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Practice

IT M&A Advisory

Technology that accelerates the deal thesis instead of eroding it.

In M&A, technology is where value quietly leaks. The synergies in the model assume a clean integration, but the cost and risk hiding in the target's technology estate are often invisible until after close, when they're most expensive to fix. Diligence that treats IT as a checkbox sets the deal up to underperform.

We provide full-lifecycle IT support across the deal: pre-deal technology due diligence, integration or separation planning, and post-close execution. You get a clear-eyed read on what you're buying, what it will cost to integrate, and what could go wrong, before you sign.

After close, we run the integration itself, where most of the value is won or lost. The same senior people who scoped the risk in diligence are the ones executing against it, so nothing falls through the gap between advice and delivery.

What you can expect
  • Pre-deal technology due diligence
  • Integration planning & TSAs
  • Post-close execution support
Who it's for

Signs this is the right fit

You're evaluating an acquisition and need technology due diligence before signing.

A deal has closed and integration is proving more complex than the model assumed.

You're carving out or separating a business unit and need clean IT separation.

Transaction Service Agreements are running and you need to exit them on time.

What we do

How we help with IT M&A Advisory

Technology due diligence

A clear-eyed read on the target's technology, security posture, risk and true integration cost before you sign.

Integration & separation planning

A sequenced blueprint for combining or separating two technology estates without breaking either one.

Day-one readiness

The checklist, cutover plan and controls that let operations run from the moment the deal closes.

TSA design & exit

Transaction Service Agreement scope, pricing input and a credible exit roadmap, so you're not trapped paying the seller longer than planned.

Post-close execution

Hands-on delivery of the integration itself, where most of the deal value is realized or lost.

Value capture

The cost and revenue synergies the deal model promised, tracked through to operating reality rather than assumed at close.

What you get

Concrete outputs you can point to

Every engagement leaves your teams with artifacts and capability they keep, not just a recommendation.

A diligence report on the target's technology, risk and true integration cost.
An integration or separation blueprint with a sequenced plan.
A day-one readiness checklist and cutover plan.
TSA scope, pricing input and an exit roadmap.
Technology synergies tracked through to operating reality.
How we work

Our process

How a typical IT M&A Advisory engagement unfolds: disciplined, transparent, and led by senior practitioners.

  1. 01

    Due diligence

    We assess the target's technology, risk and true integration cost before you sign.

  2. 02

    Plan

    We build the integration blueprint, day-one readiness and the TSAs that protect continuity.

  3. 03

    Day one

    We execute a clean, low-risk cutover so operations never skip a beat.

  4. 04

    Integrate

    We deliver the integration itself and retire duplicated systems and cost.

  5. 05

    Realize

    We track the technology synergies in the deal model through to operating reality.

Track record

IT M&A Advisory: selected results

Representative outcomes our senior practitioners have delivered. Clients are anonymized for confidentiality.

Chemicals

A global chemical manufacturer and distributor

$21M saved in licensing across a 12-target M&A pipeline

An acquisitive Fortune 100 chemical group was closing three to four acquisitions a year across North America, APAC and EMEA, with no consistent way to assess technology risk before signing or to integrate it afterward.

We ran pre-deal IT assessments across a pipeline of twelve targets and led post-merger integration on four of them, standardizing diligence and integration so every deal followed the same disciplined playbook.

  • Pre-assessed 12 acquisition targets across NAM, APAC and EMEA
  • Led post-merger IT integration on 4 deals
  • Saved $21M in licensing cost through consolidation
  • Optimized cost across overlapping technology stacks
Aviation

Two major US airlines in a proposed merger

IT diligence across both carriers ahead of the decision

A proposed combination of two major US carriers needed a clear-eyed read on the technology estate and integration risk before the deal could be judged with confidence.

We ran an IT pre-assessment of both carriers, surfacing systems overlap, integration cost and the risks that would shape the deal.

  • IT due-diligence pre-assessment across both carriers
  • Systems overlap and integration cost quantified
  • Deal-shaping risks surfaced before the decision
Energy

Oil and gas operators in Houston

Diligence through integration, carried by one senior team

Energy operators pursuing consolidation needed technology diligence before signing and hands-on integration after close.

We delivered pre-deal IT assessments and ran post-merger integrations, carrying the same senior team from diligence into delivery.

  • Pre-deal IT assessments across multiple transactions
  • Post-merger integrations delivered end to end
  • Continuity protected through each cutover
Questions

IT M&A Advisory: common questions

Specifics on how this practice works and where it fits.

What is IT due diligence in M&A?

It's a structured assessment of a target's technology before a deal closes: the state of its systems, the security posture, the risks, and the real cost and effort to integrate or separate it. It protects the value the deal is meant to create.

Do you handle carve-outs and separations, not just acquisitions?

Yes. Separation is often harder than integration. We plan and execute clean carve-outs, design Transaction Service Agreements, and manage the exit from them on schedule.

When should we bring you in?

As early in diligence as possible. The integration costs that destroy value are usually visible before close, and the earlier we see them, the more you can do about them.

How long does technology due diligence take?

It scales with the target, but a focused pre-deal assessment typically runs two to four weeks. We work to the deal timeline and flag the deal-relevant risks early rather than holding everything to a final report.

Can you support both buy-side and sell-side?

Yes. On buy-side we assess risk and integration cost. On sell-side we help you present a clean, well-understood technology estate and stand up the separation. Carve-outs and TSAs are core to what we do.

What happens to the synergies the deal model assumed?

We track them. The technology cost and revenue synergies in the model become a managed plan with owners, so they're realized in operations rather than left as a number on a slide.

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Let's close the gap between ambition and execution.

Tell us where you're trying to go. We'll bring the strategy, and the discipline to deliver it.

info@techharborpartners.com