Most founders think about the exit only when an offer arrives or a sale process is already underway.

By then, many of the factors that drive valuation, deal certainty and timing are already fixed. The numbers are what they are, the cap table is what it is, and the story buyers hear has already been written, often without you shaping it.

Exit readiness means preparing your company, your numbers and your team early, so you sell from a position of strength rather than pressure. In this masterclass, Julian Riedlbauer, Partner at tech investment bank Drake Star, shares how tech companies can prepare for an exit long before the first offer lands.

About The Delta Campus Masterclass Series

The Delta Campus Masterclass series brings experts into our community to teach what they know best, from product and venture design to legal, finance, and growth. Each session delivers hands-on knowledge founders can immediately apply to strengthen their ventures.

This Session: Exit Readiness - Preparing Your Company for a Successful Exit

Hosted by Julian Riedlbauer, Partner at Drake Star, a proven expert in growth equity financing rounds and company sales to strategic buyers and private equity investors.

Julian started his career in tech M&A in 2008 at Corporate Finance Partners. Before joining Drake Star at the beginning of 2024, he spent 11 years building and leading GP Bullhound's presence in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, where he was responsible for M&A advisory in the region. Before that, he was a successful tech entrepreneur and digital manager.

He has led around 80 mandates for well-known companies, including the sale of InnoGames to MTG at a valuation of EUR 260 million, the EUR 100 million sale of Astragon to Team17, financing rounds of Signavio by Summit and its USD 177 million late growth round by Apax Digital, the growth financing round of Mambu by Bessemer Ventures, the exit of Infinigate to H.I.G., the sale of TLGG to Omnicom, and the EUR 50 million capital increase of Neura Robotics.

Julian brings an advisor's view from the other side of the table: what buyers and investors actually look for, and what quietly costs founders value or kills deals.

What We'll Cover

  • What "exit-ready" means, and why preparation should start years before the actual exit

  • The KPIs and financial metrics buyers and investors look at most closely

  • Strategic vs. financial buyers: who buys what, and why

  • Getting your house in order: financials, legal structure, IP, contracts and cap table

  • Equity story and positioning: how to frame your company for the right buyers

  • The sale process step by step, from preparation to signing

  • Common mistakes that cost value or kill deals, and how to avoid them

  • Key learnings from 80+ exit processes Julian has advised on

What You'll Walk Away With

✅ A clear picture of what exit readiness requires for your company✅ A checklist of the areas buyers will focus on in due diligence✅ An understanding of the value drivers that matter most in a tech M&A process✅ A realistic view of timelines and what each phase of a sale involves✅ A sense of when to bring in advisors, and what to expect from them

Who It's For

✅ Founders and CEOs of tech companies thinking about an exit in the next few years✅ CFOs and operators responsible for preparing a company for a transaction✅ Investors and business angels who support portfolio companies on their way to an exit