The 5 Types of Software Buyers Founders Should Know
Not all software buyers are created equal. Learn the five key buyer types founders should know, how they think, what they value, and how each one can shape the future of your product, team, and legacy.
For founders preparing to sell their software company, one of the first and most important questions is: Who will buy us, and why?
At first, many assume that buyers evaluate companies in similar ways. In reality, buyer profiles differ dramatically in what they value, how they operate after the deal, and how they see your role moving forward. These differences shape everything, from valuation and deal structure to the future of your team and product.
In today’s market, we see many different buyer profiles such as strategic acquirers, private equity firms, permanent capital platforms, entrepreneurial buyers, and corporate venture teams. Each category brings a specific viewpoint. Understanding these viewpoints helps founders choose the buyer whose philosophy aligns with their goals, culture, and long-term vision.
1. Strategic Acquirers
Strategic buyers are established software companies looking for products that strengthen their platform, speed up their roadmap, or protect their market position. They care most about how your product fits into their ecosystem. Cross-selling, product adjacency, and shared distribution all shape how they value a deal.
Strategic buyers can pay very attractive prices when the fit is strong. At the same time, they tend to cherry-pick what matters most to them. Integration is usually heavy, and in many cases the acquired product is eventually folded into the parent platform. This works well for founders who want maximum scale and distribution. It is often less appealing for founders who care about preserving brand identity, product independence, or day-to-day autonomy.
2. Financial Sponsors
Private equity and growth equity firms look at deals through a financial and operational lens. They focus on unit economics, recurring revenue, churn, and margin expansion. Their goal is to make the business more efficient, more scalable, and more valuable over a defined time horizon.
They often bring structure, reporting discipline, and sharper pricing or go-to-market strategies. In many cases, this also means cost restructuring, offshoring, or organizational changes. Some founders like the clarity and rigor this brings. Others find the environment more rigid and more focused on optimization than on product craft or culture.
3. Permanent Capital Platforms
Permanent capital and roll-up platforms buy with the intention of owning companies for the long term, not flipping them on a fixed timeline. The model is built around continuity. Brands usually stay intact. Teams remain in place. Customers experience very little disruption.
At Solen Software Group, we invest with a long-term mindset that values continuity instead of disruption. We prioritize cultural alignment, product stability, and team consistency.
We often work with founder-led companies that have built something lasting and want to protect it. Our goal is to help that growth continue by providing strategic and operational support without changing what already works. That means no unnecessary restructuring and no pressure to flip the business on a short timeline.
4. Founder-Family and Entrepreneurial Buyers
Some companies are acquired by individual founders, families, or search-fund style buyers. This is common in niches that require deep domain knowledge or where the product is more “crafted” than engineered at scale.
These buyers may offer strong cultural alignment, but they can face funding constraints or lack deep industry or scaling experience. Outcomes vary widely depending on the individual. This path often appeals to founders who want to pass on their craft and mentor the next owner.
5. Corporate Venture Buyers
Corporate venture groups usually invest minority stakes to build relationships, learn about new markets, and create future strategic options. Founders stay independent while gaining a strategic partner.
This can help with product development, partnerships, or market expansion, without forcing a full exit. It works well for founders who want to keep control today while keeping a longer-term strategic path open.
Choosing the Buyer That Aligns With Identity and Goals
The choice of buyer influences the company long after the wire transfer clears. It affects team culture, customer experience, brand continuity, and the founder’s own future involvement. A strong valuation is important, but founders often place equal weight on who will take care of the company, how the product will evolve, and whether the customer base will continue receiving the attention it expects.
In Summary
There is no single best type of buyer. Each one brings a different approach and a different vision for what happens after the deal closes.
Founders who understand these differences are in a better position to protect what matters most. That might be the team culture, the customer experience, or their own future role. When there's alignment between values and vision, the transition is smoother and the outcome is stronger for everyone involved.
If you are beginning to explore the idea of selling and want help understanding which type of buyer aligns best with your goals, let’s talk.