International Business Exchange

What International Business Exchange does

International Business Exchange (IBEX) is a privately held business brokerage and M&A advisory firm founded in 1979 and headquartered in Cedar Park, Texas (Austin metro area). The firm represents owners of small and mid-sized businesses across Texas and the broader Southern and Mid-Western United States in the sale of their companies, with services spanning business valuation, confidential marketing, buyer screening, negotiation, deal structuring, due diligence coordination, and transition support. Core products include sell-side business sale services, buy-side acquisition representation, NACVA-certified business valuation reports, and access to an accumulated buyer network of 18,568+ active contacts.

IBEX operates as a relationship-driven advisory practice rather than a technology platform. Its buyer-matching capability rests on a curated, manually-maintained database of potential acquirers (strategic buyers, private equity groups, individual executives, family offices, and relocation investors) combined with the personal networks of its eight senior advisors, who collectively hold 100+ years of Fortune 500 and middle-market corporate leadership experience. The firm employs a multi-channel marketing stack spanning website listings, direct mail, email, telemarketing, and third-party business brokerage platforms, but has no proprietary software, API, or AI-driven automation layer.

The revenue model is commission-based, with success fees typically ranging from 2% to 8% of transaction value, and free initial valuation assessments offered to prospective sellers. Since IBEX is only compensated at deal close, each engagement is a discrete, success-fee transaction. Across 46 years, the firm claims to have closed more than 500 business sales and brokered $562-703 million in cumulative transaction value, placing it in the top 5% of US business brokerages by deal count and earning the 2025 IBBA Chairman's Circle Award. The firm is a charter member of the Texas Association of Business Brokers and holds memberships in IBBA, M&A Source, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Name

International Business Exchange

Legal name

International Business Exchange

Website

https://ibexbeyond.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

International Business Exchange is a privately held business brokerage and M&A advisory firm founded in 1979 in Cedar Park, Texas, representing small and mid-sized business owners across Texas and the Southern and Mid-Western US in the sale of their companies on a commission-based success-fee model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

M&A Advisory and Business Brokerage Services

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAEACAE

Introducing Broker (IB)

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Securities Brokerage (Retail & Institutional)

Keywords

• Mergers and acquisitions advisory
• Business brokerage services
• Business valuation services
• Middle market M&A
• Sell-side advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Brokerage Commission: Commission-based fees charged to sellers upon successful business sale. Commission rates typically fall between 2% and 8% depending on deal size, complexity, and scope of services. This is a success-fee model where IBEX only earns compensation when a transaction closes.
2. Business Valuation Services: Provides certified business valuation reports adhering to NACVA standards. Reports used for exit planning, buying/selling decisions, and shareholder buyouts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

International Business Exchange (IBEX) is a middle market business brokerage and M&A advisory firm that guides business owners through the sale of their companies, represents buyers seeking acquisitions, and provides certified business valuations. Services span initial confidential valuation, buyer screening, deal structuring, and closing support, delivered through a team of senior advisors with combined Fortune 500 and middle market leadership experience. IBEX leverages a proprietary buyer database network of 18,568+ active contacts to market businesses for sale confidentially.

Product overview

IBEX (International Business Exchange) operates as a middle market business brokerage and M&A advisory firm, not a technology platform or SaaS product. The company offers a suite of advisory services centered around business sales, acquisitions, and valuations. The core offerings include business sale services (guiding owners from assessment through closing), business acquisition services (connecting buyers with opportunities), and certified business valuation services following NACVA standards. The firm leverages its accumulated buyer database network of over 18,500+ active buyers to market businesses confidentially. These services are delivered through human advisors rather than a software platform, with no modular product architecture or API offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Sale Services
• Business Acquisition Services
• Business Valuation Services
• M&A Advisory Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Sold a company with $2.5M in profit for $12M
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• International Business Brokers Association (IBBA)coreOthersProfessional membership association for business brokers. IBEX advisors hold active IBBA credentials and have received recognition including Chairman's Circle Award. Provides access to industry standards, training, and professional development.
• M&A SourcecoreOthersPremier merger and acquisition network for middle market business brokers. IBEX is a member, providing access to deal flow, industry resources, and professional standards for M&A advisories.
• Texas Association of Business Brokers (TABB)coreOthersCharter members of TABB. State-level professional association for business brokers operating in Texas. Provides networking, education, and advocacy for business brokerage professionals.
• U.S. Chamber of CommercemoderateOthersIBEX is a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, demonstrating commitment to business standards and providing credibility through association with the nation's largest business federation.
• Association of Strategic Alliance (ASBA)minorOthersListed as an affiliation on IBEX website. Organization focused on strategic business alliances and partnerships.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sunbelt Business Brokers: One of the largest business brokerage networks in North America, with franchise and affiliate offices covering most US states. Directly comparable to IBEX in core service offering (main-street to lower-middle-market business sales on a success-fee model) and is the most-cited national competitor in the same tier. <parameter name="peer_description">
• Murphy Business Sales: National business brokerage and M&A advisory firm with a focus on main-street to lower-middle-market transactions, similar deal size range and commission-based model. Competes with IBEX for the same seller profile and provides a strong comparability benchmark for regional advisory economics. <parameter name="peer_description">
• VR Business Brokers / Mergers &amp; Acquisitions: Established franchise-style business brokerage with a national footprint offering sell-side advisory, valuation, and buyer representation. Closely comparable in service scope (sell-side + valuation) and customer profile (lower-middle-market owners), and a direct competitor for IBEX's Texas/Southern markets. <parameter name="peer_description">
• Transworld Business Advisors: Large global business brokerage franchise focused on main-street to lower-middle-market M&A. Comparable business model (commission-based sell-side advisory + buyer representation) and the most aggressive roll-up competitor in IBEX's category. <parameter name="peer_description">
• First Choice Business Brokers: California-headquartered business brokerage with regional offices serving SMB owners in the lower-middle-market. Same commission-based, success-fee model and similar buyer-database-driven marketing approach; competes for sellers in adjacent geographies. <parameter name="peer_description">
• Generational Group: US middle-market M&A advisory firm with a heavy Texas presence, focused on sell-side advisory for companies in the $10M-$300M enterprise value range. Comparable in target customer (owner-led businesses) and service offering, though skewed toward larger transactions than IBEX's typical deal size. <parameter name="peer_description">
• Morgan &amp; Westfield: M&amp;A advisory firm serving lower-middle-market business owners across the US, with both sell-side and buy-side representation plus business valuation services. Directly comparable service mix to IBEX, including the certified-valuation capability. <parameter name="peer_description">

Broad incumbents

• BizBuySell: Largest online business-for-sale marketplace in the US, hosting listings for thousands of SMBs across all industries and price ranges. Represents the digital, self-serve alternative to IBEX's full-service model and a structural threat to traditional brokers in the lower end of the market. <parameter name="peer_description">

Emerging players

• Axial: Online deal-sourcing platform connecting lower-middle-market business owners with acquirers, PE firms, and family offices. Comparable in serving the same buyer/seller profile as IBEX but via a technology-first platform model rather than full-service advisory. <parameter name="peer_description">
• Acquire.com: Online marketplace for buying and selling startups and SMBs, with a curated buyer base and standardized listing process. Comparable at the smaller end of IBEX's addressable market and representative of the digital-native competitors encroaching on traditional business brokerage. <parameter name="peer_description">

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ibex_business
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/internationalbusinessexchange

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 International Business Exchange