Navigating the private investment lifecycle is essential for companies seeking to scale, compete and ultimately reach public markets. This lifecycle includes a series of structured funding rounds — each aligned with a company’s growth stage and strategic goals. From early seed capital that fuels initial product development to later-stage funding that supports expansion or IPO readiness, every phase plays a critical role in building long-term value.

When companies explore strategic consolidation, they are often faced with the decision to either pursue a merger or initiate a tender offer — two distinct pathways for combining corporate interests under a unified structure. A merger combines two entities into a single business after negotiations result in an agreement, while a tender offer involves the acquisition of one company’s shares by an acquirer that makes an offer to shareholders.

Determining the best option depends not only on what agreements the organizations can reach, but shareholder sentiment.

For decades, many American companies have relied on the global economy to provide them with the supplies, components, and talent they need to achieve their business goals. The recent introduction of new tariffs disrupts this balance, creating considerations that businesses must factor into their operations.

Tariffs involve adding a tax on imported goods paid to the government. In some cases, the institution of tariffs on imports from one country may lead other countries to place tariffs in retaliation, creating what is commonly called a “trade war.”

AI is transforming finance by automating tasks, enhancing accuracy, and generating strategic insights. To fully harness AI's power, finance professionals must familiarize themselves with the technology itself and need to master effective prompting—crafting questions and instructions for optimal results.

This guide explores tools, techniques, and strategies to maximize AI's potential, enabling efficient, data-driven financial reporting.

As we head into the final stretch of 2025, the markets are ending the year on a high note, but not without a fair share of uncertainty. We’re seeing strong equity performance even as inflation, regulation, and economic headwinds persist, not to mention the ongoing government shutdown. For finance leaders, this means walking a fine line: staying cost-conscious while continuing to invest in AI and digital innovation.

What a difference a single quarter makes. When DFIN conducted its Mergers and Acquisitions 2025 Trends Survey in December 2024, the M&A deal market was poised for a robust 2025. Now, that forecast seems a bit premature.

Back in December, 62 percent of finance leaders said they planned to increase their deal-making efforts. These decisions were driven by strategic growth plans, technological advancements, and a strong focus on risk management and integration.

Concert Bio is an early-stage company that found itself navigating increasingly complex challenges, such as protecting intellectual property, raising capital from investors, and collaborating with partners.

In an era of heightened financial scrutiny, tracking every financial transaction is vital. You need to be able to look at all the relevant data, from the amount of the transaction to the person who processed it and the history of any edits. Having this information can help you run your business more efficiently, especially when you need to find the cause of inaccuracies or possible fraud.

Knowing what could happen to your company does not require a crystal ball. Rather, it calls for a plan to harness data to create insights, predictions and forecasts that can help you achieve your business goals. This is a chief benefit of predictive analytics, or the use of data to generate scenarios that allow you to predict how your organization can benefit from structural or operational changes. Data-driven forecasting makes it easier for you to weather fluctuations in the market and improve your decision-making.

This Financial Regulatory Data Series webinar with the Data Foundation, in partnership with Donnelley Financial Solutions (DFIN), explored financial regulatory data systems, what opportunities exist to reduce compliance reporting burdens while improving data quality, and took a look at how the Financial Data Transparency Act (FDTA) provides a roadmap for streamlined regulatory reporting. Joined by special guest, Coy Garrison, Partner with Steptoe, and former counsel and career staffer at the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), the conversation will touch on: