Your Trusted Advisors in Mergers and Acquisitions
ECP Ventures was founded with a singular mission which was to provide ethical, client-focused Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) advisory services that deliver real value while preserving the core values of the businesses we represent. Over the years, we’ve helped legacy businesses, high-growth companies, and strategic partnerships achieve their goals through expertly crafted M&A strategies.
Our dedication to listening deeply, understanding your unique objectives, and aligning you with the right buyers has set us apart. We believe in results without compromise with no upfront fees or hidden agendas. Our performance-based model ensures that your success is our success.
OUR DIFFERENCE
Why Work with ECP Ventures?
We are not your typical Mergers and Acqusition firm
We never pressure clients to sell or accept a specific offer. Our focus is on empowering you to make the fully informed decision that's right for your business and legacy.
We are not fee-driven - our goal is to get you at least 5 offers and help you objectively evaluate each one.
We treat your company as our own, becoming trusted friends and advisors throughout the process.
We are side by side with our clients from day one through all 10 stages of a successful transaction. We befriend our clients and then we have a much higher level of responsibility and accountability than the routine professional level.
Experienced Dealmakers, Dedicated Advocates
We conduct extensive due diligence to ensure we only represent premium, high-integrity businesses. We only accept clients that we can take to market with pride, dignity, confidence and at least a 90% probability of success.
Unlike many brokers, we will never indenture you with unethical terms like long tails or minimum fees. We will protect your interests instead of ours.
With over 40 years of combined M&A expertise, we know how to maximize value and guide you through complex transactions.
A Values-Driven Approach
As a Christian firm, we operate with unwavering integrity, honesty, and a "servant heart" mentality.
We strive to create win-win outcomes, respecting both buyers and sellers in every deal.
Our mission is to help you preserve your legacy and ensure your employees and customers are well cared for.
OUR EXPERIENCE
Decades of Proven Results
With over 40 years of combined experience, our team has successfully managed complex M&A transactions across industries including healthcare, technology, manufacturing, residential and commercial services.
At ECP Ventures, we pride ourselves on our deep understanding of market dynamics, our network of 500+ high-quality buyers, and our ability to create tailored solutions for each client. We leverage our experience to your advantage in achieving the best possible outcome.
At ECP Ventures, we pride ourselves on our deep understanding of market dynamics, our network of 500+ high-quality buyers, and our ability to create tailored solutions for each client. We leverage our experience to your advantage in achieving the best possible outcome.
ECP Ventures is not just another M&A advisory firm—we are your strategic partners, committed to helping you achieve your business goals while protecting your legacy.
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Here's what sets us apart:
Exceptional Listeners: We take the time to truly understand your objectives, tailoring our approach to align with your vision for the future.
Market Makers: With access to a network of 500+ qualified buyers, we bring your business to a broad audience of aligned, high-quality buyers.
Aligned with Your Values: We work with buyers who share your vision, ensuring a smooth transition that protects your company’s culture and legacy.
Exceptional Listeners: We take the time to truly understand your objectives, tailoring our approach to align with your vision for the future.
Market Makers: With access to a network of 500+ qualified buyers, we bring your business to a broad audience of aligned, high-quality buyers.
Aligned with Your Values: We work with buyers who share your vision, ensuring a smooth transition that protects your company’s culture and legacy.
Data DrivenOur tools and tech stack rely on the latest data to deliver the highest quality of leads
Ethical and Transparent: No upfront fees, no hidden costs. Our performance-based model means we only succeed when you do.
Value Conveyance Experts:We excel at communicating your business’s true worth to buyers, ensuring you receive maximum value.
Ethical and Transparent: No upfront fees, no hidden costs. Our performance-based model means we only succeed when you do.
Value Conveyance Experts:We excel at communicating your business’s true worth to buyers, ensuring you receive maximum value.
BUSINESS BROKERS VERSUS ECP
What makes ECP Ventures Different from Brokers?
# | Key Areas | ecp ventures | BUSINESS BROKER |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Size of Seller | $5,000,000 - $100,000,000 | 0 - $5,000,000 |
2 | Minimum Seller Size | Yes | No |
3 | Typical Buyer | Corporate or Private Equity | Individual |
4 | Marketing Strategy | Aggressive | Passive |
5 | Sell Side Due Diligence | Very Substantial - No Charge | Insignficant |
6 | Level of Market Preparation | Very Substantial - No Charge | Insignificant |
7 | Approach to Valuation | Allows Markets to Define | Publishes a Price |
8 | Primary Marketing Approach | Full Market Offering and Buyer's Database | Websites and Email |
9 | Up-front fees/retainers | Never | Often |
10 | Success fee | Yes - Only Fee | Yes, in addition to other fees |
11 | Restrictive Tail Requirement | Never | Yes |
12 | Primary Role | Fiduciary for Seller | Matchmaker |
13 | Negotiation Skills | Yes | Often Never |
14 | Minimum fees | Never | Yes |
Experience the difference of working with a trusted partner committed to your success.
