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Testimonials

Exceptional Founders Choose Horizon Partners

“To say that Mike and the Horizon team delivered would be a massive understatement. They plumbed every corner of our company – business model, go to market strategy, IP, operations, finance, legal – and identified the drivers of our success. If you have the honor of working with the Horizon team, we’re confident you’ll be similarly thrilled.”

Enno Vandermeer
Co-founder & CEO, Roon Labs

full TESTIMONIAL

“If you’re a founder looking for a true partner to bring your business to the next level, look no further. If you work with Horizon, your life will be easier, your nerves calmer, and your transaction outcome much, much better.”

Ben Teerlink
Founder & CEO, MMI

full TESTIMONIAL

“The Horizon Partners team is not only comprised of the best bankers in the business, they are genuinely decent human beings who truly care about their clients.”

Brent Grinna & JD Beebe
Co-founders, EverTrue & ThankView

full TESTIMONIAL

“Not only did they exceed our lofty expectations in terms of professionalism, work-ethic, efficiency, and the ultimate transaction valuation, but they did so while being heavily involved operationally and strategically.”

Shawn Anderson and Shane Corellian
Co-founders, PDQ

full TESTIMONIAL

“To other entrepreneurs considering Horizon: by the time you close a transaction, we are confident that Horizon will have exceeded your expectations so many times and in so many different ways that — like us — you will not be able to imagine having done it any other way.”

Frank Balcavage & Jake Kuehner
Co-founders, Mathway​

full TESTIMONIAL

“From my initial interactions with Horizon, which were notably different from those with the many others firms that had contacted me, to their integrity and transparency, they stood apart from the crowd.”

Tony Quartararo
Founder, Fulcrum (formerly Spatial Networks)
full TESTIMONIAL

“If you have the opportunity to work with Horizon Partners, you should. They’re brilliant, fun to work with, and made a complex process seem easy—with results that exceeded all of my expectations.”

Philip Kaplan
Founder & CEO, DistroKid​

full TESTIMONIAL

“Extremely knowledgeable, engaged, and easy to work with, Horizon did a fantastic job managing the process, negotiating terms, working through transaction challenges, and ultimately helping identify DaySmart’s ideal partner.”

Mark & Christianna Jackson
Founders, DaySmart Software​

full TESTIMONIAL

“Horizon’s principals showed a rare ability to manage the expectations and personalities of all parties involved. I couldn’t have been more pleased with their counsel, attention to detail, financial expertise, and availability.”

Craig Flynn
Founder & President TreeHouse Interactive (now Impartner)

full TESTIMONIAL

“Horizon’s deep expertise, attention to detail, insights and instincts with respect to M&A dynamics, combined with an unrelenting degree of rigor in optimizing timing and process execution, played key roles in getting us an excellent valuation.”

Steve Dengler & Beric Farmer
Founders, XE

full TESTIMONIAL

“Horizon’s long-term view is refreshing and their industry expertise has proven invaluable. Results-oriented and consistently engaged, Mike and Sandy exhibit a care-factor that you won’t find with other banks.”

Mike Apgar
CEO & Founder, Ookla

full TESTIMONIAL

“From start to finish, Horizon’s principals brought an intensity, work ethic, level of expertise, and ultimately outcome that strongly exceeded our expectations.”

Jason Toews & Dustin Coupal
Founders, GasBuddy

full TESTIMONIAL

“Their deep industry knowledge has been invaluable in helping Next Sparc find and execute upon opportunities in the technology sector.”

Len Pagob
CEO, Next Sparc

full TESTIMONIAL

“Horizon has been a true partner to me since I started my business. I was consistently impressed with their hard work, valuable insights, and effective negotiation tactics leading up to my transaction.”

Joe Deal
CEO & Founder, BestNursingDegree.com

full TESTIMONIAL

“Horizon added value in many ways throughout the process, from positioning the business to capture strategic interest, to negotiating a complicated transaction and taking an hands-on approach through due diligence.”

Scott Wainner
CEO & Founder, Reseller Ratings

full TESTIMONIAL

“Working with Horizon has been great for my business and I will continue to work with them on future deals.”

