Is an approach from Harris an offer?

No. An approach is an expression of interest, not an offer — it commits you to nothing. Offers come much later, usually in writing as an indicative offer or term sheet, and only after both sides have chosen to engage.

Do I have to reply straight away?

No. There is no clock on your side of the conversation. A considered reply a week later reads better than a rushed one the same afternoon, and a genuine buyer will still be there. You set the pace.

Should I share my financials with Harris?

Not in a first conversation. An early, low-specificity approach rarely warrants sharing numbers. If the conversation gets serious, information changes hands progressively and under a signed NDA — at a pace you control.

How do I know if Harris is serious?

Read the approach itself: who sent it (a partner or CEO signals more intent than an analyst template), how specific it is about your actual product, customers, or numbers, and whether there is a concrete reason they are reaching out now. Generic praise that could have been sent to a hundred companies usually means a routine sweep.

Do I need an advisor before responding?

Not to acknowledge an email. But before sharing anything material — numbers, customer names, growth plans — a second opinion from someone whose only job is to represent you tends to pay for itself. An advisor can read the approach, tell you how much interest it really signals, and keep your options open.

What happens if I just ignore it?

Usually nothing bad — an unanswered email doesn't close any doors, and a genuinely interested buyer will follow up. What you give up is information: understanding why they reached out now can tell you a lot about how your business is being seen, even if you have no intention of selling.

← Who is Harris?

If you’ve been approached

Harris approached me — what now?

An acquirer reaching out can feel like a big moment, and it’s normal to be unsure what it means or how to respond. An approach is not an offer, and it doesn’t commit you to anything — it’s the start of a conversation you get to run at your own pace.

The most useful thing to do first is slow down and understand what kind of approach this actually is. The rest of this page walks through who Harris is, how to read the signals, and the practical moves that keep your options open.

Who they are, in short

Harris is a Constellation Software operating group that owns 108 vertical-market software businesses serving the public sector, utilities, healthcare and education. It is organised into divisions including Health Care Group, Onyx, Altera and Frontline. Harris is a wholly-owned subsidiary of publicly listed Constellation Software Inc. (TSX: CSU). It buys 100% of a business for cash from its own committed resources, with most of the consideration paid at closing, and says it has no intention of selling what it acquires.

Read the full profile of Harris

What they look for

Harris considers vertical-market and mission-critical enterprise software serving private-sector (B2B) and public-sector (B2G) markets, across on-premise, SaaS, hardware-integrated and tech-enabled-services models. Its published size criterion covers annual revenue from $0.5m to over $100m and 5 to 500+ employees; Harris does not state which currency this range is in. Geographic focus is North America, Europe and Australia, with plans to expand further. Harris buys 100% ownership for cash, funded from its own committed capital with no third-party financing, and intends to hold acquired businesses permanently. It does not publish ARR, EBITDA, enterprise-value or cheque-size thresholds.

Capital model: 100% cash acquisition model funded from committed financial resources without reliance on third-party financing; Harris says the majority of the cash consideration is paid at closing.
Founder ownership: N. Harris Computer Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of publicly listed Constellation Software Inc. (TSX: CSU); it is not founder-owned.
Geography: Portfolio concentrated in North America, Europe and Australia, with an explicit objective to expand globally.
Hold period: Permanent ownership: a forever time horizon with no intention to sell acquired businesses.
Majority or minority: Full ownership; no minority-investment offering is stated.
Ownership: Full-control, 100% cash acquisitions followed by decentralised ownership: the acquired business retains operating autonomy while Harris provides central financial, strategic and administrative support.
Sector focus: Vertical-market and other mission-critical enterprise software businesses serving private-sector (B2B) and public-sector (B2G) markets. Harris considers on-premise, SaaS, hardware-integrated software and tech-enabled services.
Target revenue: Annual revenue from as little as $0.5m to more than $100m; the official source does not specify the currency.