WHO WE SERVE
At ECP Ventures, we exclusively represent business sellers. Our fiduciary responsibility is solely to the business owners we serve, ensuring their best interests are protected throughout the entire sales process. We don’t play both sides—buyers who work with us gain access to high-quality companies without ever paying us fees.
This keeps our buying relationships transparent, ethical, and focused on finding the right match. Our relationship with buyers is built on trust and established credibility, with the long-term goal of selling them five companies over five years.
Our commitment to our sellers is to represent, serve, and protect them with the highest level of integrity and performance standards. Our goal is to strive to secure at least five strong offers that align with their financial goals and qualitative requirements.
This keeps our buying relationships transparent, ethical, and focused on finding the right match. Our relationship with buyers is built on trust and established credibility, with the long-term goal of selling them five companies over five years.
Our commitment to our sellers is to represent, serve, and protect them with the highest level of integrity and performance standards. Our goal is to strive to secure at least five strong offers that align with their financial goals and qualitative requirements.
Sellers we represent
Reach out to us today for a consultation and see how we can represent and support you and your business.
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Legacy Companies
We work with established legacy companies seeking a buyer who will honor their history and values. Our process ensures your company’s legacy remains intact throughout the transition.
HIGH GROWTH COMPANIES
For businesses looking to scale through mergers and acquisitions, we align you with buyers who can help accelerate growth while maintaining the core of what makes your business successful.
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
We assist companies seeking strategic partnerships, ensuring you find the right buyer or partner to expand your market reach and achieve your growth objectives
Buyers we work with
Register and join our network of 500+ “First Look” buyers, and join our database to find the target companies you are seeking.
Synergistic Industry Buyers
Whether you're a market leader or disruptive challenger, we'll leverage our deep industry connections to identify complementary acquisition targets that strengthen your competitive edge. With our guidance, you can execute synergistic deals that propel your business to new heights.
Financial Buyers
As a private equity firm, family office, or financial investor, we'll source the most compelling acquisition opportunities to fuel your growth objectives. Our data-driven approach and transactional expertise ensure a seamless process from start to finish.
Private Equity BuyerS
As seasoned dealmakers, we'll leverage our vast network and analytical capabilities to pinpoint the ideal targets, working closely with you to structure transactions that maximize returns for your fund and investors.
Family Office Buyers
Building a diversified, high-performing portfolio requires a personalized, white-glove approach. We'll connect you with businesses that align with your family's vision and values, helping you make strategic acquisitions that stand the test of time.
Competitor Buyers
Looking to expand your market share or gain a clear competitive advantage? We'll identify targets that seamlessly integrate with your existing operations, ensuring a smooth consolidation process that strengthens your position in the industry.
High Net Worth Buyers
As a savvy individual investor, we'll meticulously screen and vett businesses that fit your investment strategy and risk profile, presenting you with options that have significant growth potential.
IN NUMBERS
20 Years
of Fortune 500 Financial Experience
30 Years
Of Mergers and Acquisition experience and a proven track record of finding the best deals across industries for ethics driven buyers and sellers
150 Days
Definitive transaction process from start to closing the deal
500+ Buyers
Qualified and vetted by us in our Network
100% Success based
Success based fees - we only get paid when we close your transaction successfully
10+ Industries
Expertise across healthcare, manufacturing, construction, technology, logistics, home, and industrial services.
OUR TEAM
Cliff Gardner and Eric Wilhelm, founders of ECP Ventures, bring decades of experience from working with multi-billion-dollar companies. Transitioning to the Lower Middle Market (LMM) — companies valued between $5M and $100M — was eye-opening.
They were astounded by the unethical practices they encountered, including brokers charging upfront fees and undervaluing businesses for a quick sale. Additionally, they saw buyers exploiting sellers by acquiring businesses for far less than their true worth with unsolicited LOI’s.
Even more alarming was the widespread tax evasion among many business owners. At ECP Ventures, integrity is paramount.
As a Christian firm, we offer business owners a trustworthy, high-integrity option for their transactions.
Our mission is simple:
To serve and uplift others with ethical, transparent and results-driven M&A advisory services.
They were astounded by the unethical practices they encountered, including brokers charging upfront fees and undervaluing businesses for a quick sale. Additionally, they saw buyers exploiting sellers by acquiring businesses for far less than their true worth with unsolicited LOI’s.
