Published on Businesswire on March 6, 2025
CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alaris Acquisitions, a leading sell-side M&A consultancy for the wealth management industry, announced today the release of The Alaris Lens Application (‘Lens’), a technology-driven matchmaking platform tailored to the unique M&A needs of registered investment advisors (RIAs). Alaris brings its expertise to the forefront with Lens, offering an innovative solution for connecting buyers and sellers. By leveraging cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI), Lens provides fast and accurate matches, transforming the way M&A transactions are made in wealth management.
Getting the “best deal” or ideal outcome in an M&A transaction is not solely about numbers. While the largest upfront valuation, the highest cash offer or the strongest post-acquisition growth incentives are common considerations, they typically focus only on price and terms. The traditional approach often overlooks cultural fit. Since most sellers remain involved after the acquisition, ensuring cultural alignment is essential for a successful partnership. Lens addresses this need by using an AI-powered algorithm to analyze hundreds of objective data points to generate a compatibility score that matches RIAs with potential buyers. By reducing time and expense – while expanding access to a broader pool of potential buyers – Lens streamlines the M&A process. Its dual focus on cultural fit and financial alignment increases the likelihood of long-term deal success from the outset.
“The traditional auction method for matching buyers and sellers within the RIA industry ignores the cultural aspects of a partnership between the parties involved,” said Allen Darby, founder and chief executive officer of Alaris Acquisitions. “M&A advisors have very limited data on the buyers outside of how they might structure a transaction. This forces them to use the only tool available to find a buyer for their client: the blind financial auction. We saw the opportunity to combine today’s technology with our knowledge of the buyers, accrued and compiled over years and thousands of hours. With Lens, I believe we are changing the M&A experience for advisors–now and in the future.”
As RIA firms continue to look to M&A as a strategy for growth, succession or both, the demand for efficient and effective matchmaking solutions is poised to be higher than ever. With its user-friendly, AI-powered matchmaking platform, Alaris Lens offers a centralized, efficient and cost-effective alternative to legacy approaches. "Inviting 50 or more buyers into the process is, in my opinion, utterly absurd," said Darby. "With that many potential buyers involved, it becomes impossible to devote the necessary time to truly connect with your future partner and reach a place of genuine cultural alignment. Unsurprisingly, buyers have a strong disdain for the auction process. Rather than helping them assess whether the seller aligns with their business model, it relies on tactics like scarcity, time pressure and fear to drive up valuations.”
By inviting only buyers who have substantial, if not optimal compatibility to the seller, Lens creates a more focused competitive process, allowing sellers to spend more time with prospective buyers and confirm a cultural fit.
“The wealth management industry has historically lacked efficient tools and resources to support the M&A process,” added Darby. “Existing platforms do not adequately address the complexities and nuances of the M&A landscape for RIAs. The exclusive focus on financial valuation neglects the critical aspect of cultural fit, which the industry increasingly recognizes as an essential piece of the success puzzle. Cultural conviction drives valuations – financial auctions do not. The Lens application helps the industry understand the Alaris approach and our philosophy as deal advocates for independent advisors.”
Those interested in learning more can access Alaris Lens here.
About Alaris Acquisitions
Alaris Acquisitions is an industry leading sell-side advisory for the wealth management industry. Through its proprietary Deal Advocacy methodology, Alaris pinpoints and align partners with their ideal buyers. Unlike legacy approaches focused solely on initial valuation, Alaris, which means ‘matchmaker’ in Latin, analyzes numerous points of alignment, including cultural fit, initial valuation, and post-acquisition economics for the seller. With its unmatched catalog of buyer models in wealth management, Alaris has replaced the financial auction method for buyer identification with a cultural auction. The Alaris approach to RIA firm matchmaking produces a superior post-deal quality of life, heightened valuation, and reduced costs for M&A advice.
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