Axial exists to connect the right deal with the right partner at the right time. Today we took a huge step forward in our ability to match people up with precision by releasing an entirely new industry taxonomy.

We’ve always enabled industry generalists to effectively cover the lower middle market, but we didn’t do a great job for buyers and investors with very specific industry and business model preferences. This particularly applied to corporate strategics, PE add-ons, and anyone with a specific industry thesis. We also struggled to help buyers and investors that liked most of an industry, but really disliked a particular, specific sub-sector.

That changed today. Axial’s new industry taxonomy expands the number of industry options from 160 to over 18,000. We based the new taxonomy on the Census Bureau’s NAICS taxonomy, but customized it for ease-of-use. We also built out a completely custom technology segment to better match how tech buyers/investors think about their space.

How Does This Impact Advisors?

Get smarter recommendations of buyers and investors

Watch this video to see how our taxonomy works for advisors

The new taxonomy enables you to:

1. Precisely define the industry and business model (i.e. manufacturing or retail) of the company you’re bringing to market.
2. Have greater confidence in your match since targeted buyers will be far more precise about what they’re looking for
3. Understand the industries that potential buyers are interested in with far greater specificity than before.

See exactly what buyers and investors are looking for right now and reach out to the most motivated partners that are looking for deals in your niche.

Want to see exactly how taxonomy can help sell-side advisors like you? Watch our webinar here.

How Does This Impact Buyers and Investors?

Source deals that are relevant to your unique interests

Watch this video to see how our taxonomy works for buyers and investors

With over 18,000 industry categories to select from, you’ll be able to dramatically improve your signal-to-noise ratio. The new taxonomy gives enables you to:

1. Precisely define what you’re looking for, if industry and business model is a key strategic parameter for you.
2. Save time while our algorithms do the heavy lifting.
3. Exclude niches with great precision while keeping your coverage broad if you’re an industry generalist with a few areas you want to avoid.

Charles Scripps, Managing Partner at Blake Lake Capital and Axial member since 2013, evaluates hundreds of opportunities every year and is excited about how our new industry taxonomy will help him prioritize his firm’s expansive deal funnel and strategic focus:

“We’re looking through hundreds of opportunities each year and the updated taxonomy will be helpful in prioritizing our expansive deal funnel. In addition, as we look for add-ons to our portfolio companies, the new taxonomy will enable us to be more specific in screening for the best potential matches.” — Charles Scripps, Black Lake Capital

Showcase your expertise and be discovered in real-time

All of your industry selections will be visible to sell-side members, so they’ll know your motivations, what you’re looking for right now, and be more likely to recognize your firm as a motivated buyer who really understands their niche.

Want to see exactly how taxonomy can help buyers and investors like you? Watch our webinar here.

If you’d like to learn more, visit our guide or email me at [email protected].