Revenue-Level Exit Guide

Sell a SaaS at $100K MRR

At $100K MRR, SaaS exits enter strategic territory. Multiples of 5-10x, buyer pool includes strategics and growth PE. Deal structures, tax optimization, and the metrics strategic buyers pay for.

TL;DR: At $100k MRR, expect multiples of 5–10x ARR ($6M–$12M) with a 6-9 months, sometimes longer. The most important metric at this tier: ARR growth rate, NDR >110%, and gross margin >80%.

Valuation Multiple

5–10x ARR ($6M–$12M)

Buyer Profile

Strategic acquirers (public companies, late-stage startups seeking tuck-in acquisitions), growth-stage PE firms, and a few well-capitalized aggregators. Strategic buyers pay higher multiples because they capture synergies, your product integrated into their stack is worth more than standalone.

Timeline

6-9 months, sometimes longer. Expect a competitive process if you run a proper auction with multiple bidders. Investment bank or boutique M&A firm is standard. The LOI-to-close window is typically 60-90 days.

Key Metric

ARR growth rate, NDR >110%, and gross margin >80%. Strategic buyers also care about team retention, IP ownership, and code quality (technical due diligence is real at this tier).

Tax Implications

QSBS is the dominant consideration. If you qualify and have held shares 5+ years, the first $10M of gain is tax-free, at a $6-12M valuation, that covers the entire sale for most founders. Structure as a stock sale when possible. Engage tax counsel 12+ months before listing.

You are now running a real SaaS company. The buyer conversation shifts from 'is this a good business?' to 'how much is the synergy worth?' Strategic buyers will model your product integrated into their existing customer base and pay a premium for that fit. The most valuable thing you can do before listing is document your IP (patents, trade secrets, proprietary algorithms) and clean up any contractor agreements or open-source licensing issues.