Technology
The dramatic rise of Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and Alphabet among others is a testament to the fact that technology is no longer a sector unto itself, but it is in fact the foundation of the economy at large and an enabler of successful businesses across the economy. We are energized by the pace of change in the industry where market leaders routinely experience disruption from newcomers. We partner with growth-stage companies to help them scale faster.
Our sector expertise spans consumer technology, enterprise software, infrastructure, and enterprise technology.
With over 2 decades of experience in this space, we understand the intense competition and the commoditization pressure industry participants face. We observe the following trends impacting participants in the sector:
- Increasing adoption of smart devices accelerating the shift to an intelligent home
- As-a-service (aaS) or subscription models becoming the primary consumption model
- eCommerce enabled by innovative technology, e.g., augmented reality is replacing physical shopping
- The next generation of smartphones enabled by 5G will offer immersive experiences
- Consumer concerns about carbon footprint and the increasing cost for new devices has led to a burgeoning re-commerce industry
Our prior engagements in this space include among others helping migrate to a subscription business model, scale the re-commerce business, optimize and grow the digital channel, actively manage the product portfolio, and enable massive operational cost transformation.
We have experience working with leading computer & peripheral OEMs and network equipment providers helping them develop growth strategies and optimize their operational performance. We have helped clients unlock the value of IoT, mitigate the impact of cloud adoption by customers, and capitalize on the acceleration of edge computing.
While Marc Andreessen coined the phrase “Software is eating the world”, software companies old and new have themselves dealt with a dramatic shift in business model and a transition to the cloud. Success in this ever changing landscape will require adapting to new commercial models, becoming adept at driving digital sales, evolving customer success to look beyond churn and attrition, leveraging AI across business processes, and actively defending against a constantly evolving cyber threat landscape. Our enterprise software engagements include supporting the transition from a perpetual license to aaS model, addressing product gaps via M&A, and optimizing the channel partner program. Our 60+ diligence engagements of software providers serving a variety of industry verticals has given us a keen sense of customer requirements, broader competitive landscape, and best practices of companies consistently beating the Rule of 40.
While the “Cloud” is part of everyday jargon today, not every company knows what it means to their business and how best to leverage it to accelerate profitable growth. Through extensive support for financial sponsors investing in this space and proprietary market research, we have helped companies get a firm grasp on user adoption, understand and address factors impacting vendor selection, make targeted investments to transform their channel, and map the market to delineate different segments and their differential growth rates.