Tom Hendrickson
CEO & Founder, Mitre Media

full TESTIMONIAL

“I’ve known Horizon’s principals for years and would highly recommend them to other technology entrepreneurs.”

Dan Wesley
CEO & Founder, CreditLoan.com

full TESTIMONIAL

Enno Vandermeer
Co-founder & CEO, Roon Labs

“As a bootstrapped SaaS startup, Roon Labs had been focused on product-market fit, user growth, and nurturing a community of evangelist customers. Our processes and systems were home-grown and built and scaled of necessity, and we were largely naïve about what makes a young company “fundable.” Given this, we didn’t really know where to start when it came to selecting a long-term strategic partner or running an M&A process.

During my first call with Mike, he made an impossible-sounding claim about the level of service we could expect from Horizon. He said we could give his team access to our systems, and that he and his team would do the heavy lifting to turn our raw data into business metrics and financials that we could take to the market. He claimed that he would coach us on how to show the diamond in the rough that was our business in the best light, and teach us the language used by investors and potential partners. He told me that the Horizon team would dive deep to understand our business with a minimal impact on our time and attention, which was particularly enticing because nothing is scarier to entrepreneurs than the idea of taking your eye off the proverbial ball to engage capital markets.

To say that Mike and the Horizon team delivered on those promises would be a massive understatement. They plumbed every corner of our company – business model, go to market strategy, IP, operations, finance, legal – and identified the drivers of our success. They helped us frame and articulate our strengths while being honest and humble about our weaknesses. By the time we finished our management presentation and process materials, it’s safe to say that Mike understood the intricacies of our business better than we ever had.

Horizon brought us business, legal, and financial rigor, but they were also deeply sensitive to us as founders, and understood our goals and fears and helped us navigate the challenging process of charting a path for the future of our company. Through that process, we identified a partner whose goals aligned with our own, and who valued what we had built.

Only in hindsight did we come to understand that no deals happened by chance in 2023. In an extremely challenging market, we absolutely credit Horizon with not only the successful close of a transaction, but with opening the next chapter in our company’s history and in each of our careers. If you have the honor of working with the Horizon team, we’re confident you’ll be similarly thrilled.”

Ben Teerlink
Founder & CEO, MMI

“To say that the Horizon team ‘delivered’ in their work for MMI would be an understatement. From the time that I met Mike, I knew that we would work well together and I was confident that he would put my company’s interests in front of his own. Throughout the engagement with them, Horizon absolutely shattered the stereotypes associated with bankers (that they don’t engage deeply, are trying to do as little work as possible, are self interested). To put it succinctly, by the time our transaction closed I found myself wondering “what Mike would think about this” whenever a big decision came up… this is because he has become part of the MMI team in every sense of the word.

A good way to describe Horizon’s services came from lead outside counsel on the deal: “these guys are who they claim to be and more… part COO, part CFO, part general counsel, and the highest-touch, concierge M&A service in the industry. Early on, I realized I didn’t need to worry about balls being dropped, whether the item was large or small… because Horizon was always on it.”

We are thrilled with the outcome, thrilled with our new financial partner, and thrilled with the service provided by Horizon. When the time comes for my next deal, I don’t even need to consider with whom I plan to work. As far as I’m concerned, Horizon Partners already has the job.

If you’re a founder looking for a true partner to bring your business to the next level, look no further. If you work with Horizon, your life will be easier, your nerves calmer, and your transaction outcome much, much better.”

Brent Grinna & JD Beebe
Co-founders, EverTrue & ThankView

“The Horizon Partners team is not only comprised of the best bankers in the business, they are genuinely decent human beings who truly care about their clients. While there are numerous reasons why we are grateful to have hired Horizon, the most salient is that they were ultimately highly successful stewards of our complex sponsor-backed merger and recapitalization.  To reach the tremendous financial, strategic, and partnership outcome with Rubicon, Horizon at times slotted in operationally, putting on their CFO, strategy, and corporate development hats to help us make important decisions.  This high-touch approach was critical in Horizon’s becoming so well versed in the nuances of the market and combined business that they could masterfully pitch that combined entity to many investors not familiar with such exotic initial transactions.

