M&A Advisory · Corporate Development
Linekin Advisory is a fractional M&A advisory practice serving sponsor-owned and founder-led platform businesses. We help companies assess, structure, and execute inorganic growth — from the first strategic question through signed acquisition.
What we do
M&A diagnostic
Fixed-scope assessment of M&A as a value-creation lever. Frame the option set, test the math, recommend a sequence. Delivered in 8–10 weeks.
Execution support
Buy-side deal execution against the recommended program: target sourcing, LOI, diligence, QofE, purchase agreement, integration planning.
Value-creation modeling
Multiple arbitrage, EBITDA accretion, capital structure, and equity story framing for sponsor portfolio companies approaching exit.
Strategic advisory
Shareholder-side advisory through sale processes. Build-vs-buy analysis. M&A capability builds for organic-to-inorganic transitions.
Track record
~$1B
Aggregate consideration
10
Buy-side transactions
9 yrs
In-house corp dev
| Transaction | Year | Size | Acquirer |
|---|---|---|---|
| CompareCards | 2016 | $130M | LendingTree |
| MagnifyMoney | 2017 | $39.5M | LendingTree |
| DepositAccounts | 2017 | $33M | LendingTree |
| SnapCap | 2017 | $21M | LendingTree |
| Student Loan Hero | 2018 | $60M | LendingTree |
| Ovation | 2018 | $21M | LendingTree |
| QuoteWizard | 2018 | $370M | LendingTree |
| ValuePenguin | 2019 | $105M | LendingTree |
| Stash (strategic investment) | 2020 | $80M | LendingTree |
| On The Barrelhead | 2022 | $120M | NerdWallet |
| Cumulative · 10 transactions | ~$1B |
Background
Chris Bither is the Principal of Linekin Advisory. He brings nine years of corporate development experience at LendingTree (2016–2021) and NerdWallet (2021–2025), where he executed approximately $1B in buy-side M&A across ten transactions. In his early roles, he led deal execution end-to-end — sourcing, structuring, diligence, purchase agreement, and integration. Later, he built and managed the teams responsible for that work while owning deal strategy, board materials, and outcomes. Prior to his in-house corporate development career, Chris spent over a decade in financial services — in equity research at UBS, Bank of America, and Dillon Read, in investment banking at Lehman Brothers, and on the buyside at special-situations hedge funds — a multi-lens background that informs how he evaluates, structures, and underwrites acquisitions.
Contact
If you would like to discuss whether M&A is the right strategic option for your business, contact Chris Bither directly at cbither@linekinadvisory.com.
Chris Bither · cbither@linekinadvisory.com · 347.843.9848 · Burlingame, CA