Picture by Creator | CanvaWhen you’ve spent months (or years!) constructing an app, extension, script or SaaS, and also you’re able to money out as a substitute of working an organization, excellent news: There at the moment are dozens of marketplaces the place you may record a accomplished venture and discover a purchaser. These vary from full startup acquisition websites to community-driven classifieds and even newsletters. Many platforms focus on “micro” acquisitions (offers within the $10K–$100K vary) and cater to solo devs or small groups who desire a one-time exit with out fundraising or long-term dedication. Every market works a little bit in another way, so right here’s a listing of 10 locations you could attempt. We’ll cowl how they work, key options, professionals/cons, and who they’re greatest for, so you understand what to anticipate. So, let’s get began:
1. Purchase.com (previously MicroAcquire)
Hyperlink: https://purchase.com/
Purchase.com (the rebranded MicroAcquire) is the most important identify proper now for purchasing and promoting on-line companies. It’s a SaaS/startup market the place founders can record their firms and join with vetted consumers. The positioning is free for founders (you may create an inventory and set your information with out up-front value), whereas consumers pay a subscription to see vendor contact particulars. All listings are screened by Purchase’s crew earlier than going stay, and consumers solely see an nameless teaser (“NDA’d” profile) till the founder approves them. In follow, Purchase.com gives lots of hand-holding: you get an skilled acquisition advisor, authorized templates, escrow integration (by way of Escrow.com), advertising and marketing outreach and even a valuation software to assist value your corporation. The closing payment (paid solely once you promote) is round 6–8% of the sale value, and there could also be a small month-to-month itemizing payment ($25–$100) relying in your deal measurement.
2. Microns.io
Hyperlink: https://www.microns.io/
Microns.io is a micro-SaaS market that focuses on smaller offers so it’s excellent for tiny apps or scripts price a number of hundred up to some hundred thousand {dollars}. Each itemizing on Microns is vetted by the crew, which verifies income and site visitors to assist keep away from scams. The platform presents an escrow service known as “Switch by Microns” for safe funds, and makes a publication of scorching listings to a premium subscriber base. It’s greatest for solo devs or hobbyists with tiny apps, plugins, or facet initiatives that usher in some revenue.
3. SideProjectors
Hyperlink: https://www.sideprojectors.com/
SideProjectors is a pleasant group market for promoting facet initiatives. It is sort of a free listings board constructed by builders for builders. You may submit your venture (net app, script, facet SaaS, and many others.) with an outline, screenshots, income knowledge, and hyperlinks, and consumers can contact you instantly. There aren’t any itemizing charges and no fee – SideProjectors merely connects you. Not like Purchase or Microns, there’s no vetting or escrow. Which means you don’t pay something to record, however you additionally do your personal due diligence and fee settlement. SideProjectors doesn’t even deal with funds – when somebody’s , you negotiate and shut the deal privately. It’s additionally good should you’re simply testing the waters, because it’s 100% free to attempt but it surely has decrease site visitors in comparison with massive websites and you need to do all work by yourself.
4. Flippa
Hyperlink: https://flippa.com/
Flippa is the unique and largest public market for purchasing and promoting web sites, apps, and on-line companies. It’s been round for over a decade and has an enormous viewers of consumers. You may record just about something: cell apps, browser extensions, SaaS companies, e-commerce shops, content material websites, Amazon FBA retailers and extra. Good for mid-sized offers ($10K–$250K). Flippa’s mannequin is extra like eBay or Shopify’s market – you record an asset, and both public sale it off or set a buy-it-now value. They supply analytics widgets (e.g. Google Analytics, income stories) that house owners can allow to show site visitors/income to consumers. In addition they supply an escrow service (Flippa Escrow) to securely deal with massive transactions. On the opposite facet, it fees a hit payment (round 15% of sale value) plus itemizing charges for premium options.
5. TransferLot
Hyperlink: https://transferslot.com/
TransferLot is a more moderen market for promoting facet initiatives and small on-line companies. It combines a free itemizing interval with publication promotion. At present, every new itemizing on TransferLot is free for the primary two weeks, and there’s no transaction payment for sellers. If you would like prolonged publicity, you may pay a small payment (round $20) to proceed itemizing or get featured. The primary catch is that solely non-e-commerce, passive-income websites could be listed – they prohibit conventional retail or dropshipping. TransferLot additionally runs a weekly e-mail to consumers highlighting the most recent listings, so it’s geared towards buyers searching for fast turnkey initiatives. There isn’t a built-in escrow on TransferLot, so like SideProjectors you’ll have to rearrange fee individually and be cautious.
