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Power Rankings

What the data says.

Quarterly empirical reads on what buyers find, what they discount for, and how that varies by sector.

  • 2026 H1
    Ten common diligence findings in the lower middle market

    Ranked categories of findings buyers routinely surface in LMM diligence, with the operational fix that addresses each. Frequency data forthcoming with the next Foundry data refresh.

  • 2026 H1
    Sectors where preparation work moves the price most

    Sectors where the published research shows buyer-archetype concentration and post-LOI adjustment frequency are widest, and where 18-to-24-month preparation work consequently moves the price most.

Foundry

A publication for founders who want to think clearly about the businesses they have built, and what those businesses are becoming.

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Cordis Foundry is part of the Cordis Group family.
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Foundry · Cordis Group · 2026
Founder & Publisher, Ron Smith

Cordis Foundry does not produce business valuations. We synthesize how the field thinks about pricing, what buyers discount for, and the operational work that closes the gap. For valuation opinions, consult a registered appraiser.

Deal Notes draw on publicly reported transactions and on anonymized composite patterns observed across multiple Cordis engagements. Composite patterns alter sector, geography, size, and timing to prevent identification of any single transaction. Foundry does not publish information that would identify a Cordis client.

The Numbers, Power Rankings, and Deal Notes draw on published research from GF Data, SRS Acquiom, Bain & Company, Cherry Bekaert, Pepperdine Private Capital Markets, and Cordis Institute working papers (WP-001, WP-002). Source citations are linked from the dashboard footer and from the /research-sources page.