iwoca launches M&A marketplace as data reveals SME succession gap

LONDON, Oct. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- iwoca today launches manda, a dedicated M&A platform designed to connect small businesses looking to sell with suitable buyers.

Unlike traditional corporate finance brokers that only represent one side of a deal, manda acts as a market maker, handling everything in one place. For SME owners looking to sell, manda matches them with serious buyers including search funds, family offices, and private equity firms. For buyers, manda draws on iwoca's data on 100,000+ SMEs to surface the right opportunities, and uses bank feeds, filed accounts, VAT returns and payroll to carry out due diligence and advise on deal structuring. By bringing the whole process together, manda can make the process more accessible and affordable for SME owners by only charging a fee on completion of the deal.

iwoca data reveals a growing SME succession gap

The launch comes as new data from small and medium-sized business owners shows that a succession crisis is growing for the UK's 5.7m SMEs. New polling from iwoca shows that only one in five (21%) SME owners have a formal, documented succession or exit plan, while a quarter (25%) have given it no thought at all.

Even owners closest to retirement lack a clear strategy. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of 55–64 year-olds say they have nothing more than a rough idea of what will happen to their business when they step back, and less than a third (29%) of SME bosses aged 65–74 have a formal plan in place.

This comes despite heavy reliance on a business sale to fund post-work life. Half (50%) of SME owners say they will rely on their business to fund their retirement, but nearly three in 10 (29%) do not know what their business would be worth if sold today.

manda's first deal completed

manda's public launch follows the completion of its first deal, with the sale of roofing contractor TRC (Midlands) Ltd to TrueNorth Capital Group.

Christoph Rieche, CEO and co-founder of iwoca, said: "Our analysis shows the majority of small business owners have no formal succession plan for the business they've built. Often the hardest part isn't finding a buyer, but finding the right one at the right time - someone who understands the business and will take it forward. manda solves that by matching sellers with buyers who actually fit what they're looking for."