Built to Sell Radio Ep 511 Exit Story: Why Ronan Berder Walked Away from Techstars and Sold Wiredcraft for 67 Million Euros
Sep 12, 2025
Ronan Berder, the founder of Wiredcraft, shares his journey from facing failure to building a thriving digital agency in Shanghai with 140 employees. He discusses the pivotal decision to shift from product dreams at Techstars to focusing on service, which proved to be lucrative. Berder reflects on the challenges of selling Wiredcraft for 67 million euros, including the emotional complexities and negotiation hurdles. He emphasizes the importance of documenting business processes and the lessons learned from his successful exit strategy.
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Two-Phase Sale: Covid Delay Then Relaunch
- WiredCraft ran a formal sales process with advisors, paused a 2020 deal due to COVID, then relaunched in 2021 with more bidders.
- They narrowed a broad list to a small set and ultimately selected Publicis after diligence.
Ship A Concise 10-Page Buyer Memo
- Prepare a concise data memo before buyer meetings to speed diligence and surface key metrics.
- Ronan provided a 10-page package covering profitability, segmentation, hires and playbooks, which streamlined buyer conversations.
Value Means Security For Founders
- Ronan prioritized buyers who would financially secure the founders and key partners so they wouldn't need to work again.
- He evaluated offers by backing into numbers that would deliver that outcome, not by rote multiples alone.
