%) have been sold to US buyers.
Is Sampford Advisors a public or private company?
Sampford Advisors is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sampford Advisors founded?
Sampford Advisors was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Sampford Advisors based?
Sampford Advisors is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Sampford Advisors make money?
One revenue line is on record: M&A Advisory Services.
Who are Sampford Advisors's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GP Bullhound, Drake Star Partners, Software Equity Partners, Harris Williams and Echelon Wealth Partners. Broad incumbents are Canaccord Genuity Group, BMO Capital Markets, RBC Capital Markets and TD Securities. KPMG Canada (Deal Advisory) is listed as an others.
Does Sampford Advisors have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sampford Advisors.