Dev Sathya

Independent M&A adviser to the owners of enterprise technology firms, and an architect of enterprise platforms. In enterprise technology since 1998.

01 Background

Two halves of one career.

I founded my first company in 1998 and have been building ever since. Before that I was part of the team that launched India's first GSM mobile service with Tata. Later I ran Dell's four billion dollar UK consumer business from India. Between 2012 and 2016 I worked in image recognition, long before it was fashionable. More recently I have designed, built and operated enterprise platforms end to end as their sole architect.

Advising owners on the sale of their firms brings the two halves together. An enterprise technology firm is valued on things I have spent decades building and running: recurring revenue, platforms, partner ecosystems and the people who make them work. I read a firm the way an acquirer's diligence team will, and I use that to defend the owner's price.

I work alone and say so plainly. The person who writes to you prepares the business, runs the process and negotiates the terms. Legal and tax work stays with your own lawyer and accountant, and I coordinate them to one timetable.

I work from India, on UK and US business hours for every mandate, and in writing first: a clear written record is the backbone of a sale process.

02 Timeline

NowSell-side M&A advisory for enterprise technology firms; enterprise platform architecture and governed AI systems
2012 to 2016Image recognition products
2000sDell, UK consumer business, run from India
1998First company founded
1990sTata, the launch team for India's first GSM mobile service

03 Principles

How I work.

Owner-side only

I act for the seller on every mandate and take no fee from acquirers, so advice on price and terms is not conflicted.

Paid on completion

A success fee agreed in writing before any buyer is approached, paid from the proceeds at completion. No retainer.

Confidential by design

Your firm's name reaches an acquirer only after a signed non-disclosure agreement. Staff, clients and vendors hear when you decide.

Evidence before narrative

Every figure in a buyer document traces to a record a buyer can check. Acquirers pay for what diligence confirms.

A modern office building at dusk, every floor lit

Next step

Considering a sale, now or in a few years?

Begin with a private read: five questions by email, then a written view of what the firm could be worth, to whom, and what would raise the figure. No charge and no obligation.

Write in confidence

dev@devsathya.com · every reply in writing, in confidence