In Australia, the business succession process is outdated, inefficient and cumbersome. Retiring small business owners often spend 6–12 months or more navigating a maze of brokers, lawyers, negotiations, and uncertain or unreliable buyers. Meanwhile, would-be successors are forced to grapple with frustrating delays, poor access to capital, and a lack of support throughout what can be a very esoteric process.
Genshare is using AI to reimagine the system, transforming business succession from a high-friction, ad-hoc process into a repeatable, scalable one.
The old model is slow and risky
Historically, small business succession has been plagued by inefficiencies and risk. It’s manual and paper-heavy, which makes it far more prone to human error, emotional decision-making, and deal fall-throughs. It depends on individual brokers to manage the process, which can often lead to inconsistent quality. This traditional model is why so many succession plans fall apart, and why many business owners walk away without a viable succession plan. The upshot: the status quo is ill-suited for scale, with every transaction being a one-off.
How AI can make a huge difference
Genshare is applying AI across the full deal cycle, including everything from deal sourcing, business analysis, talent matching, transition and performance monitoring. Below is a quick snapshot of how it all works.
Deal sourcing
We use AI tools to ingest and assess thousands of potential businesses via broker feeds, databases, and APIs. Our algorithms quickly filter for viability based on financial metrics, industry benchmarks, ownership profile, team structure and geography. This means we don’t have to rely on guesswork. Rather, we rely on structured, 24/7 analysis.
Readiness & risk assessment
Once we identify a viable business, we run automated financial models to assess revenue stability, cashflow trends, customer concentration, and team continuity and attrition. This reduces due diligence timelines from months to weeks, and flags risks early.
Talent matching
Our proprietary platform matches potential successors not just based on CVs, but also on values and leadership style, sector knowledge and experience, and career and lifestyle preferences. As more candidates and businesses flow through the platform, the matching engine improves, making it easier to find the right leader, faster.
Transition & performance monitoring
After the deal is completed, our AI-enabled dashboards track business performance (revenue, margins, staffing, etc.), financial risks and team activity. All of this enables proactive support, not reactive fire-fighting.
AI Reduces time, cost and risk
The deployment of AI allows for huge benefits. It enables:
- Faster deal cycles (weeks, not months)
- Fewer errors in analysis and documentation
- Lower transaction costs by reducing manual work
- Higher confidence for sellers and buyers
- Scalable systems for a broader roll-out
And crucially, it doesn’t replace human judgment – it enhances it. Our Business Support Partners and directors stay involved, but they’re backed by a powerful intelligence engine. AI isn’t just changing how we buy, transition and monitor businesses. It’s transforming what’s possible well beyond that.
