How AI is changing turnaround and distressed M&A: StrategyBridgeAI at the M&A Excellence Days 2026

How AI is changing turnaround and distressed M&A: StrategyBridgeAI at the M&A Excellence Days 2026

More than 700 M&A professionals gathered at the M&A Excellence Days 2026 at Goethe University Frankfurt to discuss one question that is becoming increasingly urgent: How can advisors execute transactions faster and with greater confidence in uncertain markets?

Hosted by the Bundesverband M&A (BMA), this year’s conference focused on the practical impact of artificial intelligence, restructuring, ESG, regulation, and post-merger integration. Across presentations and discussions, one message was consistent: AI is moving from experimentation into day-to-day transaction work.

StrategyBridgeAI was proud to participate as both an exhibitor and conference speaker, demonstrating how AI can help advisors make better decisions when time is the most critical factor.

When every day matters in turnaround situations

One of the strongest themes throughout the conference was the increasing pressure created by rising insolvency numbers and more complex restructuring projects.

In distressed situations, advisors cannot afford weeks of manual research. Market analyses, competitor assessments, buyer identification, and strategic evaluations often need to be completed within days rather than months.

This was exactly the focus of Louis Flach’s presentation:

“When time is critical: Making turnaround and distressed decisions with data.”

The session addressed practical challenges facing restructuring advisors, M&A teams, and insolvency practitioners, including:

• Why the current insolvency wave requires new advisory standards
• How AI accelerates market and competitor analyses for the IDW S6 restructuring process
• How AI-powered buyer longlisting reduces weeks of research to minutes
• A live demonstration using a real insolvency case

Rather than discussing AI in theory, the presentation focused on measurable improvements in advisory workflows where speed directly impacts transaction outcomes.

AI is becoming core infrastructure for M&A

Artificial intelligence was one of the dominant topics across the conference.

Speakers repeatedly highlighted that AI is no longer simply another productivity tool. It is becoming part of the core infrastructure supporting transaction execution.

For advisory firms, corporate finance teams, investment banks, and private equity investors, AI is increasingly being applied to:

• Commercial due diligence
• Market mapping
• Competitive landscape analysis
• Target and buyer identification
• Industry research
• Document analysis
• Transaction preparation

The discussion has shifted from whether firms should adopt AI to where it creates measurable value without compromising professional judgement.

Practical AI for restructuring and distressed M&A

For turnaround advisors, speed is often the deciding factor.

Preparing an IDW S6 restructuring report typically requires extensive market research, competitor analysis, and strategic assessments. These tasks remain essential, but much of the manual information gathering can now be automated.

StrategyBridgeAI supports advisory teams by dramatically reducing the time required for:

• Market and industry analysis
• Competitive benchmarking
• Strategic market assessments
• Buyer identification and longlisting
• Research across multiple public data sources

Instead of replacing professional expertise, the platform enables advisors to spend more time interpreting results, developing strategic recommendations, and advising clients.

What practitioners asked most at the conference

Many conversations at our booth centred around practical implementation rather than AI concepts.

Typical questions included:

Can AI be used within an IDW S6 restructuring process?

Yes. AI can significantly accelerate research-intensive components such as market analysis, competitor mapping, and strategic assessments while leaving final judgement and documentation with experienced advisors.

How much time can AI save during buyer identification?

Depending on the sector and transaction, AI-supported longlisting can reduce research from several days or weeks to minutes, allowing deal teams to focus on qualification and outreach.

Is AI relevant only for large advisory firms?

No. Boutique M&A advisors, restructuring specialists, accounting firms, and corporate finance teams often benefit the most because automation increases capacity without requiring larger teams.

Does AI replace advisor expertise?

No. The strongest use cases presented throughout the conference combined AI-generated research with experienced professional judgement. Faster analysis leads to better-informed decisions, not automated decisions.

Looking ahead

The M&A Excellence Days 2026 showed that the industry is entering a new phase.

Artificial intelligence is no longer viewed as a future innovation. It is becoming an expected capability across M&A advisory, restructuring, corporate finance, and investment banking.

For StrategyBridgeAI, the event provided an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas with clients, partners, and new contacts while demonstrating how AI delivers measurable value where transaction timelines are tightest.

The conversations in Frankfurt made one thing clear: firms that combine expert judgement with AI-supported execution will be better positioned to navigate increasingly complex transactions.

See StrategyBridgeAI in action

If your team wants to accelerate market analysis, buyer identification, commercial research, or turnaround assessments, we’d be happy to show you how StrategyBridgeAI supports modern M&A and restructuring workflows.

Book a personalised demo⁠ and discover how StrategyBridgeAI helps advisory teams deliver faster, data-driven transaction insights.