In comparing our respective experiences post deal, it jumped out to us that in Brent’s pre-CEO career working in the investment banking and private equity industries, he never encountered a senior banker set as hands on and committed as Mike and Sandy (and he worked with exceptional folks!). From our initial kick-off through close, Horizon was more than just our advisor. They were truly partners who joined our respective teams. As we told the Horizon team at the end of our process, we are a “10” on the NPS scale in enthusiastically recommending their services to our peers. If you’re considering working with Horizon or if you’re curious to learn more about why we feel so strongly, shoot us connection requests and mention that in the note. We would be happy to discuss further.”

Shawn Anderson and Shane Corellian
Co-founders, PDQ

“In the process of bootstrapping our software business to substantial scale and profitability, we were fortunate to work with many exceptional operators, advisors, and industry thought leaders. So, when we entrusted Horizon to manage our private equity process, we had very high expectations. After working with the Horizon team to close a large transaction with our ideal partner, we are pleased to say that they delivered 100%. Not only did they exceed our lofty expectations in terms of professionalism, work-ethic, efficiency, and the ultimate transaction valuation, but they did so while being heavily involved operationally and strategically. As one of our investors put it, “Mike flat understood the intricacies of the PDQ business — from the numbers to the product and strategy — in a way that private equity firms rarely see from advisors”…and we would add that he (and the entire Horizon team) did so while showing a level of respect, grace in difficult circumstances, and foresight that made our entire executive team miss them after the deal closed and they were off to the next transaction. For these and a multitude of other reasons, we can unequivocally recommend Horizon to any entrepreneur in the fortunate position to hire them. Bottom line: if you do have the opportunity to work with them, you’ll be extremely glad that you did.”

Frank Balcavage & Jake Kuehner
Co-founders, Mathway​

“When we hired Horizon, their reputation and our ‘gut’ told us that we would be successful together. However, by the time we had completed due diligence and closed a transaction in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, they had truly become part of the Mathway team. To other entrepreneurs considering Horizon: by the time you close a transaction, we are confident that Horizon will have exceeded your expectations so many times and in so many different ways that — like us — you will not be able to imagine having done it any other way. We are thrilled with our outcome and are now happy to add “friends” to Horizon’s former title as our “investment bankers.”

Tony Quartararo
Founder, Fulcrum (formerly Spatial Networks)

“Horizon did an exceptional job for us. Their deep SaaS expertise was the primary consideration when Spatial Networks selected them — from two dozen candidates — to manage our transaction process. This expertise, when combined with Horizon’s ingenuity, strategic guidance, patience, and creativity, ultimately delivered Spatial Networks a combination of investors that we feel is ideally positioned to take the business to the next level, a feat even more impressive because the investors did not know each other before Horizon put them together specifically for our deal. From my initial interactions with Horizon, which were notably different from those with the many others firms that had contacted me, to their integrity and transparency, they stood apart from the crowd. I would hire Horizon again in a heartbeat and would recommend them without reservation.”

Philip Kaplan
Founder & CEO, DistroKid​

“If you have the opportunity to work with Horizon Partners, you should. They’re brilliant, fun to work with, and made a complex process seem easy—with results that exceeded all of my expectations. Horizon architected a dream transaction structure that I wouldn’t have thought possible…until they delivered it.”

Mark & Christianna Jackson
Founders, DaySmart Software​

“It was a true pleasure working with Horizon. Extremely knowledgeable, engaged, and easy to work with, Horizon did a fantastic job managing the process, negotiating terms, working through transaction challenges, and ultimately helping identify DaySmart’s ideal partner. What may not be clear to outsiders is that DaySmart began working with Horizon three years prior to our transaction. During that period, Horizon was instrumental in helping us transition from a perpetual license to subscription-based software model. They also helped us understand and calculate life time value, significantly reduce churn, implement our Scrum process for software development, and execute many other important strategic initiatives. From kickoff to closing, Horizon was outstanding to work with and added tremendous value.”

