I'm Murali Barathi. I founded Krea after twenty-five years spent building businesses, exiting my own company, and advising owners through M&A transactions.
I didn't start in M&A. I started by building and running businesses.
I spent fifteen years inside corporations, leading business transformation work, learning what drives margins, what strengthens operations, and what actually creates durable value.
But that work was always one step removed from ownership. So I left and founded my own company, a virtual reality applications business. I built it, ran it, grew it, and eventually exited it.
The exit was the hardest part, not because of the buyer, but because I wasn't fully prepared. I left value on the table.
You have only one chance to sell the business.
That experience led me into M&A, driven by a desire to help other business owners navigate the same process more effectively.
When I look at a business, I'm not seeing a category, another contract manufacturer or services company. I'm looking for what differentiates it, what's transferable, and what a buyer will truly pay for.
Articulating that value, and matching it to the right buyer, requires judgment, pattern recognition, and a real understanding of both the business and the buyer landscape.
For many owners, this business is their life's work, and often their largest asset. I've been there.
So when there's an opportunity to build value before a sale, I pursue it. And when it's time to go to market, I help owners navigate the process with clarity and confidence. Either way, the goal is the same: a better outcome.
Representative transactions across precision manufacturing, instrumentation, and electronics. Each was led by me personally, end-to-end, while at a prior firm.
Sale of a Bay Area precision instrumentation and semiconductor-equipment business to Polymatech, a Singapore-based acquirer. Founders Alan Wagner and Lenna Jordan transitioned out on the timeline they had planned for, with the buyer they wanted.
Engagement led by Murali at a prior firm.
Sale of a global manufacturer of sensor-based devices: temperature, humidity, vibration data loggers used across industrial and life-sciences applications. A thirty-year-old company with deep customer relationships and a strong technology base. Acquired by a Tennessee-based private equity firm that valued both the technology and the team.
Engagement led by Murali at a prior firm.
Sale of a California precision manufacturing business to K.R. Abraham & Co. in a $12M all-cash transaction, the kind of structure that protects sellers from earnout risk and post-close drift.
Engagement led by Murali at a prior firm.
Sale of a long-tenured printed circuit board assembly business known for quality and quick turnaround. Owner had built the business over decades and wanted a clean exit on his own terms.
Engagement led by Murali at a prior firm.
Additional transactions available on request.
Each quote is from an owner I represented through their sale.
"Murali Barathi was exceptional in guiding us through the sale of our business. His professionalism, expertise, and dedication made all the difference. He tackled every challenge with tireless effort and was the perfect choice to represent our sale."
Alan Wagner & Lenna Jordan CEO and President, Nisene Technologies
"We could not have done it without you. Thanks for being our partner and taking us through the finish line."
Jon Nakagawa Owner, electronic data logger company
"Murali's valuation guidance was incredibly helpful. He broke down the valuation drivers in a way that made sense and used a multi-method approach that made us much more confident heading into buyer negotiations."
Diane N. Owner, electronic data logger company
"Murali is very meticulous and has worked tirelessly to help me through the whole process. Thank you for helping me realize my dream."
PCB Company Owner Anonymized at owner's request
Krea is founder-led. The deal team supports execution. The trusted advisor network is brought in when an engagement calls for it.
Founder
Founder & Principal
Twenty-five years across business transformation, founder-ownership, and M&A advisory. Engagement engineer who treats the sale process as a project to manage rigorously, not a meeting to attend.
Credentials: Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) · California DRE #02143104 · Master's, Tufts University
Deal team
M&A Analyst
Leads execution support across industrial and manufacturing engagements. Builds financial models and valuations, prepares deal materials, manages buyer outreach campaigns. Sector exposure in industrial manufacturing, test & measurement, lighting, hydraulics, and industrial distribution.
M&A Analyst
Supports buy-side and sell-side engagements for founder-led businesses. Owns outbound campaigns, valuation work, due diligence documentation, and process optimization. B.S. Finance & Information Systems, University of Pittsburgh.
Trusted advisor network
Fractional CFO
Siraj Syed
CPA & Operating Advisor
Jon Nakagawa
Former owner and Murali's client
Specialists are brought into engagements when the work calls for them. They contract directly with you. Krea coordinates; we don't mark up their fees.
Memberships & Credentials
A straight conversation about where you are, and what makes sense next.