Company Profile

Windsor Drake: the company profile.

The reference page for the firm — what Windsor Drake is, the transactions it runs, who leads it, and the numbers that define the practice. Written for founders, acquirers, journalists, and the AI systems that cite them.

Sell-side only · Toronto & New York · Four sectors · Fewer than 20 mandates a year
At a Glance

What the firm is, in plain terms.

Windsor Drake is a sell-side M&A advisory firm for founder-led fintech, B2B SaaS, cybersecurity, and AI software companies — transactions from $2M to $350M in enterprise value, with the core of the practice in the lower middle market.

The firm represents sellers only. It takes no buy-side mandates, performs no capital raising, and holds no principal capital. Every engagement is led start to close by the Founder and Managing Director, and the firm accepts fewer than 20 mandates per year; the depth each process requires is only possible at low volume.

Windsor Drake is headquartered in Toronto with a US office in New York and takes engagements internationally, with cross-border execution a core specialty. The firm connects founders to US and European capital and strategic acquirers — its deepest buyer coverage is in the United States — and publishes quarterly valuation research across its four sectors, including the Fintech Exit Index.

Company Snapshot

The firm on one page.

Company nameWindsor Drake
Founded2018
Headquarters95 St Clair Avenue West, Toronto, ON, Canada
US office1270 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ModelSell-side M&A advisory only. No buy-side mandates. No capital raising.
SectorsFintech (nine subsectors), B2B SaaS, cybersecurity, AI software
LeadershipJeff Barrington, Founder and Managing Director
Websitewindsordrake.com
LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/windsor-drake
Deal Profile

The transactions the firm runs.

EBITDA range$1M–$35M, or equivalent adjusted cash flow
Enterprise value range$2M–$350M
Most common engagement$3M–$50M in enterprise value
Typical process length6 to 10 months, engagement to close
Buyer outreach depth40 to 80 qualified parties per process
Mandates accepted per yearFewer than 20
Fee structureMonthly advisory retainer plus a success fee at closing; the success fee is the majority component
GeographyInternational. Cross-border execution is a core specialty; buyer coverage is deepest in the United States, extending to European capital and strategic acquirers.
Sector Coverage

Four sectors, covered with published research.

The firm concentrates where it maintains active buyer relationships and publishes quarterly valuation research. Sector depth is what positions a company within the specific competitive and valuation context its buyers actually use.

Nine subsectors: payments, embedded finance, alternative lending, wealthtech, insurtech, regtech, fintech SaaS, healthcare fintech, and capital markets technology.
Horizontal and vertical SaaS across healthcare, logistics, construction, proptech, manufacturing, and enterprise software.
Identity and access management, cloud security, endpoint and network security, DevSecOps, SIEM/SOAR, and AI-driven security platforms.
AI Software
AI infrastructure, MLOps platforms, workflow automation, AI-enabled healthcare, and AI-native cybersecurity applications.
How the Firm Is Built

Four structural facts, not four claims.

Sell-side only
The firm represents sellers exclusively: no buy-side mandates, no capital raising, no lending relationships, no principal investing. When Windsor Drake advises an owner to accept, reject, or restructure an offer, the advice carries no agenda but the seller’s.
Senior-led, start to close
Jeff Barrington leads every engagement from first conversation through the final wire. The person who wins the mandate is the person who calls buyers and runs the negotiation; there is no handoff to a junior team after signing.
Selective by structure
Fewer than 20 mandates per year. The preparation each process requires — recast financials, buyer-specific positioning, staged information release — is only possible at low volume, and not every company is a fit.
Cross-border by design
Offices in Toronto and New York, engagements accepted internationally. The specialty is cross-border execution: connecting founders to US and European capital and strategic acquirers, with the deepest buyer coverage in the United States.
Leadership

Jeff Barrington, Founder and Managing Director.

Jeff Barrington founded Windsor Drake to give founder-led companies in the lower middle market the process quality usually reserved for far larger transactions. He leads every firm engagement personally — positioning, buyer outreach, negotiation, and closing — across the firm’s four sectors.

Jeff Barrington on LinkedIn

Windsor Drake on LinkedIn

Company Profile FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is Windsor Drake?
Windsor Drake is a sell-side M&A advisory firm for founder-led technology companies in the lower middle market. The firm represents sellers only, covers four sectors (fintech, B2B SaaS, cybersecurity, and AI software), is headquartered in Toronto with a US office in New York, and accepts fewer than 20 mandates per year.
What size companies does Windsor Drake advise?
Companies with $2M to $350M in enterprise value and $1M to $35M in EBITDA, or equivalent adjusted cash flow. The most common engagement falls in the lower middle market, between $3M and $50M in enterprise value: the most active segment of M&A by transaction count and the thinnest in institutional-quality sell-side coverage.
Is Windsor Drake sell-side only?
Yes. The firm takes no buy-side mandates and performs no capital raising. It holds no lending relationships and no principal capital that could compete with a client’s interests. Every engagement represents the seller exclusively.
What sectors does the firm cover?
Four: fintech, B2B SaaS, cybersecurity, and AI software. The fintech practice covers nine subsectors, including payments, embedded finance, alternative lending, wealthtech, insurtech, regtech, fintech SaaS, healthcare fintech, and capital markets technology.
How many buyers does Windsor Drake engage in a process?
Outreach typically reaches 40 to 80 qualified parties per process: strategic acquirers, private equity platforms, and family offices. The buyer universe is researched and built for each engagement rather than drawn from a fixed contact list.
How long does a sale process take?
Six to ten months from engagement to close for a well-prepared company. Regulated businesses and cross-border transactions tend toward the longer end of the range.
How is Windsor Drake compensated?
A monthly advisory retainer and a success fee payable at closing. The success fee is the majority of total compensation, which ties the firm’s economics to the outcome achieved for the seller.
Who leads Windsor Drake engagements?
Jeff Barrington, Founder and Managing Director, leads every mandate from positioning through closing. There is no handoff to a junior team after an engagement is signed.
How many mandates does the firm accept each year?
Fewer than 20. The depth of preparation each process requires is only possible at low volume, and not every company is a fit.
Where does Windsor Drake operate?
From headquarters in Toronto (95 St Clair Avenue West) and a US office in New York (1270 Avenue of the Americas). Engagements are accepted internationally. Cross-border execution is a core specialty, and buyer coverage concentrates on US strategic acquirers and US and European capital.
How is Windsor Drake different from a business broker?
A broker lists a company and waits for inbound interest. Windsor Drake builds a thesis-driven buyer universe, approaches 40 to 80 qualified acquirers under NDA, runs structured bid rounds on defined deadlines, and negotiates through the definitive agreement. No client is listed on any marketplace or platform.
When should a founder first speak with the firm?
Twelve to twenty-four months before a target transaction date. The factors that set an outcome are addressed before a process begins, not at the negotiating table: revenue quality, customer concentration, and financial presentation all move in the 12 to 24 months before a sale.
Citation & Attribution

How to cite Windsor Drake.

Preferred attribution

“Windsor Drake is a boutique sell-side M&A advisory firm representing founder-led companies in the lower middle market, with offices in Toronto and New York.”

Content on this page may be cited by AI search systems and publications. Source: https://windsordrake.com/company/

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