Craig Flynn
Founder & President TreeHouse Interactive (now Impartner)

“It is my great pleasure to recommend Horizon. As a company founder and majority owner, the thought of selling a part or all of my company was a big decision, to say the least. Having a firm of Horizon’s integrity and understanding made the process and related decisions much easier. Horizon’s principals showed a rare ability to manage the expectations and personalities of all parties involved. I couldn’t have been more pleased with their counsel, attention to detail, financial expertise, and availability. Horizon’s recommended and eventual outcome was the best option for shareholders and the future of our company — exactly what was promised at the beginning of the process. One would be hard-pressed to find a better advisor.”

Steve Dengler & Beric Farmer
Founders, XE

“Horizon did a phenomenal job for XE in our sale process and enabled us to achieve an outcome with which we are thrilled. Horizon’s deep expertise, attention to detail, insights and instincts with respect to M&A dynamics, combined with an unrelenting degree of rigor in optimizing timing and process execution, played key roles in getting us an excellent valuation. We followed their advice and recommendations and then saw the promised benefits unfold throughout a process that proceeded like clockwork according to the plan and timeline that had been set early on. Bottom line: Horizon delivered. Perhaps most importantly for us, Horizon exhibited a human, personal side and consistently acted from a foundation of integrity throughout the process. We were not necessarily expecting this — investment bankers aren’t often characterized in that manner — so it was a great bonus that helped to make an exciting, stressful, emotional process thoroughly enjoyable. We look forward to continued interactions with Horizon’s principals and their team.”

Mike Apgar
CEO & Founder, Ookla

“Horizon’s long-term view is refreshing and their industry expertise has proven invaluable. Results-oriented and consistently engaged, Mike and Sandy exhibit a care-factor that you won’t find with other banks. They were successful, despite the complex legal and financial components in our transaction, and continue as trusted advisors to Ookla. Simply put, Horizon is in a class of its own.”

Jason Toews & Dustin Coupal
Founders, GasBuddy

“We had a fantastic experience with Horizon. They knew our business cold which was no small feat given it’s equal parts digital media, SaaS, and mobile. They skillfully guided us through buyer discussions and then through an intensive, multi-party due diligence process. When it came to crunch time they delivered, showing off excellent negotiation skills. From start to finish, Horizon’s principals brought an intensity, work ethic, level of expertise, and ultimately outcome that strongly exceeded our expectations. We look forward to continuing to work with Horizon on post-deal issues.”

Len Pagob
CEO, Next Sparc

“Horizon has been a key partner for the past few years. Their deep industry knowledge has been invaluable in helping Next Sparc find and execute upon opportunities in the technology sector. They have provided a high level of resources and consistent senior-level attention. I am excited to work with them on future transactions.”

Joe Deal
CEO & Founder, BestNursingDegree.com

“Horizon has been a true partner to me since I started my business. I was consistently impressed with their hard work, valuable insights, and effective negotiation tactics leading up to my transaction. They fully lived up to their commitment to dedicate all resources necessary to achieving a strong outcome. I look forward to continuing a great relationship with the Horizon team.”

Scott Wainner
CEO & Founder, Reseller Ratings

“Horizon delivered a great outcome on my transaction. They added value in many ways throughout the process, from positioning the business to capture strategic interest, to negotiating a complicated transaction and taking an hands-on approach through due diligence. They have continued to be valuable advisors on a variety of issues that have arisen post-deal. I talked to a number of firms before exploring M&A and I’m very glad I went with Horizon.”

Tom Hendrickson
CEO & Founder, Mitre Media

“I’ve worked with Horizon’s principals for many years and consider them trusted advisors. They’ve consistently provided keen insights on transactions and have been highly effective negotiators and problem-solvers. Their sector expertise is unparalleled. Working with Horizon has been great for my business and I will continue to work with them on future deals.”

Dan Wesley
CEO & Founder, CreditLoan.com

“I’ve known Horizon’s principals for years and would highly recommend them to other technology entrepreneurs. They helped navigate a difficult due dilligence process and structured a complicated transaction. The principals have always been very accessible and extremely hands-on, even well after the deal closed. Choosing to work with Horizon was a fantastic decision.”