What Recent Client Engagements Reveal About Market Momentum Going Into 2026

Over the past several months, Blythe Global Advisors has seen a surge of new engagements across industries as varied as clean energy, medtech, apparel, mining, real estate, financial services, and technology. On the surface, these businesses couldn’t be more different. Some are working toward public listings, some are expanding after major transactions, and others are building entirely new business models in highly regulated spaces.

But when you look beneath the surface, a clear pattern emerges. Companies are investing—heavily—in financial infrastructure, governance, and transparency. This isn’t the loud kind of market momentum we saw in boom years. It’s subtler and more disciplined. And from our vantage point working with companies at every stage of growth, it’s a meaningful signal about where the middle market is heading.

A Push Toward Public-Company Discipline (Even for Private Companies)

A striking share of recent engagements involves some combination of SEC preparedness, SOX implementation, technical accounting, ISO readiness, and financial modeling. While these needs are familiar to companies on the road to IPO or SPAC transactions, what stands out now is how many private and non-IPO companies are adopting public-company rigor.

Why? A few reasons:

• Regulators are raising expectations. Even private companies, especially those in finance, energy, medtech, and digital assets, are feeling the ripple effects of heightened oversight.
• Lenders and boards want better visibility. Strong controls and clearer reporting reduce volatility and make growth plans more credible.
• Audit complexity has increased. Auditors are asking tougher questions, and companies want fewer surprises.
• Acquirers are scrutinizing more deeply. Whether a company is planning for a sale in two years or ten, they want to be “transaction-ready” instead of scrambling at the last minute.

From SOX implementations to ASC 842 adoption to SEC-style reporting readiness, this more disciplined approach is becoming the norm, not a special project reserved for public registrants.

A Return of Capital Markets Activity…Quietly

No one would describe the current IPO landscape as roaring back. But several of our newest clients are preparing for future listings, evaluating SPAC combinations, or cleaning up the financial groundwork needed for a major capital event. And the profile of these companies is interesting:

• Clean-energy innovators
• Advanced technology companies
• Mining and natural-resources firms with digital-asset components
• High-growth consumer brands
• Life-science and medtech businesses scaling quickly

These aren’t companies riding a trend or chasing headlines. They’re companies building long-term, infrastructure-heavy businesses. They know that when market windows open again—and they always do—strong financial foundations will separate the contenders from everyone else.

The return of activity may be quiet, but it’s real.

Growing Pains Are Getting More Complex

Another trend we’re seeing: fast-growth companies hitting operational inflection points that demand deeper technical expertise. That growth might come from geographic expansion, new product lines, acquisitions, or new types of customers—and with it comes more complicated accounting.

We’re helping organizations with:

• Fair-value measurements
• Inventory accounting under new models
• Multi-entity consolidation
• ASC 842 lease impacts as operations scale
• Revenue-recognition challenges as business models evolve
• Enhanced FP&A and forecasting to support board-level decisions

In many cases, internal teams are sharp and capable—they’re just stretched thin. Headcount lags behind growth, and the complexity of reporting can leap ahead before teams are staffed for it. Bringing in specialized support fills the gap quickly, especially when timelines are tight.

Internal Controls Are Becoming a Strategic Advantage

Not long ago, internal controls were viewed as a compliance checkbox or something companies had to build only when an auditor insisted. That’s shifting.

Across industries, strong internal controls are now viewed as:

• A way to reduce audit fees
• A buffer against surprises during transactions
• A signal of maturity for lenders and investors
• A framework that enables faster, cleaner decision-making
• A safety net as companies adopt AI, automation, and new technologies

We’ve seen a noticeable rise in SOX implementations, SOX refreshes, and pre-SOX readiness work, even for companies not currently required to comply. They view controls as a way to build confidence and resilience, not simply meet regulatory requirements.

A More Thoughtful Approach to Scaling

Finally, companies today seem more self-aware about where they are in their growth journey. Instead of pushing forward and dealing with the consequences later, they’re stepping back and asking foundational questions:

• Do we have the reporting maturity needed for the next stage?
• Will our current processes hold up under scrutiny?
• Are we relying too heavily on key individuals instead of scalable systems?
• Can we forecast with the accuracy the board expects?
• Are we ready for our next audit—or our next transaction?

This more intentional mindset stands out. It’s not about accelerating at any cost; it’s about strengthening the financial core so growth is sustainable.

What This All Suggests About Where We’re Headed

The companies we support may be in different industries, but they share a common theme. They’re preparing for what comes next, whether that’s an audit, a capital event, an expansion, or a new regulatory environment.

To us, this signals a market that is:

• Stabilizing, but with higher expectations
• Investing, but doing so with discipline
• Growing, but in more complex and nuanced ways
• Preparing, not reacting

There’s a quiet confidence building, rooted in strong governance, clearer financial insights, and a desire to be ready when opportunity knocks.

At Blythe Global Advisors, we’re fortunate to see this shift up close. The work we’re doing across industries reinforces an encouraging trend: businesses aren’t standing still. They’re building, strengthening, and laying the groundwork for the next phase of growth. And if the last several months are any indication, the middle market is far more active—and far more ambitious—than the headlines might suggest.