The Data Problem That Kills PE Exit Multiples

Episode notes

Shota Ishii joined me on The PE Data Guy to talk about what happens when PE-backed manufacturers cannot answer a basic question: which products are actually making money? He has spent two decades building systems that give companies a clear picture of where their cash goes, and we got into why that gap exists and what it takes to close it. We covered working capital, data architecture, and what mid-market companies need to do right now to get their data in order before AI can do anything useful for them. Shota shared an example of a $400 million metal company that found $80 million in working capital improvements once they had the right transaction-level visibility. Chapters: 00:00 - Understanding Capital Efficiency 06:42 - The Journey to Becoming a Robo CFO 20:55 - Amazonifying Legacy Industries: The Need for Real-Time Data 31:51 - The Importance of Data Strategy in Mid-Market Companies 35:18 - The Future of AI in Mid-Market Companies Guest Information Shota Ishii is the founder of Proximo Tech, where he works with PE-backed manufacturers on capital efficiency and working capital.

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