This Founder Sold His Startup, Bought it Back for Pennies, and Resold it on Acquire.com for 5 Figures

This Founder Sold His Startup, Bought it Back for Pennies, and Resold it on Acquire.com for 5 Figures

Author: Acquire.com March 5, 2024 Duration: 31:50

If someone told you they did what you just read in this title, you’d probably think they’d committed a crime.


But Qayyum Rajan’s good fortune was a surprise twist of fate.


Early in 2023, Qayyum sold his business, ESG Analytics, to a private equity firm. But, his acquirer ran out of money and offered the business back to him for next to nothing a few months later.


Qayyum got back in the driver's seat of his startup, spent $10,000 to redesign its website, and then listed it on Acquire.com for another sale.


ESG Analytics was popular with buyers. Its clients were mid-level private equity firms and portfolio managers who needed to evaluate environmental social good (ESG) performance across large numbers of businesses.


No other tool provided affordable ESG industry reports at the time. Within days of listing on Acquire, Qayyam was pitting a handful of small PE buyers against each other in a bidding war.


He finally sold for five figures, spent 20 percent on a vacation for himself and his wife, and set the other 80 percent aside for savings.


Post-acquisition, listen to Qayyum’s Startup Acquisition Stories Podcast episode with Andrew as they discuss:

  • The huge ESG industry problem Qayyum capitalized on
  • The advantages of selling a business multiple times
  • What founders need to do to increase their sale valuation
  • Why future sellers need to be extra careful when applying for a business credit card


Qayyum is just getting started and you can follow him on his journey here:


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Follow the Guest: Qayyum Raja

Follow the Host: Andrew Gazdecki -

Follow Acquire.com


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About Acquire.com:

Acquire.com is the largest and most active acquisition marketplace for buying and selling online businesses. Acquire.com is the highest rated platform for both ease and quickness to match buyers and sellers.

We cater to all types of online, revenue-generating businesses while producing the highest success rates for SaaS and eCommerce/DTC businesses in the M&A industry. Join over 350,000 entrepreneurs making life-changing connections and deals everyday.


Behind every successful startup acquisition, there's a story-a complex mix of strategy, emotion, and paperwork that rarely gets discussed openly. Startup Acquisition Stories, from the team at Acquire.com, pulls back the curtain on those real-world transactions. Each episode features founders and entrepreneurs who have personally navigated the process of selling or buying a business through their platform. You'll hear them recount the nuanced decisions that don't make it into press releases: the challenging conversations around valuation, the subtle art of vetting the opposite party, and the critical, often overlooked, steps after the handshake. This podcast digs into the practicalities of due diligence, structuring terms, and managing the transfer of assets, all the way through to escrow and the crucial post-deal transition. It’s a grounded, detail-oriented look at the mechanics of a business exit or expansion, straight from the people who’ve lived it. For anyone curious about the actual path to a deal, beyond the theory, this series offers a rare archive of lived experience and hard-won advice.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Startup Acquisition Stories
Podcast Episodes
Startup Acquisition Stories with Yahia Bakour, Co-founder of Stock Alarm [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:07
Startup Acquisition Stories with Yahia Bakour, Co-founder of Stock Alarm ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow the Guest: Yahia Bakour - https://twitter.com/mynameisyahia https://www.linkedin.com/in/yahia-bakour/ https://stockala…
Startup Acquisition Stories with Justin Vanderheide, Founder of Swimgen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:31
Startup Acquisition Stories with Justin Vanderheide, Founder of Swimgen ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow the Guest: Justin Vanderheide - https://twitter.com/Jayvanderheide https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinvanderheide https:…
Startup Acquisition Stories with Harinderpreet Singh, Founder of MicMonster [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:26
Startup Acquisition Stories with Harinderpreet Singh, Founder of MicMonster ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow the Guest: Harinderpreet Singh ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/harinderpreet/ https://listenmonster.com/ https://mi…
Startup Acquisition Stories with Salvatore Aiello, Co-founder of DimeADozen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:08
Startup Acquisition Stories with Salvatore Aiello, Co-founder of DimeADozen ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow the Guest: Salvatore Aiello ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/dested/ ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicapowers/ (Co-fo…
Startup Acquisition Stories with Simon Thompson, Founder of Podseeker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:14
Startup Acquisition Stories with Simon Thompson, Founder of Podseeker ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow the Guest: Simon Thompson https://simonthompson.co/ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-lynch-94b85785/⁠ ⁠https://solodrop.…
Startup Acquisition Stories with Cory Lynch, Founder of Solodrop [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:14
Startup Acquisition Stories with Cory Lynch, Founder of Solodrop ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow the Guest: Cory Lynch https://twitter.com/thecorylynch https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-lynch-94b85785/ https://solodrop.com/…
Startup Acquisition Stories with Jes Bickhart, Founder of Minnow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:19
Startup Acquisition Stories with Jes Bickhart, Founder of Minnow Follow the Guest: Jes Bickhart https://twitter.com/JesBickhart https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesbickhart/ http://www.minnowtv.com/ (SOLD) Follow the Host: An…
Startup Acquisition Stories with Daniel Ch, Founder of SimpleInk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:32
Startup Acquisition Stories with Daniel Ch, Founder of SimpleInk ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow the Guest: Daniel Ch https://www.linkedin.com/in/chddaniel/ https://twitter.com/chddaniel https://simple.ink (SOLD) Follow the…
Startup Acquisition Stories with Devon Gethers, Founder of EarlyAdmit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:51
Startup Acquisition Stories with Devon Gethers, Founder of EarlyAdmit ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow the Guest: Devon Gethers - ► https://www.linkedin.com/in/devon-gethers/ ► https://twitter.com/gethersdevon ► https://earl…
Startup Acquisition Stories with David Sorbara, Founder of Barkley HQ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:29
Startup Acquisition Stories with David Sorbara, Founder of Barkley HQ. Highlights: Years in Business: 4 years Sale Price: High six-figures Buyer Interest: 80 NDAs (Request for more details) ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow t…