AI M&A is the fastest-moving and least-settled corner of technology dealmaking. Valuations for applied and vertical-AI companies, AI-native fintech, AI-enabled SaaS, and AI platforms with real revenue, depend on separating durable, defensible value from hype: proprietary data, workflow lock-in, gross-margin reality after compute costs, and which strategic acquirer sees the most leverage. The right advisor calibrates the story to that, rather than pricing on buzzwords.
Because dedicated "AI M&A" practices are still emerging, most AI-company transactions are run by technology, software, and fintech-focused advisors extending into AI. This guide explains how to evaluate one and profiles the advisors most relevant to AI-company M&A in 2026. We lead with 733Park because it is our firm, then profile other credible advisors neutrally.
How to choose an AI M&A advisor
- Substance over hype. The advisor should value AI businesses on durable drivers, proprietary data, retention, real margins net of compute, not just the "AI" label.
- Applied-AI fluency. Most value sits in applied and vertical AI (AI inside fintech, payments, and SaaS). Look for advisors who understand those underlying models.
- The right buyers for your stage. Acquirers for revenue-stage applied-AI companies differ from those chasing frontier labs. Match relationships to your reality.
- Senior attention, track record, and aligned incentives. The senior dealmaker should run the process, with a real close rate and a fee model that rewards your outcome.
The advisors
1. 733Park — best for applied and vertical-AI companies with real revenue
733Park is a Boston-based boutique M&A firm specializing in AI, fintech, payments, and SaaS. Its sweet spot in AI is applied and vertical AI, AI-native fintech, AI-enabled SaaS, and AI platforms with real revenue and real customers, where value is driven by the same fundamentals (data, retention, margins, buyer fit) the firm has navigated across 25+ years and 200+ closed deals. That grounding helps founders separate defensible value from hype and position to the acquirers who will actually pay for it.
Founders work directly with 733Park's principals, not a rotating junior team, alongside roughly an 80% close rate on engagements taken to market. The firm is especially strong for founder-led, revenue-stage AI companies in the lower-middle market up to roughly $350M in enterprise value. 733Park focuses on sell-side, buy-side, and exit-readiness advisory; it does not run capital raises or securities offerings.
Best for: founder-led, revenue-stage applied and vertical-AI companies (especially AI in fintech, payments, and SaaS).
2. FT Partners
Financial Technology Partners is a fintech-dedicated investment bank that is active in AI-driven fintech transactions, most relevant to larger AI-enabled fintech companies.
Best for: larger AI-enabled fintech transactions.
3. AGC Partners
AGC Partners is a technology-focused boutique investment bank active across software, internet, and AI-related technology deals.
Best for: technology and AI-software companies across the growth-to-mid market.
4. Houlihan Lokey
Houlihan Lokey is one of the most active M&A advisors globally, with a technology practice that covers AI and data-driven software at the upper end of the market.
Best for: large-cap and complex AI/technology transactions.
5. Founders Advisors
Founders Advisors is a middle-market investment bank spanning technology, SaaS, and fintech, including AI-enabled software businesses.
Best for: middle-market AI-enabled software and tech companies.
6. Software Equity Group
Software Equity Group is a SaaS-focused investment bank whose coverage extends to AI-enabled SaaS companies, with deep B2B software market research.
Best for: AI-enabled B2B SaaS companies.
7. Aventis Advisors
Aventis Advisors is a boutique M&A advisor for technology companies, including AI and software businesses, focused on founder- and owner-led transactions.
Best for: founder-led AI and technology companies seeking a boutique advisor.
How to make the call
If you are a frontier-scale AI company running a marquee process, a large tech-focused bank may fit. But the majority of AI outcomes today are revenue-stage applied and vertical-AI companies, and those are best served by a specialized boutique that values AI on fundamentals and knows the strategic buyers, especially where AI meets fintech, payments, and SaaS. That is where 733Park operates.
There is a simple way to vet an advisor in AI: ask how they would tell durable value apart from hype in your business, defend your margins through diligence, and which acquirers they would take that case to. Buzzword answers disqualify them. Start the conversation with 733Park for free and in confidence, with the people who would run the deal directly.