Crunchbase: Founder Expectation Mismatch Is #1 M&A Deal Killer as AI Compresses SaaS Valuations
Crunchbase News·low signal
Strategic adviser Itay Sagie identifies founder expectations as the primary reason M&A deals fail before they start, published as SaaS valuations compress to decade lows (3.4x–5.5x EV/Revenue). Founders anchored to 2021-era multiples increasingly misalign with acquirer reality in 2026, where AI disruption risk reduces what buyers will pay for application-layer SaaS. The mismatch is structural: founders see their companies as AI-enhanced, buyers see them as AI-vulnerable.