TRANBI Tries to Fix the Human Layer of Online M&A

TRANBI, one of Japan’s largest business succession and M&A platforms, has launched an initiative aimed at improving negotiation etiquette between users. The goal is straightforward. Make online M&A discussions safer, clearer, and less prone to friction.

As online M&A platforms become more common for SME succession and individual acquisitions, the stakes have risen. These platforms handle sensitive business and financial information between parties who often never meet face to face. TRANBI’s view is that platform features alone are not enough. How users communicate matters just as much.

The initiative has two main components. First is the publication of an official Negotiation Etiquette Guide. It lays out practical expectations around fair judgment without bias, timely and honest responses including clear rejections, and explaining why certain information is being requested to avoid unnecessary suspicion. These are basic rules, but often the ones most ignored.

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Second is an online seminar, supervised by TRANBI’s customer support team, using real message examples from the field. The focus is on what works, what backfires, and how small wording choices can derail negotiations.

The broader signal is important. As digital M&A scales, trust and conduct are becoming infrastructure issues. TRANBI is betting that improving etiquette is not soft guidance, but a requirement for a healthier online M&A market.