Datava’s Journey from Seed to a Strategic Exit

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Company Overview

Datava, a comprehensive data solutions company that served small to medium sized credit unions, was founded by brothers Gordon Flammer and David Flammer. The company paired Gordon’s deep industry expertise and business acumen with David’s applied physics and advanced coding skills.

Datava built a proprietary data activation platform aligning closely with the vision of Kinective, a fintech leader serving financial institutions. In April 2025, Datava’s alignment in strategy and culture led to a successful acquisition by Kinective.

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The Challenge

Before partnering with SPZ Legal Partner, Becky Mancero, Datava’s legal experiences often clashed with its business philosophy. Previous attorneys took an overly aggressive approach to commercial contracts, risking negotiations with prospective clients and partners.

Additionally, as Datava brought on a corporate strategic investor to its cap table, its board dynamic shifted from more informal founder board discussions to structured quarterly board meetings with investor board members. 

Over the multi-year period that Datava worked with SPZ Legal as their trusted legal advisor, the company grew from a two-person team to over 30 employees. The company’s growth resulted in the need for skilled legal advice on equity incentive plan management.

The final challenge came with a complex M&A process: navigating a quick LOI-to-close timeline, while continuing to run the scaling operations of the business.

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The Solution

SPZ Legal’s approach aligned with Datava’s values by understanding the business’s needs at various stages of growth and scaling the representation accordingly. 

Over the years, SPZ Legal supported Datava through:

  • Commercial Contract Strategy. Negotiating complex commercial contracts with Datava’s financial institution customers with a measured, reasonable, and protective approach while supporting the growth of long-term customer relationships.
  • Specialist Engagement. Quarterbacking the company’s representation with specialist legal counsel on sensitive employment matters as well as qualified small business stock (QSBS) attestation leading up to the eventual acquisition of the company.
  • Financing Representation. Leading the company through investment with its corporate strategic investor while preserving the long-term vision and exit strategy of the company and its founders. 
  • Equity Incentive Plan Management. Managing the company’s equity incentive plan and cap table by guiding the company through 409A compliance, board approvals of stock option grants, and issuance of stock option grants to employees and contractors. 
  • Acquisition Execution: Leading the company from LOI to closing during an expedited closing timeline with a private equity backed buyer. During the acquisition, SPZ managed the legal due diligence process, negotiated complex transaction agreements, and led the closing process with over 40 stakeholder signatories.
  • Corporate Governance. Establishing effective board processes that fostered constructive collaboration amongst the founder and investor directors. 
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"Working with Becky at SPZ was a breath of fresh air. She was not just a lawyer checking boxes, she was a true partner and trusted advisor who understood our business, our values, and our long-term vision. Becky made complex situations easy to navigate and gave us the confidence that every decision was both legally sound and strategically aligned.”
–Gordon Flammer, founder and former CEO of Datava

 

The Outcome

SPZ Legal’s tailored legal strategy allowed Datava to grow in line with its values, strengthening trust with clients, employees, and investors while preparing for an exit.

The acquisition reflected not only Datava’s technological innovation but also the deliberate, principled way the company was built—supported by legal counsel that matched its vision.

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