Underwriting Consultant · Dental Pitch Brokerage
He’s been on the buyer’s side of 50+ dental M&A transactions. Now he uses that knowledge to protect sellers.
Austin Hunter is an Underwriting Consultant at Dental Pitch Brokerage with nearly a decade of experience at the intersection of corporate finance and dental M&A — first at UBS, one of the world's largest wealth management firms, and then on the buy side at one of the largest DSOs in the country, where he led an acquisition team that executed more than 50 transactions totaling over $500 million in cumulative value.
That buy-side experience is the foundation of everything Austin does at Dental Pitch Brokerage. He has been inside the rooms where DSOs decide which practices to acquire, how to model their offers, and where they look for leverage in negotiations. Now he uses that knowledge to protect sellers — making sure practice owners understand what buyers know, what they are looking at, and how to make sure the numbers are never working against them.
Most sellers are negotiating against buyers who have executed hundreds of deals. Austin has been on that side of the table. His role at Dental Pitch is to level that playing field — with real deal experience, not theory.
Education
B.S. in Accounting and Finance — Boston University, Questrom School of Business
As Underwriting Consultant, Austin applies buy-side DSO deal expertise to the seller advisory process at Dental Pitch Brokerage.
He has spent nearly a decade at the intersection of corporate finance and dental M&A — building the kind of institutional knowledge that most brokers never acquire. At Dental Pitch, that experience works exclusively for sellers.
Most sellers are negotiating against buyers who have executed hundreds of deals. Austin has been on that side of the table. His role at Dental Pitch is to level that playing field — with real deal experience, not theory.
Dentists trust Austin because he has done what most brokers have only read about — four years inside a DSO acquisition team, not advising on deals from the outside, but executing them.
Real Buy-Side Experience
Four years inside one of the largest DSOs in the country leading an acquisition team. He knows how DSO financial models work, what assumptions buyers make when they underwrite a practice, and exactly where sellers lose value when they are not properly prepared.
50+ Transactions Executed
More than 50 dental practice acquisitions executed with a cumulative value exceeding $500 million. That is not market research — it is firsthand deal experience that directly informs how Austin protects sellers at Dental Pitch.
EBITDA & Financial Modeling Depth
Understands how DSOs model EBITDA, what quality of earnings analysis reveals, and how financial presentation affects offer price. Sellers who work with Austin know their numbers will hold up under buyer scrutiny.
Active Deal-Flow Intelligence
His ongoing work in the dental M&A market provides live intelligence on how buyers are evaluating practices, what deal structures are moving, and where sellers can find leverage — not historical data, but current market insight.
Austin's expertise spans corporate finance, DSO acquisition strategy, and dental practice underwriting — giving Dental Pitch sellers access to buy-side intelligence that most brokers have never had.
Dental Practice Financial Modeling & Underwriting
Evaluates practice financials using the same frameworks DSO buyers apply internally — identifying gaps, stress-testing assumptions, and ensuring numbers hold up under scrutiny.
DSO Acquisition Strategy & Buy-Side Due Diligence
Four years executing acquisitions inside a major DSO — firsthand knowledge of how buyers underwrite practices, structure offers, and find leverage in negotiations.
Quality of Earnings Analysis & EBITDA Optimization
Knows what buyers look for in a quality of earnings review and how to position EBITDA to reflect true practice value before a deal goes to market.
Buyer Type Analysis
Understands how DSOs, private equity groups, and private practitioners evaluate acquisitions differently — and how to position a practice to attract the right type of buyer.
Diligence Support for DSO Acquisitions
Supports diligence processes with the rigor of someone who has run them from the other side — ensuring nothing surfaces late in a transaction that reduces price or erodes leverage.
Practice Valuation Benchmarking
Benchmarks practice value against active market comparables — giving sellers a realistic, defensible position before the first buyer conversation takes place.
A career built at the intersection of corporate finance and dental M&A — from institutional sell-side advisory at UBS to leading a buy-side acquisition team inside one of the largest DSOs in the country.
01
Underwriting Consultant
Dental Pitch Brokerage
Applies deep buy-side DSO acquisition experience to the seller advisory process. Evaluates practice financials, stress-tests deal structures, and ensures sellers are never in a weaker position than they need to be.
02
Founder & CEO
Ascend Strategic Partners — Tampa, FL
Founded Ascend Strategic Partners to provide pre-sale consulting, brokerage, and diligence support for dental practice owners. Built around the principle that sellers deserve better outcomes — with emphasis on buyer-seller fit alongside purchase price.
03
DSO Acquisitions Team — 4 Years
Dental Care Alliance
Built and led an industry-leading acquisition team inside one of the largest DSOs in the country. Responsibilities spanned financial modeling, due diligence, and post-close integration. Executed more than 50 transactions with a cumulative value exceeding $500 million.
04
Corporate Finance
UBS — New York
Worked at UBS on a team focused on helping business owners assess and execute strategic transactions. Assisted clients across sell-side advisory, capital raises, and strategic option evaluation — building the institutional finance foundation that later applied directly to dental M&A.
The advisory-driven model at Dental Pitch Brokerage works because every team member brings a specific layer of expertise that protects sellers at a different point in the process. Austin's layer is buy-side financial rigor — applied before a practice ever goes to market.
Pre-Market Financial Preparation
Every practice that goes through the Dental Pitch process benefits from the same financial scrutiny DSO buyers apply on the other side. Austin applies that scrutiny first — on behalf of the seller — so nothing surfaces in due diligence that reduces price or erodes leverage.
Buy-Side Modeling Expertise
Austin evaluates practice financials using the same frameworks buyers use internally. That means sellers enter the market with a clear, defensible position — not a valuation that falls apart under scrutiny.
Active Deal-Flow Intelligence
His ongoing work in the dental M&A market provides live intelligence on how DSOs are evaluating practices, what deal structures are moving, and where buyers are finding leverage. That is not historical data — it benefits every seller the team represents.
The Difference Between Reactive and Strategic
Austin's preparation is what separates a reactive transaction from a strategic exit. Sellers who work with him know their numbers are right, their positioning is sound, and their deal is structured to hold up from first offer to close.
Austin is based in Tampa, Florida. Outside of work he follows Tampa sports, enjoys golfing, and spends time on the water.
He brought the same analytical rigor that defined his buy-side career to building Ascend Strategic Partners — and brings it to every seller he advises at Dental Pitch Brokerage.
Verify Austin's credentials, explore his professional profiles, or connect with the Dental Pitch team directly.
Dental Pitch Brokerage brings together legal expertise, private equity experience, and deep knowledge of dental practice valuation — all under one advisory roof.
If you are ready to understand what your practice is worth, or thinking about what a transition could look like, the right conversation starts here.
The goal is not just to sell your practice.
The goal is to sell it wisely.
What to Expect
