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Tuck Advisors

An M&A Advisory Firm for
Entrepreneurs by Entrepreneurs

Helping founders sell or buy mission-driven companies in
|

Trusted by industry leaders

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Most Business Sales Fail.

According to IBBA and M&A Source market data (January 2026), the majority of businesses that go to market never close. The smaller the company, the worse the odds.

Business Size (EBITDA)Failure RateSuccess Rate
Under $500K85–90%10–15%
$500K – $1M75–80%20–25%
$1M – $3M70–75%25–30%
$3M – $5M50–60%40–50%

Our NorthStar KPI

The percentage of transactions that close.

While the industry averages a 10–50% close rate, we closed 8 out of 8 engagements in 2025. Every founder who has trusted us with their transaction has made it to the finish line. Ready to join the 100%?

100%
Close Rate

Strategic Growth, Expert Execution.

We offer a comprehensive suite of M&A advisory services tailored to the unique needs of founders in the education and healthcare sectors.

Sell-Side Advisory

Maximizing value for founders preparing for an exit. We manage the entire process, from valuation to closing.

  • Full Auction Process Management
  • UFO™ (Unsolicited Flattering Offer) Response
  • Strategic Positioning & Marketing

Buy-Side Advisory

Executing your inorganic growth strategy to achieve long-term success, whether for a tuck-in or a new platform.

  • Tuck-In & New Platform Acquisitions
  • Proprietary Deal Sourcing
  • Due Diligence & Negotiation Support

Strategic Advisory

Partnering with senior leadership to support your overall strategic vision and M&A activity.

  • Market Intelligence & Mapping
  • Outsourced Corporate Development
  • Transaction Readiness

M&A Analyzer

Use our M&A Analyzer to identify potential buyers or targets for your company.

The M&A Analyzer by Tuck Advisors™

Analyze potential Buyers or Targets for your company, powered by the world's first custom GPT for mergers and acquisitions.

Deal Type:
Deal Status:

Ensure the links you entered are the CORRECT URLs for the companies you wish to analyze.

Powered by our proprietary M&A Matrix GPT technology

The Tuck Advisors Difference

We combine deep entrepreneurial experience with data-driven M&A expertise to help founders make hay while the sun shines.

By Entrepreneurs, For Entrepreneurs

We've built and sold our own tech companies for 30+ years. We know the effort it takes to build a company and validate the sacrifices you made.

Meet Our Team

Deep Industry Focus

We prioritize working with purpose-driven businesses, primarily in the Education and Healthcare sectors, to drive meaningful impact.

View Our Services

Proprietary Technology

Leveraging tools like our M&A Matrix™ and custom AI integrations, we deliver data-driven insights and a systematic process for identifying strategic partners.

Learn More

A Record of Success

Our track record speaks for itself. We've guided dozens of founders through successful transactions, achieving optimal outcomes.

See Our Transactions

What Our Clients Say

Mike

"Tuck Advisors was instrumental in guiding our digital marketplace company through a successful series A and eventual acquisition by a public company. We wanted a smaller firm with a more hands-on approach that would take the time to educate us as we navigated through the process - James and his team did exactly that. He is now an important advisor in our next startup!"

Mike
Founder & CEO - Sell Side Client
Melissa

"My co-founder and I worked closely with James and his team last year to find a strategic partner. Bottom line up front, Tuck Advisors is a standout as it relates to M&A. James was an amazing sherpa in preparing and coaching us through the process."

Melissa
Co-Founder & President - Sell Side Client
Mike

"James is a very special person, and I will be grateful to him for the rest of my life. He found the perfect buyer for my business, and he went above and beyond in structuring a creative arrangement that benefitted both sides of the partnership."

Mike
CEO - Sell Side Client
Becky

"Tuck Advisors was exceptional from start to finish. They found my business, immediately understood what we had built, and matched us with an excellent buyer who was the right strategic fit. The process was steady, professional, and human. One of the things I appreciated most was their sense of values. To celebrate the sale, they planted a large forest in Madagascar on our behalf. It was meaningful, unexpected, and a perfect reflection of how they operate, not just as dealmakers but as people. James Marciano, the founder, deserves special mention. He is sharp, grounded, and genuinely great to work with. His leadership shows in every touchpoint."

Becky
Founder & Director of Content & Curriculum - Target Acquired by Buy Side Client
Rick

"No one gets to a finish line of any kind by themselves. You need good people to walk with you. To serve as experts. To be your champion. When I decided to sell my company of 15 years, I knew I needed an investment banking firm that could play all of those roles. Tuck Advisors was the only company that provided both the lived experience and the human-side understanding that I needed."

