Acquisition criteria

Nick Yu

Acquiring and carrying on a business — for the long run.

Self-funded buyer · Full-time · Oakland, CA
Portrait of Nick Yu
Price $2–4M up to $6M
SDE $500K–1.5M $700K+ preferred
Where Northern CA software, anywhere
Financing SBA 7(a) prequalified
Status Entity formed ready to close
I.Background

Fifteen years building software inside big companies — Bing search at Microsoft, engineering leadership through Airbnb's pre-IPO scaling, and at Virta Health the billing and revenue systems behind 100+ enterprise launches. In 2025 I co-founded an insurance-vertical software company; wound down in early 2026 to search full-time.

I'm buying a job, not a position. Full-time from day one, held permanently. Not a flip, not a roll-up.

No outside fund. No committee. The decision sits with me.

II.Education & track record
EducationMBA — Berkeley Haas, 2024 · M.S. Computer Science — U. Washington
OperatingMicrosoft 6.5y · Airbnb 4.5y · Virta Health 4.5y · Workflowly co-founder ’25–’26
Deal teamCounsel and quality-of-earnings engaged · NDA signable same day
PersonalOakland. Wife, three kids. Pools, dojos, East Bay bike trails.
III.Where I'm focused
01Healthcare revenue cycle & administrative services
CoversMedical billing · credentialing · claims follow-up · denial management. Sold to physician groups, clinics, digital health.
My edgeI ran billing and revenue operations at Virta Health through 100+ enterprise launches. I know what a clean claims pipeline looks like.
Why nowGetting paid is regulation-driven. CMS’s move to electronic prior auth changes the workflow, not the need.
02Vertical B2B software
CoversProfitable software for one industry — dental-lab scheduling, ambulance dispatch, trade compliance. Self-funded, not venture-backed.
My edgeFifteen years of exactly this work. I read the code before I bid, and I operate it myself — no manager needs to stay.
Why nowFounder-engineers are retiring off codebases nobody else wants to inherit. That inheritance is the part I want.
03Commercial essential services & facility maintenance
CoversHVAC · plumbing · electrical, on preventive-maintenance agreements with institutional customers. Repair, not construction.
My edgeDispatch, technician utilization, quoting and AR are the levers — systems I’ve run through hypergrowth.
Why nowDeferred repair isn’t a choice for a landlord. The contractor universe is fragmented, still owner-operator priced.
04Regulated inspection & compliance services
CoversFire and life safety · extinguisher service · alarm and sprinkler · backflow testing. Commercial customers on mandated schedules.
My edgeCalendars, routing, deficiency quotes, renewals — workflow systems I’ve built at scale. The licensed technicians stay; I run the operating side.
Why nowDemand is written into code. Inspections recur on fixed cycles, so revenue repeats through any economy.

Priorities, not fences. Any niche B2B business with repeat demand, transferable operations and a retiring owner is worth the call.

IV.Financial criteria
Purchase price$2M – $4M, up to $6M
Revenue$3M – $10M
SDE$500K – $1.5M ($700K+ preferred)
SDE marginAbove 15%
Multiple3 – 5x SDE
StructureSBA 7(a) · seller note expected · equity injection to 20%
V.Other criteria
Revenue qualityContracted, recurring, or hard-need repeat demand · asset-light preferred
GeographyWithin about an hour of Oakland — South Bay to south of Sacramento. Software can sit anywhere.
Owner statusRetiring or stepping back · ~2 months full-time transition, then advisory for a year
LeadershipServices: an operations manager who stays on post-close. Software: I’m the operator.
DurabilityNo single customer above 20% of revenue · 5+ years operating · stable or improving earnings
Out of scopeHeavy manufacturing · real-estate-included deals · owner-relationship businesses · growth bought with advertising
VI.How I'd run it
Run it.

Operated by me, as the long-term owner. Not flipped.

Keep the team.

They know things I never will. What I'd ask for first is time to learn how it runs.

Modernize carefully.

The machinery underneath — scheduling, billing, paperwork, code. What customers value stays as it is.

If the fit is close,
let's talk.

Happy to receive CIMs. NDA in hand, signable same day. Proof of funds and the lender letter available on a fit.

Book a 30-min intro call