Coverage
A wider target pool
Founder-owned and sponsor-backed businesses that are not running a sale and do not appear on banker lists.
- Off-market targets
- Adjacent and niche segments
- Cross-border where it fits
For corp dev teams
Your name stays out of it.
Off-market targets, approached without your brand on the email.
The best targets are rarely for sale, and a cold approach from a well-known acquirer can move the price or end the conversation. We run unbranded outreach against your criteria, qualify interest and only reveal who you are when both sides are ready.
- Your name withheld until you approve
- Unbranded
- Your name withheld until you approve
- Before targets see anything
- NDA
- Before targets see anything
- Upfront fees to scope the search
- 0
- Upfront fees to scope the search
Target pipeline
Confidential
- Criteria and thesis agreedWeek 1
- Long list built and screenedWeek 2
- Unbranded founder outreachWeeks 3 to 6
- Interest qualified under NDAOngoing
- Identity revealed, first meetingOn approval
- Your team leads the dealHandover
Search length depends on the sector, the criteria and the size of the target pool.
Why unbranded
A famous logo in the inbox changes the conversation. We keep it about fit first.
When a recognised acquirer writes to a founder directly, three things tend to happen: expectations on price jump, the founder calls a banker, or the email is ignored as noise. An independent approach lets the conversation start on the business, the founder and the fit. Your identity is shared only once there is genuine interest and you say so.
- Founders hear about a credible, qualified buyer, not a brand.
- You avoid signalling your strategy to competitors and the market.
- Price talks start from fundamentals, not from who is asking.
- Your team spends time only on targets that want to talk.
How outreach works
From thesis to first meeting.
A repeatable sourcing programme that sits alongside your corp dev team, not instead of it.
Share your criteria- 01
Thesis and criteria
Week 1
We agree the sectors, size, geography, business model and deal-breakers with your team, plus the story we can tell founders without naming you.
OutputWritten search brief
- 02
Long list and screening
Week 2
We build a target list from public data, sector research and our own network, then screen it against your criteria before anyone is contacted.
OutputApproved target list
- 03
Unbranded outreach
Weeks 3 to 6
Personal, founder-to-adviser approaches from Acquiry. Targets learn there is a qualified acquirer in their space, never which one.
OutputQualified responses
- 04
Reveal and handover
On your approval
Interested founders sign an NDA. With your approval we reveal your identity, set up the first meeting and hand over a short brief on each conversation.
OutputWarm first meetings
What you get
Built for teams that already know how to close.
Your team runs valuation, diligence and integration. We fill the top of the funnel with conversations that would not have started otherwise.
Discretion
No signal to the market
Outreach comes from Acquiry under NDA. Competitors, targets and the press do not learn your strategy from your inbox.
- Unbranded first contact
- NDA before detail
- Reveal only on approval
Efficiency
Qualified, not just contacted
Each conversation arrives with the founder’s interest, timing and rough expectations already understood.
- Interest confirmed
- Timing understood
- Short brief per target
Fit
Where this works best.
Unbranded sourcing is most useful when the targets are private, the acquirer is well known and timing matters.
| Situation | Why unbranded helps |
|---|---|
| Building a new capability through acquisition | Founders judge the fit before the brand sets their price. |
| Consolidating a fragmented niche | Several targets can be approached without each learning about the others. |
| Entering a new market or region | Local founders hear from an independent intermediary first. |
| Acqui-hires and small tuck-ins | Conversations stay small, quick and confidential. |
| Testing appetite before a board decision | You learn what is available without committing publicly. |
Acquiry does not give legal, tax or valuation advice. Your team and your own advisers lead price, structure and diligence.
Discretion by design
Quiet first conversations.
Most acquisitions that matter start long before a sale process. A discreet, well-prepared first approach gives you the chance to build that relationship on your terms.
Every Acquiry mandate runs under strict NDA.
What it costs
Clear fees, agreed first.
Scoping
The first criteria session and search scoping come with no obligation.
The search
If you proceed, fees are agreed in writing before outreach begins and are largely success-based, paid when an acquisition completes.
Your advisers
Legal, tax and valuation work stays with your own team and advisers. We introduce independent firms if you need them.
Questions
What founders and boards ask us.
Will targets know who the buyer is?
Not at first. Outreach comes from Acquiry and describes a qualified acquirer in general terms. Your identity is shared only with founders who have signed an NDA and only when you approve.
Does this replace our corp dev team?
No. It adds sourcing capacity at the top of the funnel. Your team leads valuation, diligence, negotiation and integration.
Can you approach targets we already know about?
Yes. Many teams give us a short list of named targets they would rather not approach directly, alongside a wider search.
How many targets do you contact?
It depends on the criteria and the size of the market. We agree the list with you before any outreach and report on every conversation.
Which sectors and markets do you cover?
We focus on digital, software, AI, fintech and technology-enabled businesses, but we are not limited to listed sectors or markets. Bring the brief to us anyway.
Share your acquisition criteria
Tell us what you are looking for.
A short outline is enough. We will come back with how we would run the search and what the target pool looks like.
- Your company name is never shared without approval.
- Strict NDA before any target sees detail.
- Fees set by deal size and complexity.