Positon is an AI-powered platform designed to streamline the complexities of M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions) workflows and data management. Founded by CEO, Rabie Zahri, and COO, Zaheer Ali, the solution facilitates the entire deal lifecycle, from sourcing deals and filtering them to engaging in negotiations and post-close integration. Venture capital and other private equities handling hundreds of deals annually, rely on Positon to streamline their due diligence processes. Particularly when it comes to pre-Letter of Intent (LOI) information sharing, where thousands of questions from multiple buyers can overwhelm management teams. With its AI-driven system, Positon identifies and addresses duplicate questions, ensuring streamlined communication and effective collaboration among stakeholders.
Enhancing the efficiency and organization of the M&A lifecycle goes beyond automated error detection. From proactive alerts to progress tracking via email notifications, Positon keeps stakeholders informed every step of the way. And when it’s time to formalize agreements with an LOI, their solution simplifies the transition by creating a dedicated private “vault”—a virtual data room (VDR)—for due diligence.
Unifying tools into a single platform
Finding their niche in mergers and acquisitions wasn’t a matter of chance. Zahri and Ali identified pervasive challenges throughout the entire M&A process from years of firsthand experience at companies big and small. With a background in engineering, Zahri has a natural inclination towards problem-solving and automation. Over the years, he observed disorganization in management teams during deal engagements in fields like investment banking to private equity and venture capital.
In contrast to other solutions that rely on separate tools, Positon stands out as a unified platform capable of handling the varied phases of the M&A workflow. “If you look at our competition, they’re fragmented across different tools, but we come in as one platform that does all of that,” Zahri explains.
In addition to serving buy-side organizations, Positon extends its services to startups with a variety of tailored resources, including AI-powered cap table management, networking opportunities with investors, and benchmarking. By fostering readiness for investment, partnership, and exit, Positon aims to support the growth and success of other startups within the M&A landscape.
Going the extra mile for privacy and security with Azure
In the field of M&A, sensitive data is shared between buyers, sellers, and investors, so it’s vital to ensure a high level of privacy, compliance, and security. Positon goes the extra mile to protect customer data every step of the way by obtaining certifications like the SOC 2 Type 2, which is only awarded to companies that follow uncompromising compliance protocols. So, when it boiled down to choosing a cloud service provider that offered top-tier security, Azure was a clear choice.
“We want to make sure that they are very comfortable in how we’re actually handling all of their data,” Zahri tells Microsoft for Startups. “We love how Microsoft is methodical and deliberate about that. And we are doing it kind of in lockstep with Microsoft from that regard.”
Creativity and preparedness are keys to success as a startup
Fostering creativity is crucial, particularly in the field of AI ventures, according to Zahri. A creative mind enables entrepreneurs to harness AI’s potential effectively by thinking of different questions, problems, and ideas. Instead of relying on artificial intelligence as the answer, it‘s best used as a supporting workforce to find answers for your solution and to differentiate it from others on the market.
“Creativity is the essential component that you need in this process,” Zahri advises current and potential founders. “What use cases can you think of, how would you employ AI, what models that you can’t put in place, how to get the right messaging with the customers—you have to come up with creative ways of employing AI essentially.”
Of course, building and scaling a startup isn’t just about employing creativity. Being prepared is key to seizing opportunities because it not only instills confidence in potential partners but also allows startups to quickly capitalize on opportunities.
“Always have your ducks in a row; your management deck, your data structure, everything that you can share with folks on the fly,” Zahri elaborates on the matter. “No one wants to partner with someone that doesn’t have their stuff together. So, when you have that opportunity, you can strike when the iron is hot.”
Foster an environment ripe for creative thinking but remember the pragmatics, the day-to-day things that run the ship: be proactive, prepared, and you’re on your way.
Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub members receive Azure cloud credits that can be used towards a variety of Azure services, including Azure OpenAI Service, as well as expert advisory from the team at Microsoft to build and deploy their solutions. Founders Hub is open to all startups and takes just minutes to apply – sign up today.
