Assertion certainty 4/5 debate potential 3/5

Verdian: Private equity is refusing to buy slow-growing seat-based software companies

Aram Verdian · Why Investors Are Rethinking Everything for the AI Era · Sep 10, 2026 · at 30:51

Aram Verdian of Accolade Partners discusses how AI disruption is shifting buyout private equity away from legacy seat-based software models.

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“Even private equity today, when they're doing a new investment, they're looking for something that's AI native. They're not looking to buy a workflow software company growing 10% that's seed based. Like, that's just not happening.”

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