Managed Service Provider Market Update Q3 2026

Crown Peak Advisors’ Q3 2026 MSP Market Update examines the latest M&A activity, valuation trends and buyer priorities shaping the managed services landscape. The report highlights continued transaction activity alongside increasing buyer selectivity, with premium valuations concentrated around scaled, differentiated platforms.

Key themes include:

• Buyer selectivity is increasing as acquirors place greater emphasis on organic growth, recurring revenue, margins, customer quality and scalable operations

• Scale remains a meaningful valuation driver, with MSPs above $5 million of EBITDA averaging 16.0x EBITDA versus 7.7x for smaller peers in Crown Peak Advisor’s transaction analysis

• Cybersecurity, cloud, vertical specialization and AI-enabled capabilities continue to broaden the buyer universe and influence strategic interest

  
  

Download the full report for Crown Peak Advisor’s perspective on MSP M&A activity, valuation benchmarks and the factors buyers are prioritizing in today’s market.