STRATONHUNTER · M&A & TRANSACTION ADVISORY

Your Transaction. Maximized.

Listen. Learn. Communicate.

Most M&A advisors show up at the end. We show up at the beginning — and stay through to closing.

StratonHunter combines an independent business valuation, AI-powered system diagnostics, and a dedicated transaction team — giving you the complete picture of what your business is worth, what’s suppressing that value, and exactly how to close the gap before you go to market.

Our M&A practice is led by Lubo Zizakovic — 30+ transactions, over $1 billion in closed deals across capital markets, private equity, and M&A advisory. With a robust pipeline of deals actively underway across both franchise systems and food & beverage manufacturers, recent success includes the closing of a $50M franchise transaction.

When it’s time to transact, you want the firm that already knows where your value lives.

Improve Performance

Accelerate Growth

Prepare for Transactions

Increase Enterprise Value

System Readiness Overview

A single, quantified view of performance and readiness across four critical pillars.

Operating Performance

Brand & Demand Strength

Expansion Capability

Enterprise & Financial Readiness

Trusted by the brands that defined the industry. Chosen by the brands that will define it next.

The SHG Advantage.

Most M&A firms meet your business for the first time when you engage them. We already know yours.

Every StratonHunter client goes through our PerformANT AI diagnostic before — or as part of — the transaction process. That means we have an independent, data-driven understanding of your business before any buyer does. We know where your value is strongest, where the gaps are, and what due diligence will reveal. We address those gaps before they become issues in negotiation — protecting your valuation and your timeline.

The result is a transaction that reflects the true value of what you’ve built.

The Complete Transaction Process.

StratonHunter manages every stage of your transaction — from the first conversation through to closing. You focus on running your business. We focus on getting the deal done.

Deal Preparation & Positioning

We prepare your business for market — building the information memorandum, financial narrative, and positioning strategy that presents your business in the strongest possible light to the right buyers.

Buyer Identification

We identify and approach the right strategic and financial buyers — drawing on Robert Carter’s deep industry relationships across North America’s leading franchise systems and food & beverage manufacturers, and Lubo Zizakovic’s extensive capital markets and transaction network, to find the buyers who will see the most value in your business.

Negotiation & Due Diligence

We manage the negotiation process and support you through due diligence — ensuring your interests are protected at every stage and that the deal structure reflects the true value of what you’ve built.

Closing

We see the transaction through to closing — managing the legal, financial, and commercial workstreams that bring the deal across the line.

Who We Serve.

We work with founders, CEOs, and leadership teams across both of our core industries who are building toward — or ready for — a transaction.

Franchise Systems Preparing for Transaction

Whether you’re a multi-unit operator, an emerging franchisor, or an established system with decades of history, StratonHunter brings the franchise industry expertise and capital markets capability to maximize the value of what you’ve built and get the deal done.

Food & Beverage Manufacturers Preparing for Transaction

From CPG and beverage to snack foods and bakery, we work alongside food & beverage manufacturers to optimize commercial performance, close valuation gaps, and position your business to command maximum value in the market.

Private Equity & Institutional Investors

Before you invest, you need to know what you’re actually buying. StratonHunter’s PerformANT AI diagnostic gives investors an independent, data-driven assessment of any franchise system or food & beverage manufacturer — revealing true operational and commercial health, scalability potential, and the value creation roadmap that turns a good investment into a great one.

Brands Seeking Investment or Capital

Not every transaction is a sale. Whether you’re raising growth capital, seeking a strategic partner, or exploring investment options to fund your next stage, StratonHunter structures and manages the process to ensure you get the right capital, on the right terms, from the right partner.

Leading Your Transaction.

What sets The StratonHunter Group apart isn’t just what we know — it’s what we’ve done. Our team brings together over a century of combined experience across franchise operations, food & beverage manufacturing, brand development, capital markets, and enterprise value creation. We’ve built systems, led turnarounds, launched brands, closed deals, and sat in the seat you’re in. We don’t just advise. We work alongside you.

Lubo Zizakovic

Principal, M&A & Transaction Advisory

Lubo Zizakovic brings something most M&A advisors simply don’t have — a proven track record of doing deals at scale across capital markets, private equity, and M&A advisory.

Lubo began his career at Scotia Capital in corporate finance before rising to Vice President of Business Operations at HSBC Securities. He served as both COO and Chief Compliance Officer at Loewen, Ondaatje, McCutcheon, before founding Insidus Capital and subsequently co-founding Barrier Ridge Capital — a private equity firm where he bought and sold 30+ companies across more than 20 transactions, transacting over $1 billion during his tenure.

Lubo now leads M&A and transaction advisory for The StratonHunter Group — bringing that track record and his capital markets relationships directly to franchise systems and food & beverage manufacturers building toward a transaction.

Ready to Have a Confidential Conversation?

Whether a transaction is imminent or years away, the right time to start the conversation is before you need to have it. StratonHunter brings the industry expertise, AI-powered diagnostics, and transaction capability to ensure you’re building toward maximum value from day one.