The pace of consolidation in the RIA space is evolving beyond traditional buy-and-build models, and our data at AdvizorPro is helping bring clarity to a key new trend: the rise of “sub-acquisitions.”

As larger platforms acquire RIAs and those newly acquired firms begin buying other practices, the industry is seeing a second wave of deal activity that has significant implications for strategy, scale and differentiation.

• A recent article reports that sub-acquisitions accounted for nearly 31 % of all RIA M&A activity in 2025. More than double the share in 2020.
  
  
• The coverage cites AdvizorPro’s data showing that although PE-backed RIAs represent only about 3.7 % of all firms, they control roughly 25 % of industry assets and are disproportionately driving sub-acquisition activity.
  
  
• One of our executives at AdvizorPro observes that the trend is driven by platforms that, after being acquired themselves, begin their own M&A journeys creating a cascading “mothership” effect of subsidiary acquisitions. 

You can read the full story in The Daily Upside at this link: What’s the deal with the rise of sub-acquisitions?

Driving Growth Through Data Powered Market Intelligence

As sub acquisitions continue to reshape the RIA landscape, firms are turning to richer market intelligence to understand which platforms are expanding, where capital is flowing, and how consolidation patterns are shifting. 

Resources like our latest Advisor Demographics Report, the Mid Year RIA Growth Update, and our deep dive on How to Evaluate RIA Targets Using Data help firms navigate these dynamics with clarity.

 To see how AdvizorPro can support your growth strategy with verified data and smart segmentation, start your free trial.

‍