You built something valuable. Now sell it on your terms.

Sherwood Australia runs structured, confidential sale processes for IP and the businesses built on it. Patents, trademarks, technology platforms, data assets, and IP-rich companies: when the value sits in the IP, the sale needs an advisor who can prove that value and defend it at the negotiating table.

We work with founders, corporates and research organisations across all industries. If you're considering a sale, now or in the next two years, start with a confidential conversation.

Get a Confidential Assessment

Or call Anthony directly: +61 406 155 571

$5-$350M
Deal size range

50+
Transactions advised

$500M+
Transaction value

4 Continents
International reach

Built for owners of valuable IP

We work with founders, shareholders and institutions who hold IP with real commercial value and are ready to consider a sale, whether that's the IP itself, a carve-out, or the whole business behind it.

Our clients typically have:

A patent, trademark or technology portfolio with proven or provable commercial value
An IP-rich business where the technology, data or brand is what buyers are paying for
A university, research organisation or corporate divesting non-core IP
An owner who wants a structured, confidential, professionally managed process, not a public listing

If that sounds like you, we should talk.

A structured process. No surprises.

Selling IP is a high-stakes, often once-only event. We manage every stage with the discipline of a formal transaction process. A typical sale takes 3–6 months from engagement to completion.

1. Valuation and positioning

We start with what the IP is worth: an independent, AFSL-licensed valuation that anchors the entire process. We then build the materials that prove it, including the commercial story, revenue attribution, and the information memorandum and data room buyers expect.

2. Targeted buyer outreach

We approach only pre-qualified, logical buyers: strategic acquirers, existing and prospective licensees, private equity, and international buyers via the Sherwood Global Partners network. Confidentiality is maintained throughout, and we manage the Q&A process, buyer meetings, and non-binding offers.

3. Negotiation & completion

We narrow to a preferred buyer and manage final due diligence, deal structure (outright assignment, sale-and-licence-back, milestone or royalty components), and legal documentation through to completion. We stay in the room until the deal is done.

Transactions we've advised

Every asset is different. Here is a selection of transactions we've advised, each one a complex, high-stakes process managed from strategy through to completion.

Advanced Manufacturing Business — International Strategic Sale

A$350 Million | Aerospace & Defence

Advised a specialist advanced manufacturing business on its transition from a Tier 2 to Tier 1 defence supplier, including strategic planning, capital restructuring, and full preparation for an international sale process. The business's manufacturing capabilities and global aerospace relationships attracted a US-backed strategic acquirer, enabling geographic expansion across military, commercial, and space markets. The transaction delivered a substantial valuation uplift for shareholders.

Specialist Training Business — Strategic Divestment

Undisclosed | Professional Training & Education

End-to-end transaction support for the divestment of a specialist training business — preparing it for sale, positioning its internationally recognised capabilities, and negotiating transaction terms with a strategic buyer seeking to expand its training portfolio. The process maintained full confidentiality while creating competitive tension among a targeted list of pre-qualified buyers.

Biotech MBO — Cross-Border Management Buyout

Undisclosed | Biotechnology

Provided corporate finance support to management in executing a cross-border MBO, including valuation guidance, deal structuring across multiple jurisdictions, and negotiation with the exiting shareholder. The transaction established a focused ownership structure for a clinical-stage asset, aligning ownership with those best positioned to advance the program and attract future capital.

We know who will pay the most for your IP

The right buyer isn't always the most obvious one. We build a targeted, pre-qualified list of the most likely, and highest-value, acquirers for your specific asset:

Strategic acquirers: Companies seeking the capability, market position or freedom to operate that your IP provides.
Licensees: Existing or prospective licensees are often the most motivated buyers, and we know how to convert a licence into a sale.
Private equity & growth funds: Investors backing IP-rich platforms and technology businesses.
International buyers: Via the Sherwood Global Partners network across Europe, Asia, North America, and Oceania, when the right buyer isn't local.

Our International Network

Through Sherwood Global Partners, we have active teams in Belgium (SGP Europe), China (SGP Asia), the United States (SGP North America), and Australia (SGP Oceania). When your ideal buyer is overseas, we already have the relationships to reach them.

Not a broker. A deal team.

Most business owners sell once. Most business brokers list and wait. Sherwood runs a structured, confidential, investment-bank-grade process — without the Big 4 price tag or the conflict of interest that comes with it.

Targeted, not broadcast

We do not list your IP publicly. We approach a carefully selected, pre-qualified list of buyers — protecting your confidentiality and preventing market rumours that can destabilise your business during a sale process.

Hands-on through every stage

Anthony Vago leads every engagement personally. We run the Q&A process, manage the data room, coordinate advisors, and keep the transaction moving — so you can keep running your business while the deal gets done.

Valuation expertise built in

Unlike most advisors, we hold an AFSL licence (No. 563351) and have delivered 250+ independent business valuations. That means we go into every negotiation with a defensible, expert view of what your business is worth — and we protect it.

Global reach, boutique attention

We bring international buyer access through Sherwood Global Partners — active in four continents — while remaining small enough that you always know who is working on your transaction and what's happening next.

What our clients say

"Anthony and the Sherwood team helped us find a buyer who truly aligned with our values and long-term vision. They also negotiated terms we wouldn't have known to ask for — the result was beyond what we expected."

— Former Business Owner | Manufacturing Sector

"The Sherwood team made a complex process feel clear and manageable. They were with us every step of the way."

— Co-founder | Technology Company

“We’d been through an unsuccessful sale process before engaging Sherwood. They repositioned how we went to market, ran a structured process that created real competition, and achieved an outcome that exceeded what we thought possible.”

— Founder | Healthcare & Pharmacy Group

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sell my IP without selling the business?

Yes. IP can be sold by assignment while the business continues to operate, often with a licence back so you keep using what you've sold. Carve-outs, partial assignments and field-of-use splits are all on the table. Structuring this well is most of the value we add.

How long does an IP sale take?

A typical process takes 3–6 months from engagement to completion, though complex assets or cross-border buyers can take longer. We run a structured, phase-by-phase process specifically to keep the timeline efficient.

Do I need a valuation before I start?

We recommend it, and we provide it. An independent, AFSL-licensed valuation gives you a defensible anchor in negotiations and signals credibility to serious buyers. It also frequently identifies value that wasn't being counted.

Will my competitors find out my IP is for sale?

No. We do not advertise or publicly list assets. We approach only a carefully selected, pre-qualified list of potential acquirers under strict confidentiality agreements.

What if I want to sell the whole business?

We do that too. Where the business itself is the asset, we run the full sell-side process: preparation, buyer origination, negotiation, and completion. Most of our sale work involves companies where IP, technology or capability drives the value, but the process discipline applies to any well-run business.

Start with a confidential conversation

Whether you're ready to go to market now or exploring your options for the next two years, the right time to start the conversation is before you need to. Tell us about your business and we'll come back to you within 24 hours.

Response within 24 hours | Strictly confidential | No obligation

Prefer to call?

Anthony Vago: +61 406 155 571 | anthony@sherwoodaustralia.com.au