6. Empire Flippers
Hyperlink: https://empireflippers.com/
Empire Flippers is a brokerage and market for worthwhile on-line companies. It’s a hybrid between Flippa and a standard M&A dealer. They vet each itemizing completely and solely take websites that meet sure standards (sometimes no less than $1,000/month in revenue or extra). Empire Flippers has an skilled crew that verifies your financials, site visitors, and different knowledge earlier than itemizing. Whenever you promote, you get a devoted account supervisor to information you thru valuation and shutting. In addition they have an built-in escrow and may deal with due diligence paperwork.
7. Alternative Overload
Hyperlink: https://www.opportunityoverload.com/
Alternative Overload isn’t a full-fledged market web site, however a high-volume publication that highlights startup for-sale listings. Every week they publish a roundup of fascinating companies (apps, SaaS, websites, and many others.) on the market. As a vendor, you may pay a one-time payment (at the moment $10) to have your venture featured in a difficulty. The entry is a really quick blurb (a number of traces) in an e-mail despatched to ~10,000+ subscribers who need to purchase or make investments. This service was began by a maker who efficiently bought a venture by way of it, and he claims one $10 itemizing can generate many inquiries. There’s no escrow or built-in platform basically, you’re paying for visibility.
8. BuyMicroStartups
Hyperlink: https://www.buymicrostartups.com/
BuyMicroStartups is a more moderen platform that calls itself a market for high-potential micro-startups. It was began by a few indie makers who noticed a spot for smaller offers. The thought is to combination fascinating small companies that would develop with some funding. Listings are reviewed earlier than approval, and there’s a concentrate on high quality. Notably, they promise zero commissions for each consumers and sellers – the whole sale value goes to the events. In addition they supply a premium membership for consumers, which provides early alerts on new listings and direct connections to sellers. So you probably have a promising venture, itemizing it on BuyMicroStartups will expose it to buyers seeking to take small “bets”. It’s nonetheless a rising platform, so site visitors is modest.
9. SellMyApp
Hyperlink: https://www.sellmyapp.com/
SellMyApp is a specialised market for cell app supply code (largely clones of common apps or templates) and, by extension, totally developed cell apps. Based in 2013, it has develop into one of many largest platforms for purchasing and promoting Android and iOS app code. It began as a easy classifieds web site (you paid a small payment to record your app for 30 days), however has since advanced right into a full market with 1000’s of listings. Sellers can add their supply code, set a value, after which consumers (sometimes builders seeking to launch their very own app) can buy the code with a full license. This isn’t promoting your complete enterprise or product – it’s promoting copies of your app’s code. You solely earn every time somebody buys the code, reasonably than a lump-sum exit. It’s additionally helpful for quick-cash you probably have a accomplished app you now not wish to keep – you may record it and doubtlessly earn 1000’s by way of a number of gross sales.
10. FE Worldwide
Hyperlink: https://www.feinternational.com/
FE Worldwide is without doubt one of the oldest and most respectedM&A advisors for SaaS, e-commerce, and content material companies. They perform like a dealer: working instantly with mid-to-large firms to organize them on the market and discover consumers. Since 2010 they’ve bought over 1,200 companies. FE Worldwide offers largely within the six- to seven-figure vary (and even increased). When you use FE, you’ll get an skilled advisor assigned to your case who will assist with valuation, due diligence, advertising and marketing your itemizing to the correct buyers, and navigating the closing course of. It’s just for massive video games – if your corporation is simply too small (underneath ~$100K/yr revenue) or pre-revenue, FEI gained’t work with you.
Wrapping Up
This brings us to the tip of this text. When you’ve been sitting on a facet venture, script, or small app that’s bringing in even a little bit income, there’s seemingly a purchaser on the market for it. You don’t want VC funding or a co-founder. Only a working product, some trustworthy metrics, and the willingness to record.
Kanwal Mehreen Kanwal is a machine studying engineer and a technical author with a profound ardour for knowledge science and the intersection of AI with drugs. She co-authored the e book “Maximizing Productiveness with ChatGPT”. As a Google Era Scholar 2022 for APAC, she champions range and tutorial excellence. She’s additionally acknowledged as a Teradata Range in Tech Scholar, Mitacs Globalink Analysis Scholar, and Harvard WeCode Scholar. Kanwal is an ardent advocate for change, having based FEMCodes to empower ladies in STEM fields.