Rick
CEO - Sell Side Client
Jason

"As CEO of Dion Training, selling our business was a monumental task, but James and the Tuck Advisors team made it seamless. Their attention to detail, strategic insight, and vast network turned a complex process into a journey of growth and success."

Jason
CEO - Sell Side Client
Grant

"I've sold companies with a banker, without a banker, and finally with Tuck Advisors. Nothing compares to working with Tuck. The team protected my time, ran a truly competitive process, and led every negotiation with my best interests front and center. Ultimately, Tuck delivered a significantly better outcome and higher valuation than I expected. I'd recommend them to any founder planning an exit."

Grant
Founder & CEO - Sell Side Client
Emily

"Tuck Advisors has truly set the bar for both high quantity and quality searches for our $8 billion Private Equity firm! The team's quick and thorough understanding of our objectives combined with James' expertise in the education space has already resulted in a number of very attractive potential partnerships."

Emily
Investment Professional - Buy Side Client
Mourad

"Working with the Tuck Advisors team during our acquisition of their client was an excellent experience. From the start, their professionalism and expertise were evident as they identified and presented this opportunity as a strong match for our portfolio."

Mourad
CEO - Buyer of Sell Side Client
Steve

"After founding and running my business for over 30 years, it was time for me to sell and move on to the next chapter of my life. From our first conversation, I realized that James was different. He seemed to genuinely understand my business. Both James and his team, particularly Brendan, were easy to work with and were able to assist us at every stage."

Steve
CEO - Sell Side Client
Phil

"I was impressed even before an 'unsolicited flattering offer' compelled me to formally retain Tuck Advisors as our M&A advisory. With Tuck's coaching, we've improved our impact and our business results with each process. Most importantly, James has built an M&A Advisory imbued with talent and integrity."

Phil
CEO - M&A Advisory Client
Rich

"Making the decision to run a formal process to sell our company represented a critical stage in our story. We chose James and the team at Tuck Advisors from a group of finalists because we found them deeply committed to knowing our people, learning our business and running a process according to our core principles."

Rich
CEO - Sell Side Client
Steve

"We've engaged Tuck Advisors for the past three years to help our $100 million education company acquire tuck-in acquisitions. They have sourced 1500+ targets for us and sent over 10,000 emails on our behalf. We have closed several transactions thanks to them and have several other companies under LOI."

Steve
CFO - Buy Side Client
Patrick

"James and the entire Tuck Advisors team were consummate professionals. As an ultimate buyer of a company James was representing, I found him and his team to be highly collaborative, creative and thoughtful problem solvers, and it was an absolute pleasure to work with him throughout the entire deal process."

Patrick
Associate Director - Buyer of Sell Side Client
John

"After a very long due diligence process, we just completed the sale of our company to a London-based firm. Frankly, I don't believe we would have made it past the finish line without James and his team. His vast deal experience guided every aspect of the sale and always kept us moving forward."

John
CEO - Sell Side Client
Liam

"We have worked with James and Tuck Advisors as a buy-side M&A advisor for many years and have seen consistent value add for our team. We closed one successful acquisition through the Tuck team, and we've had a look at countless other viable acquisition targets thanks to their hard work and industry expertise."

Liam
Director of M&A - Buy Side Client
Sam

"I had a great experience working with James and the team at Tuck Advisors in making the decision to consider an exit from our company, and ultimately successfully closing on the sale of our firm to a strategic buyer. James and his team were crucial partners in keeping the process moving and closing the deal as expected. This was my first career exit, and I was very pleased with the results as well as the professionalism of the Tuck team and the willingness of all the parties involved to be patient with me as someone new to the world of M&A."

Sam
Founder - Target Acquired by Buy Side Client
Thomas

"Beyond their deep knowledge of our industry and impressive dedication and work ethic, James and his team at Tuck Advisors truly understood what was unique about our business and strategy, leading to an incredible acquisition opportunity, one that was far outside of our expectations when we began the process."

Thomas
Co-Founder & CEO - Sell Side Client
Dan

"Tuck Advisors is the M&A partner you've been hoping to find. Tuck is a boutique firm with deep experience and a relentless focus on closing every deal. There's no B team—just seasoned professionals who truly understand how to work with founders. I recommend Tuck wholeheartedly."

Dan
CEO - Sell Side Client
Alex

"James and his team at Tuck Advisors were instrumental in the successful sale of my company! I couldn't have done it without him. He not only knows the entire process from soup to nuts, James has the experience and people skills to keep all parties on track, and he does it all with a smile and warm personality. Whether it comes to buying a company or selling one, he is my 'go to'. I've even referred several friends to James, and I take referrals extremely seriously."

Alex
CEO - Sell Side Client

Ready to Start Your M&A Journey?

Get in touch with our team of experienced advisors to explore your options.