How they run acquisitions

If Harris is across the table, the offer is straightforward: cash for 100% of the company, then permanent ownership. There is no fund clock pushing Harris to sell the business later. It says its in-house finance and legal teams can move quickly, but it does not publish a detailed diligence checklist or timetable—so ask for both early. After close, your business is expected to keep running day to day under decentralised management, with Harris benchmarking performance and providing financial and strategic support. The real decision for you is whether a full exit and a permanent home matter more than retaining equity.

Reading the approach

Not every approach means the same thing. A serial acquirer might be running a wide net, or might have a specific reason to want your business. Here’s how to tell the difference.

The signal

Routine BD outreach

Genuine acquisition intent

Who sent it
Routine BD outreachAn analyst or associate, often via a generic template or LinkedIn note.
Genuine intentA partner, principal, or the platform's CEO — someone who can actually transact.
How specific it is
Routine BD outreachPraises the sector and your growth in general terms; could be sent to a hundred companies.
Genuine intentReferences your actual product, customers, or numbers — they've done real homework.
What they ask for
Routine BD outreachA quick intro call to learn more and get to know you for the future.
Genuine intentA view on whether you'd consider a transaction, and often an early sense of scale.
Their timeline
Routine BD outreachOpen-ended relationship building with no particular urgency.
Genuine intentA concrete reason they're reaching out now — a fund mandate, a thesis, a nearby deal.
Where it leads
Routine BD outreachAdded to a pipeline and periodically checked in on.
Genuine intentToward an indicative offer, diligence, and a process — if you engage.

Neither is bad, and neither is a commitment. The point is to read the approach for what it is before deciding how much time and information to give it — an early, low-specificity note rarely warrants sharing numbers, while genuine interest is worth understanding properly.

The moves that protect your position

Whatever the intent, a few simple habits keep you in control of the conversation and your information.

Reply politely and keep the door open — you lose nothing by being courteous.
Ask who they are, why now, and what stage of interest this is.
Take your time; a serious buyer will wait for a considered response.
Get your own read on what the business could be worth before discussing price.
Loop in an adviser who represents you, not the buyer, before sharing anything sensitive.

Don’t

Don't name a price first, or react to a number floated casually on a call.
Don't share detailed financials or customer data before there's an NDA and real intent.
Don't negotiate against yourself by signalling how keen — or how nervous — you are.
Don't let a single unsolicited approach turn into an exclusive, one-buyer conversation.
Don't agree to a binding timeline or exclusivity just to keep them interested.

Common questions

Is an approach from Harris an offer?: No. An approach is an expression of interest, not an offer — it commits you to nothing. Offers come much later, usually in writing as an indicative offer or term sheet, and only after both sides have chosen to engage.
Do I have to reply straight away?: No. There is no clock on your side of the conversation. A considered reply a week later reads better than a rushed one the same afternoon, and a genuine buyer will still be there. You set the pace.
Should I share my financials with Harris?: Not in a first conversation. An early, low-specificity approach rarely warrants sharing numbers. If the conversation gets serious, information changes hands progressively and under a signed NDA — at a pace you control.
How do I know if Harris is serious?: Read the approach itself: who sent it (a partner or CEO signals more intent than an analyst template), how specific it is about your actual product, customers, or numbers, and whether there is a concrete reason they are reaching out now. Generic praise that could have been sent to a hundred companies usually means a routine sweep.
Do I need an advisor before responding?: Not to acknowledge an email. But before sharing anything material — numbers, customer names, growth plans — a second opinion from someone whose only job is to represent you tends to pay for itself. An advisor can read the approach, tell you how much interest it really signals, and keep your options open.
What happens if I just ignore it?: Usually nothing bad — an unanswered email doesn't close any doors, and a genuinely interested buyer will follow up. What you give up is information: understanding why they reached out now can tell you a lot about how your business is being seen, even if you have no intention of selling.

Want a second opinion?

If it would help to talk it through with someone whose only job is to represent you — not the buyer — that’s exactly what we do. A short, no-obligation conversation is often enough to know where you stand.

Approached by Harris? Get a straight, unconflicted read before you reply.

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General information, not legal, financial, or tax advice. Every situation is different — talk to an adviser about yours.