Even more alarming was the widespread tax evasion among many business owners. At ECP Ventures, integrity is paramount.
As a Christian firm, we offer business owners a trustworthy, high-integrity option for their transactions.
Our mission is simple:
To serve and uplift others with ethical, transparent and results-driven M&A advisory services.
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Cliff Gardner
A distinguished CPA graduate from the University of Northern Iowa (top three US accounting program), Cliff launched an impressive career that rocketed from Staff Accountant to EVP and Division CFO for Fortune 500 companies.
His expertise spans Mergers & Acquisitions, Industry Rollups, Financial & Operational Management, and SEC Reporting. He has successfully led transactions from both buy and sell sides, including an IPO.His remarkable career highlights include providing financial direction for the world's largest open heart surgery company (50,000 surgeries annually) as CFO, as well as performing as a full NASCAR partner and MLB and Collegiate Products licensee.
On the entrepreneurial front he co-founded the auto industry's most extensive OEM auto parts eCommerce platform ever created with 165 million parts applications on a single site. He personally conducted an offering and sold his auto parts platform to AutoNation, America's largest auto dealer group.
Today, Cliff enjoys channeling his Fortune 500 expertise into leveling the playing field for the benefit of small and mid-sized business owners during crucial sales transactions.
His Christian faith drives his philanthropic venture, Praying As One (www.prayingasone.com), which distributes unique 12" handheld crosses. He also founded FansAlign (www.fansalign.com), aiming to unite one million MLB fans into a powerful collective voice.
A dedicated family man, Cliff shares his life with his wife and five children, including a daughter at Google, a son at AppFolio, and three "bonus" children from his second marriage. His passion for baseball runs deep - he holds season tickets for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, and Texas Rangers, and his baseball essay "Extreme Passion" earned a place in Cooperstown's Hall of Fame.
His expertise spans Mergers & Acquisitions, Industry Rollups, Financial & Operational Management, and SEC Reporting. He has successfully led transactions from both buy and sell sides, including an IPO.His remarkable career highlights include providing financial direction for the world's largest open heart surgery company (50,000 surgeries annually) as CFO, as well as performing as a full NASCAR partner and MLB and Collegiate Products licensee.
On the entrepreneurial front he co-founded the auto industry's most extensive OEM auto parts eCommerce platform ever created with 165 million parts applications on a single site. He personally conducted an offering and sold his auto parts platform to AutoNation, America's largest auto dealer group.
Today, Cliff enjoys channeling his Fortune 500 expertise into leveling the playing field for the benefit of small and mid-sized business owners during crucial sales transactions.
His Christian faith drives his philanthropic venture, Praying As One (www.prayingasone.com), which distributes unique 12" handheld crosses. He also founded FansAlign (www.fansalign.com), aiming to unite one million MLB fans into a powerful collective voice.
A dedicated family man, Cliff shares his life with his wife and five children, including a daughter at Google, a son at AppFolio, and three "bonus" children from his second marriage. His passion for baseball runs deep - he holds season tickets for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, and Texas Rangers, and his baseball essay "Extreme Passion" earned a place in Cooperstown's Hall of Fame.
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Eric Wilhelm
A Biola University graduate with an Accounting degree and Biblical Studies minor, Eric launched his career by passing the CPA exam and joining Deloitte, a prestigious "Big 4" firm. His trajectory soared from Staff Auditor to Controller to Vice President of Finance, specializing in private equity portfolio companies across medical, dental, optical, automotive, and commercial construction sectors.
In a pivotal career moment, Eric became the second employee of a groundbreaking startup, where he immersed himself in every aspect of business building - from establishing back-office operations to product development and brand creation. This hands-on experience forged his deep appreciation for entrepreneurs and their relentless journey in building valuable businesses.
Today, Eric channels his extensive financial expertise into helping business owners navigate sales and acquisitions, driven by a passionate commitment to serve others. A devoted Christian, he lives in Flower Mound, TX, with his wife Jaclyn, where they raise their three children grounded in their faith in Jesus Christ's grace and mercy.
In a pivotal career moment, Eric became the second employee of a groundbreaking startup, where he immersed himself in every aspect of business building - from establishing back-office operations to product development and brand creation. This hands-on experience forged his deep appreciation for entrepreneurs and their relentless journey in building valuable businesses.
Today, Eric channels his extensive financial expertise into helping business owners navigate sales and acquisitions, driven by a passionate commitment to serve others. A devoted Christian, he lives in Flower Mound, TX, with his wife Jaclyn, where they raise their three children grounded in their faith in Jesus Christ's grace and mercy.
