About SuccessionSignal
Private equity-backed platforms have been buying accounting firms for a decade: the CPA Trendlines deal tracker counts 473 acquired firms across about 72 platforms as of its May 2026 update (source). Finding the next firm usually means spreadsheets and cold lists.
SuccessionSignal ranks licensed California CPA firms by public signals of succession pressure, such as a name partner licensed for decades with few junior CPAs behind them, and shows the evidence behind every score.
How we work
- Official sources only. State license records and public announcements. We don't scrape sites whose terms forbid it, and we don't buy data from brokers.
- A person checks every release. Known acquisitions and PE-owned firms are removed with sources. Then 50 firms from the top 100 are checked by hand: at least 95% must be right, or the release is held back or withdrawn.
- Evidence next to every score. Each firm shows its three strongest signals, its license record and the date of the data behind it.
- Privacy by design. Public license fields only; no personal emails or phone numbers of CPAs. Anyone can ask to be left out.
Who it's for
Corp-dev teams at PE-backed accounting platforms, CPA practice brokers and acquiring firms. Scores rank public signals; they are not a statement that any firm is for sale.
Learn more
- Methodology: the signals, weights and checks.
- Guides and data for CPA firm acquirers.
- Contact us with questions or a state you need.
SuccessionSignal is operated by [Company legal name].